# Dr. McCoy: Angel of mercy or racist bastard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883 "2003-07-16T14:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/81 "2003-07-18T20:03:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BMalion \* > \*\*and if memory serves, how to perform CPR on a Gorn. \*\* Come on guy, give! What do you do, drop a shuttle craft on his chest, check for respiration, repeat? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/82 "2003-07-18T20:54:32Z")
Okay, first you find some sulpher, some carbonous material, a tube open at one end only, some diamondlike rocks; then, rip off your shirt… ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/83 "2003-07-18T23:26:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > \*\*Okay, first you find some sulpher, some carbonous material, a tube open at one end only, some diamondlike rocks; then, rip off your shirt… \*\* Of course, you also need a stunt double who looks only vaguely like you (same race and gender, maybe same hair color) to do the wide shot fight scenes with the gorn. I never noticed before how often they find ways for kirk(and his stunt double) to have a fight with the alien of the week. ---
**Author:** ![schplebordnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@schplebordnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schplebordnik)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/84 "2003-07-18T23:56:34Z")
I believe goat-felching was part of the pon farr (aka “Amok Time”) ritual right before the battle with the bladed pugel sticks. Apparently, it was done to get the participant in an appropriate pissed-off mood. Unfortunately, Roddenberry was forced to cut that scene out of the final episode due to mores of the time. The negatives of the excised scene have, unfortunately, never been recovered. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/85 "2003-07-19T00:18:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tdn \* > \*\*Genusist? Genusist is forbidden! Take permits many, money more! \*\* 😃 I think it just happened to work out that Bones only ever ran into arguements with non-humans. His moment alone with Spock (or his body at least) in ST III shows his real feelings, no racist/speciesist, just up for an arguement thats all. His emotions will some day be his undoing. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/86 "2003-07-19T00:26:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by schplebordnik \* > \*\* Apparently, it was done to get the participant in an appropriate pissed-off mood. > \*\* “That is logical. You obtained the least asthetically pleasing goat” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/87 "2003-07-19T00:32:45Z")
**HPL** , I once scripted a parody video skit of Star Trek with my then room-mate as Kirk. He looked amazingly like him. I had another friend, a 6’4" black woman who was of very large proportions. (I really need to look her up, see how she is. I know how Kirk roomy is…) She had agreed to be “Kirk’s” stunt double for me. I even found the perfect hair piece for her. (I was filming commercials freelance while the building industry slumped. This was the same time period that had me scrounging for backing for my beach culture Romeo & Juliet flick that was fundless after the Philipinos puled out. Damn Marcos!) But, alas! It just barely failed to see the light of day due to an abundance of problems, including the room-mate moving to San Leandro to get married. But, could you imagine the sight gag of switching between close ups of “Kirk” and long shots of “Stunt Double Woman”? I should get them all back together and jsut do it, even if only on DV for us. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/88 "2003-07-19T00:35:55Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted TWDuke_ > …\*\*if environmental pressures could result in independent development of creatures that closely resemble humans wearing false ears or prosthetic foreheads, it’s conceivable that their genitals could fit together and their chromosomes line up correctly. > > Not bloody likey, but conceivable.\*\* > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by BrainGlutton_ > \*\*No, TWDuke, it is not conceivable. \*\* … \*\*“Convergent evolution,” my two-cheeked ass! Convergent evolution gave the shark and the porpoise and the ichthysaur similar shapes, but that doesn’t mean they can breed! \*\*… Similar, schmimilar. A shark is a scaly, cartaliginous egg-laying fish with gills. A dolphin is a smooth-skinned, bony mammal that breathes through the top of its head. A vulcan is a human with a sallow complexion and pointy ears. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by MEBuckner_ > … **Vulcans, for example, aren’t just humanoids with pointier ears and a less volatile psychological make-up than Terrans. The external differences are minor, but internally they have green, copper-based blood, their hearts are where our stomachs are, and the Great Bird of the Galaxy only knows what else.** … Oh. Apparently, I’m wrong. But I still say its concei… not beyond imagination that IF a multitude of races evolved elsewhere that were almost exactly like humans we MIGHT be able to interbreed with some of them. We are talking about a pretty big IF here. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/89 "2003-07-19T01:01:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JThunder \* > \*\*That’s because biologists are sometimes sloppy in their descriptions of what constitute a different species. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t consider wolves and domestic dogs to be the same species, for example, since they can interbreed and produce fertile descendants. \*\* I believe the trend in recent years has been toward classifying the domestic dog as a wolf: Canis lupus familiaris. Similarly, the domestic cat’s relationship to some wildcats is recognized by the move from Felis catus to Felis sylvestris catus. The ALC referred to in my previous link is Felis bengalensis, a distinct species – for now. But now are we saying organisms can interbreed _because_ they are the same species or organisms can interbreed _therefore_ they are the same species? > [@](#): > > _Sampiro_ > **On the whole “different species” thread, not to hijack, but if we ever do discover multiple forms of life on other planets, will it require us to completely rewrite our taxonomic codes or will we just go with what the Martian dust-lizard most resembles?** If they’re very similar to terrestrial life we could end up rewriting our definitions of species, genus, family, etc. I suspect, however, that any extraterrestrial life we found would be different enough to merit its own kingdom. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/90 "2003-07-19T01:32:14Z")
Kingdom? I’d expect that they’d invent a new level above kingdom to describe what planet the lifeform evolved on. Maybe call it “Biota,” as in “Vulcan Biota” or “Terran Biota” ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/91 "2003-07-19T20:48:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > \*\*Drunks, mass murderers = Pakleds?! > You think we are not smart. We _are_ smart. One of the plot points in _Samaritan Snare_ was that the preconceived notion of their inteligence was wrong. They were quite capable of luring others into a situation that would only benefit the Pakleds. > > It was a slightly moralistic episode episode. The moral being: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Or, Just because I sound/look/act different than you, doesn’t mean I’m stupid (see our numerous threads about the South where predjudices about accents or way of life is discussed.) Or, cheese is a very good snack food. > > We look for things. \*\* Things that make us go. And I want some o’ those Big Bang Burgers! ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883/92 "2003-07-19T20:59:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diceman \* > \*\*Kingdom? I’d expect that they’d invent a new level above kingdom to describe what planet the lifeform evolved on. Maybe call it “Biota,” as in “Vulcan Biota” or “Terran Biota” \*\* That probably would make more sense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-mccoy-angel-of-mercy-or-racist-bastard/188883.md?page=4)