David Gerrold(Star Trek writer) Talks About Roddenberry, Sexual Harrassment, and Other Stuff

https://www.facebook.com/david.gerrold/posts/10212778572071496

I found this fascinating. It deals with why people might stay quiet on sexual harassment, based on what happened to him when he didn't. Plus lots of Star Trek trivia/info that is kinda cool.

And that's the point — in those days, nobody spoke up. The power of the producers, the power of the studios was intimidating.

I did speak up about another matter — and the Writers Guild took action on my behalf. Gene never forgave me. His lawyer even
spread a rumor that I was mentally ill. Despite the heavy-lifting I had done for him, Gene told people I was hard to work with and Rick Berman also repeated that rumor — it became common knowledge in Hollywood that I am hard to work with. Everybody knows it. Just ask anyone who's never worked with me.

For over a decade, I couldn't even get an agent, let alone a job interview.

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For him, it worked out for the best though:

Instead of being a producer on a show that I still consider second rate, an unfulfilled potential, I got to be the author of novels that demonstrated what I could do when I was building my own universe. Good or bad, I got the chance to be the SF writer I always aspired to be. (Two more books in the Chtorr series, the Star Wolf trilogy, the Jumping Off The Planet trilogy, and a bunch more stuff.)

Also — because I was no longer working a twelve hour day, because I was working at home, I was able to adopt a little boy, an adventure I would never have had if I were tied down to a studio job. I was free not only to be a dad, but to explore my own writing in directions that no TV show could ever allow. I became a better writer by walking away from that environment.

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There is a lot more to his post, and while alot of it deals with why people do not report things, and there is some real bitterness in some of his comments, it has some real entertaining bits to it, so it can be read as just some Trek trivia if you want.

"on a show that I still consider second rate"

Sounds like someone is still pretty salty about it

Crovax said:

"on a show that I still consider second rate"

Sounds like someone is still pretty salty about it

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I kinda agree with him there. It just never really was nearly what Star Trek should be.

I've heard things like this about Gene...

I also went to a convention back in 2010 and one of the actors who played a Duras sister made some comment about Gene and how you wanted to watch where your girlfriend was when he was around if I remember correctly.

Redress said:

I kinda agree with him there. It just never really was nearly what Star Trek should be.

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And if he had worked on it he would have never called it that. TNG isn't my favorite but it was certainly better than the comparative TV and sci-fi at the time

It's a sad fact that TNG improved in direct proportion to less Gene participation in it.

Gerrold says that he has no idea how things work in "other industries."

I think a lot of non-film people have had analogous experiences, wherein incompetent or semi-competent people get into positions of power and the establishment almost always backs them, unless someone can credibly cry "harassment"-- and even that may not help you long-term.

I think it's axiomatic that in any industry, people always consider their meal tickets of primary importance.

Crovax said:

"on a show that I still consider second rate"

Sounds like someone is still pretty salty about it

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"Fighting"






ok ok, just about any show trying to portray anything in "sci-fi" was cheesy. Star Trek had many things like the Gorn fight, Doctor Who had people being menaced by spraypainted bubble-wrap, yadd yadda. Hence the love of Space Odessy's approach to the cinematic aspect. But Star Trek really was best when it wasn't taking itself entirely seriously, like the early Star Wars. A lot of it, though....oof...was just silly. It could have been a good deal better.

Humans with green skin or blue skin always trying to schtup the captain!

His.....odd WAY of....talking. Intended to....express...wonderment!

It just kept falling back on a lot of pointless little tropes. Quite a few things are guilty of this, but it really could have been a good bit better. I'd say TNG was an improvement over the original run (and the guy in question in this thread did submit some episodes for the original. Not sure how many panned out).