# Is Spock the most famous alien in the history of fiction/pop culture? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040 "2009-05-01T22:41:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/1 "2009-05-01T22:41:52Z")
With the new Star Trek coming soon, the Trek cast has been in the news. This thought popped in my head. I think the answer is yes, but wanted to put it out for the Dope. The case for Spock: he is a cultural icon. Live Long a prosper, the hand greeting, “logical” the pinch, and those ears. Everyone immediately recognizes those bits. I’m not even sure any other character is close. For the sake of discussion, let’s exclude “aliens” from say Tatooine, like Luke Skywalker. **Chewbacca** is an alien. Luke is just a human from another world. Chewie is probably my distant #2, but I’m sure some Dopers will jump in with some solid answers. Bonus Question: Who is a bigger part of pop culture fame: Spock or Kirk? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/2 "2009-05-01T22:45:54Z")
I’d say Yoda has the edge on Spock. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/3 "2009-05-01T22:47:22Z")
I would have thought ET… ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/4 "2009-05-01T22:47:31Z")
ET ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/5 "2009-05-01T22:48:51Z")
My thought: Superman! ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/6 "2009-05-01T22:52:08Z")
Don’t forget Jabba. I have referred to a certain someone at my office as Jabba more than once, and nobody, sixty year-old woman or twenty year-old stoner, missed the reference. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/7 "2009-05-01T22:53:15Z")
Does anyone who wasn’t alive when ET came out know who ET is? He had one movie 20 years ago. Seems unlikely that he could compete with the mammoth marketing engines behind Star Wars and Star Trek, and their continual stream of new content. Superman’s a good answer, but I think he’d fall under “human from another planet.” Yeah, yeah, he’s not technically a human, but he’s physically indistinguishable from one, and was raised entirely on Earth. There’s very little about him that’s “alien.” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/8 "2009-05-01T22:54:14Z")
I’m still seconding Superman. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/9 "2009-05-01T22:54:44Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > My thought: Superman! yep, superman. khadaji has it right. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/10 "2009-05-01T22:56:07Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Does anyone who wasn’t alive when ET came out know who ET is? He had one movie 20 years ago. Seems unlikely that he could compete with the mammoth marketing engines behind Star Wars and Star Trek, and their continual stream of new content. > > Superman’s a good answer, but I think he’d fall under “human from another planet.” Yeah, yeah, he’s not technically a human, but he’s physically indistinguishable from one, and was raised entirely on Earth. There’s very little about him that’s “alien.” Except for being able to leap tall buildings, being super strong, being able to catch bullets and shoot heat vision from his eyes and being able to use X-Ray vision. But other than _that_, he is just like most of my friends. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/11 "2009-05-01T22:59:48Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Except for being able to leap tall buildings, being super strong, being able to catch bullets and shoot heat vision from his eyes and being able to use X-Ray vision. But other than _that_, he is just like most of my friends. 🙂 Maybe your friends just suck? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/12 "2009-05-01T23:01:22Z")
Definitely Superman. He’s human looking, true, but everybody knows he’s from Krypton. Besides, if you get past the ears, Spock is half human and doesn’t really look particularly _alien_ either. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/13 "2009-05-01T23:12:58Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Except for being able to leap tall buildings, being super strong, being able to catch bullets and shoot heat vision from his eyes and being able to use X-Ray vision. But other than _that_, he is just like most of my friends. 🙂 Luke Skywalker can parry laser blasts and lift spaceships with his mind, but he was still specifically excepted in the OP. > [@photopat](#): > > Besides, if you get past the ears, Spock is half human and doesn’t really look particularly alien either. And the green skin. But he also _acts_ alien. He has a distinct non-human viewpoint, beliefs, and mannerisms. Superman’s just an over-grown Kansas farmboy. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/14 "2009-05-01T23:20:24Z")
An over-grown Kansas farmboy that came to Earth in a spaceship, speaks alien languages, has powers and abilities beyond those of etc etc etc ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/15 "2009-05-01T23:34:54Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > An over-grown Kansas farmboy that came to Earth in a spaceship, speaks alien languages, has powers and abilities beyond those of etc etc etc Again, just like Luke Skywalker, except he’s never even been to Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/16 "2009-05-01T23:37:07Z")
Kal-El, for sure. And Spock is only _half_-alien and raised by only one alien parent; if there’s quibbling to be done on Supes, Spock isn’t exactly distinguishing himself there. Also, Spock is just an elf in sci-fi cosplay. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/17 "2009-05-01T23:49:16Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Luke Skywalker can parry laser blasts and lift spaceships with his mind, but he was still specifically excepted in the OP. > > And the green skin. But he also _acts_ alien. He has a distinct non-human viewpoint, beliefs, and mannerisms. Superman’s just an over-grown Kansas farmboy. Actually I’d say that Superman’s level of altruism is non-human. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/18 "2009-05-01T23:54:14Z")
For the bonus question, the answer is neither Spock nor Kirk, but SHATNER. He is a far bigger pop culture phenomenom than his Krik character ever was. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/19 "2009-05-01T23:58:37Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Maybe your friends just suck? > > -Joe I see you’ve met my friends… ---
**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:** [May 2, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040/20 "2009-05-02T00:03:16Z")
I vote for [Narab.](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0048739/) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-spock-the-most-famous-alien-in-the-history-of-fiction-pop-culture/495040.md?page=2)