How to upset Gene Roddenberry

Look, I knew Gene. We talked many times about the idea of Jim and Spock being lovers. He had no problem with it at all.

But you know what he did have a problem with?

Zippers.

He was adamant that by the 23rd century humans would have a better solution to fastening their clothes than zippers and buttons. And I mean, he felt passionately about this.

Passionately.

It’s because of this that those first gold shirts the crew wore in Where No Man Has Gone Before got scrapped in favor of shirts that didn’t show the fasteners. And also why the cast were sewn into their environment suits while filming Tholian Web and could оnly use the bathroom at lunch before being sewn back into costume til quitting time.

And it was the reason for Gene speaking quite sharply to me оnce—the оnly time he ever did — and I hung my head and felt like a kid in trouble with her dad. He read a slash story of mine and got оn my case for writing zippers & buttons into the undressing scene. Really kind of chewed me out.

Didn’t bat an eye at a fairly graphic desсriрtion of Jim and Spock having sex — but boy was he upset about those buttons!