Hail to the Spock

Back in the mid 1970s, Leonard Nimoy, proud poet and photographer, wrote a memoir with the only slightly tongue-in-cheek title, “I am Not Spock.”

All these years later, we’ve got a fanboy in the White House who seems to be good naturedly embracing comparisons to the universe’s best known half-Vulcan.

In an interview with Newsweek, President Obama talks about seeing the new “Star Trek” movie at the White House (he reportedly requested the showing). He suggests he’s familiar with recent pieces – in The New York Times, Salon and elsewhere – likening him to Spock, and even offers his interviewer the split-fingered Vulcan salute.

“Everybody was saying I was Spock, so I figured I should check [the movie] out,” he told Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham in an interview aboard Air Force One, which isn’t exactly The Enterprise, but is as big as it gets for making high-level decisions while airborne.

More revealingly, Obama acknowledges “Star Trek” was an early influence, and notes the show offered lessons in international relations.

“I used to love Star Trek,” he told Meacham. “You know, Star Trek was ahead of its time. There was a whole – the special effects weren't real good, but the storylines were always evocative, you know, there was a little commentary and a little pop philosophy for a 10-year-old to absorb.”

There’s been more than a little pop philosophy posited in pieces comparing Obama to Spock: they're both outsiders of mixed heritage, with prominent ears and, of course, guided most of the time by a calm logic.

Obama’s smart enough to know that however apt or silly the various comparison points may seem, the level-headed Spock image is not a bad one to have, especially with the nation in an economic storm. And, as evidenced by his comments to Newsweek, the 47-year-old President – who grew up a comic book fan and has been featured in a special edition of Spider-man – apparently gets a kick out of the Spock talk.

Meanwhile, Nimoy, who appears in the new, smash hit “Star Trek” movie, must be glad to be Spock again. He’s come around to appreciating his image: his 1996 memoir was titled, “I am Spock.”

Maybe the next one will be called, “I am Not Obama.”

Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us