WHAT HAPPENS AT A LOVE-IN

By Linda George

Q: What makes a man fascinating?

LN: I can't answer your question from a personal standpoint. Being a woman, you'd be the best judge of that. But I have thought a great deal about Spock's fascination, and I believe I have come up with some answers. As you know Spock is from another planet. His pointed ears and slanted eyebrows make him look different, and his computer-like brain and un-emotional approach to his work and those around him make him act different. On the physical side the pointed ears must have some sensual significance for women, because whenever they visit the set they want to touch Spock ears.

Other than that women seem to sense a certain animal magnetism in Spock, probably because he is non-human. We spend a lot of time on the show stressing the fact that Vulcans do not show emotions, but we do not say he has no emotions. I think women are intrigued by the idea that Spock's emotions are locked up, deep inside, and therein lies a challenge. "Is it possible that I could break through his façade and find the man in there?" Secondly Spock seems very lonely. Because he does not have emotional relationships with his fellow crew members, he stands alone without the comfort without the comfort and warmth human rapport can bring. I believe this brings out the mother instinct in many women. They not only want to give them their love, they also want to help him find love from others.

I just recorded an album for Dot of songs and recitations by Spock and I included the song Where Is Love just for that reason... One of the blank verse pieces in the album (Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space) is called The Alien. It says in part: "... no heart, no feelings show. Some may envy me but I pay a price for being free of emotion."

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Another quality that attracts women to Spock could be his pride in his heritage. He's not ashamed of being different... He's both, an alien and a product of a mixed marriage. Women like this. It's an image of strong masculinity.

Now the teens are told to believe but what they see are Senators who admit to corruption in government, racial violence in Alabama and Watts, death in Viet Nam, etc. etc. They are saying "Don't show us a flag. Show us the reality of what this flag stands for in action."

I took my family to the Love-In at Elysian Park here in L. A. and I was tremendously impressed. There were seven or eight thousand people milling around with no hostility, no madness, no violence... They had all brought little tokens – a button, a plastic bead, things like that – to exchange and strangers would walk up to one another and would press a gift into the others hand. I can't tell you how many came up to me and said, "Mr. Spock, I love you," handing me some token then moving on. I must tell you that I came away from that park thinking love is a pretty groovy thing, and I was proud of these kids.

Now the Haight-Ashbury thing in San Francisco is different. Sandy and I went up to take a look at that and it disturbed us. It was depressing. Essentially, I suppose they are trying to say the same thing, but theirs is not a positive approach.

Because they don't approve of what's going on in the world around them, they have chosen to drop out, to cool it. It is as if they are saying ‘this world is lousy, so come on, man, let's pass'. Theirs is a passive reaction where whereas the Love-In participants had an active approach. The Haight-Ashbury scene reminds me of a visit I once made to Chicago's Skid Row. The most shocking thing I saw was the people's detachment. That frightens me. But the love approach is inspiring and we adults can learn a lot from their attitude.