Shock from Spock

pic 2 Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

"It is curious how often you humans manage to obtain that which you do not want." Mr Spock, Star Trek Episode 'Errand of Mercy'

There we were, my husband and I, enjoying our leisurely Sunday morning ritual of coffee in bed with CBS Sunday Morning and the McLaughlin Group, followed by some sort of mindless TV entertainment to extend our private cocoon time and keep the world at bay.

Finding no movies even remotely interesting--last week we watched Rear Window--we settled for an old Star Trek episode so obscure neither of us could even remember the story line.

(Hey, if you're a Boomer, you can recite dialogue from original Star Trek episodes without fear of the Geek label. That belongs to those from later generations who embraced reruns of two nice Jewish actors playing Saviors of the Galaxy ... and who need a serious reality check.)

By the way, is there anybody from my generation who doesn't recognize David Caruso paying homage to Bill Shatner's Captain Kirk every week on CSI Miami with his Oddly. Placed. Emphasis. On. Words?

So anyway, there was Nimoy as good old Spock helping Kirk fight both the Klingons and a Higher Alien Intelligence. But it was boring. The episode lacked pace, verve, a good story line and ... to be truthful ... chicks. It was always fun to watch Kirk so easily succumb and Spock stay--mostly--aloof and immune to feminine wiles.

Fast forward a few hours, I'm at my computer reading the electronic New York Times and there in the Top 10 Most Popular articles (# 10) is Girth and Nudity, a Pictorial Mission.. Today it's reached # 4!

The piece is about Leonard Nimoy, Professional Photographer shilling a new photographic show and book on seriously obese women. The Times reporter quotes Nimoy decrying the fashion world's obsession with Too Thin and explaining his "enlightenment" that plus-size woman have value.

Well duh.

There are also quotes from several web sites celebrating the Large Female, all of whom seem breathlessly overwhelmed with admiration for Nimoy's brave new viewpoint and photo collection.

Not. So. Fast.

Yes of course Nimoy as Photographer would want something um, hefty to follow his previous controversial success, the Shekhina Project, pictures of nude women variously draped in the prayer garb and implements of religious Orthodox Jewry.

I know it's supposed to be Art, but really, Nimoy himself is Jewish, it's so unnecessarily offensive and well, in the end, just plain boring.

So now he comes up with the idea of portraying nude obese women as beautiful while reveling in their voluminous fleshy folds. And claims it's a demonstration of solidarity against the unrealistic and unhealthy sub-standard-size demands of the Fashion Industry.

Sorry, that's just not logical.

Nimoy's wife Susan appears to be a normal size, maybe a 10. Not a size 2, but clearly not obese. He admits he's not sexually turned on by fat chicks. So what's his real point?

And by the way, I'm a size 8 but I've been bigger. I have no problem reveling in or viewing any size woman. It's the sense I get that the women in Nimoy's pictures are somehow being deceived. Used. Manipulated.

Frankly, if Nimoy at 76 wants to stay current with today's reality and publicly portray discrimination against women through nude photos, he should present the value and beauty of the biggest group in history: women over 50.

If it's all about Art, maybe he could convince his wife to step up as the first model.