Return to Star Trek Classic main page Talk directly to Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) Trivia (click here): what is t name of the captain Help rescue Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) from slavery! (click here) TV-Commentary - Star Trek Classic Nancy Crater a bisexual monster? The classic series never directly addressed the issue of gays and gay rights, perhaps because the issue was too touchy to address in prime time television in that day and age. However, there was an episode called "The Man Trap" that subtly touched on the theme. In that episode, McCoy discovers what he thinks is an old flame, Nancy Crater. However, the woman he thinks is Nancy Crater is actually a vile monster that kills people by sucking the salt from their body with the help of grusome suction cup like appendages. The suction cup monster does seem to have an attachment to Doctor McCoy, declining to kill him during a time when he is asleep in his quarters. However, the suction cup monster is not nearly so charitable with other members of the crew, and kills several in order to get its precious salt. At the end McCoy is forced to kill the suction cup monster before it attaches its deadly suction cups to Captain Kirk.     What does this episode have to do with gays and gay rights? Well, the suction cup monster assumes several shapes--some male, and some female. It seduces Doctor McCoy, and may have seduced women while in male form. In other words, the suction cup monster is a futuristic metaphor for an individual who is bisexual, one who is attracted to both men and women.     That's why it has to die. In classic trek there is no room for bisexuality. The creature has to be destroyed, not because it is threatening crew members but because it is threatening the natural order of things. On the red-blooded enterprise, men (such as Kirk) slept with women and that was that. There was simply no room for any other paradigm. If this episode had been shot in the 1980's doubtless the suction cup monster's form of execution would have been compared to AIDS in that she killed people by symbolically "mating" with them. Click here to post a message        The commentator Question Bot posts on 5/4/2008 10:02:29 PM Nancy Crater was named after Judge Crater who disappeared because the Vorlons abducted him. Judge Crater was a bisexual man who loved three-somes with a woman and a guy. Who is also reportedly the inventor of the Gimp Suit seen in Pulp Fiction.        Spock posts on 4/30/2008 5:16:00 PM It takes the form of women to lure men into its trap and takes the form of men to lure women. The monster does this because it knows something about human behavior. In the end, it had to be destroyed because it was killing Kirk. These concepts are quite simple, really, and hardly need to be explained by some hidden agenda that isn't there.        The commentator Porthos, the voice of reality posts on 11/12/2006 3:10:29 AM Could somebody PLEASE explain to me what the point of these mindless praise posts are? Seriously, what logical use does it serve. If this is spam wheres the url for your site? If youre genuinely impressed with this site all you need to do is say it once. We get the point already. Saying it over and over again isnt impressing anyone. So stop it already. What is the deal here, can anyone tell me? Stop with the praise already (And learn to spell too)        posts on 10/9/2006 5:54:05 PM We get the point, the site impresses the heck out of you. We've firmly established that. Theres absolutely NO doubt in our mind the site gives you such a bone in your pants. Now shut up and ctually participate in the friggin discussions        posts on 8/8/2006 7:12:48 PM Chekov was Captain of the 1701-A, according to the game "Shattered Universe"        posts on 6/30/2006 8:25:39 PM Wonderful and informative web site.I used information from that site its great.        posts on 5/29/2006 11:17:37 PM I think Mr. Sulu's boyfriend took command. He had a pink chair too.        posts on 5/29/2006 11:13:39 PM can anyone tell me who assumed command of the enterprise-a after the undiscovered country? was it ever mentioned? take care.        posts on 5/26/2006 4:58:32 AM Very interesting website. Keep up the outstanding work and thank you...        posts on 4/28/2006 5:09:30 PM I have to disagree with your scholarly, but misguided take on "The Man Trap" episode. The monster, who could assume any form it wanted, was attracted to men or women as a source of food, not for any other reason. The forms it assumed were done to attract its food source--its prey, if you will--close enought to kill it.        posts on 4/24/2006 8:12:30 PM Thank you for your site. I have found here much useful information...        posts on 4/24/2006 10:34:06 AM Looking for information and found it at this great site...        Phasers on Kill posts on 11/27/2005 12:45:29 AM I dont think she was killed because she couldn't decide on one or the other. I think she was killed because she got too many of these lonely guys all hot and bothered but couldn't help them in that way.        Acid posts on 2/4/2005 8:00:05 PM I don't think it says anything about gay issues. It's what you're bringing to the table and interpreting it through. I think it has more to do with octopuses. Stay with me here... There aren't many suction cup animals and the octopus is, hands down the first suction cup animal that will come to mind for most people when suction cups on appendages are in question. It's a comment on the place of the octopus in the ecosystem. It's forced to change and adapt just for the pure salt (i.e. the unpolluted ocean water) that it so despirately requires. But man pollutes and ends up destroying it. Essentially the episode is a plea to "save the octos". Click here to post a message Other Recent Star Trek Classic Discussions Getting to know the Horta Spending quality time with Abe Lincoln and Sureck Another look at the Galileo 7 Ultimately, did Vejur really want to be fixed up on a blind date? Nomad seeks perfection.... "The Naked Time"--an episode of the evils of alcohol? 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