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The forbidden topic: Who raped Grace Lee Whitney?

posted 2 months ago by OnanTheBarbarian (11952)
7 replies | jump to latest

From what I can tell this topic gets shut down when someone starts talking about it!

Whitney's Star Trek character, Yeoman Janice Rand, appeared for only half a season, yet fans still send her mail. Her assisted account of her hitch on the Enterprise begins with her nightmarish rape by an executive she declines to name. Later she imparts how that incident affected her: she became alcoholic. Meanwhile, we learn that she smoked and had sex when very young--both behaviors, she says, are early signs of an addictive personality. She recounts her spiritual journey, from the Methodist Church to rejecting religion to Judaism, pointing out that spiritual understanding is a very important aspect of recovery, but her Star Trek production memories and analyses, especially her remarks about getting the role and later having it written out of the show, and her re sume of her non-ST career are more interesting. She is civil, perhaps remarkably so, when discussing people who victimized her or said nasty things about her and winds up exemplifying how one can, it seems, rise above anything.

The question: Who did it?

https://atrahasis.proboards.com/thread/316/forbidden-topic-raped-grace-whitney

[–] liscarkat (18367) 2 months ago

She was born in 1930. The majority of people of that generation were smokers by the time they were in their teens. It was nothing unusual, and certainly not a sign of "an addictive personality". On the other hand, normal people don't become alcoholics because they get raped. If that's why she became an alcoholic, maybe she did have an addictive personality and was just waiting for an excuse to indulge it.

[–] OnanTheBarbarian (11952) 2 months ago

It's a bit cavalier to call "rape" an excuse for anything on the part of the victim. Sure, the addictive personality was already there, but the rape triggered the drinking.

C'mon, what do "normal" women do after they've been raped? Smoke a cigarette?

[–] chumbawampa (733) 2 months ago

The teriary female characters on TOS were so arbitrary and void of personalities. They were just there to be 60s sex objects in cute little miniskirts. Characters like her, they had one line and then walked off. Kirk would say something like "Men are talking, leave us." Even on the enterprise in the 23rd century they had women relegated to objects in line with their 1960s worldview. Hollywood executives sexually assaulting people?! Impossible! We've known it was like that in Hollywood for years.

[–] OnanTheBarbarian (11952) 2 months ago

I get your point, especially in regards to Yeoman Rand. One dimensional character.

There were other more vibrant female characters though. Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura had a larger role. There were dramatic scenes as well with Nurse Chapel.

[–] Redsfan001 (6144) 2 months ago

Majel Barrett originally played "#1" (first officer) in the pilot (The Cage). A substantial female character in authority. But the reaction from test audiences (including women) were so negative (Who does she think she is?) that the character was dropped...and Spock promoted.

The mini-skirts the women wore were a symbol of the sexual revolution of the late 1960's. For women at the time, it represents freedom from having to dress in a demure manner. Women in Iran are fighting for this very right today.

[–] chumbawampa (733) 2 months ago

[deleted]

[–] strntz (12224) 2 months ago

I think it's always been assumed in Hollywood it was Roddenberry. I have no direct knowledge though.

[–] Wuchak (8732) 2 months ago

In her writings/interviews, she'd refer to the man as "the executive." I just assumed she was talking about him (although I didn't absolutely conclude it).