Live Long & Prosper?

There was a news story a couple of weeks ago that I have put off blogging. At first, I didn't want to write my thoughts about the story because it is sad, yet the blip on the news stuck out and the Sheepsheadians talked about it at some length.

The blip I heard was that a group of women were sexually assaulted by men dressed up as Vulcans.

I did not hear any more of the story. This was the problem. If I had heard more, I may not have thought the wrong things about the incident.

My first thought about it was, 'Wow, those are some aggressive Trekkies.' It played with the stereo-type of a Trekkie in my mind. I figured a man who dressed up like Spock would not be so forward as to form a group of men who were all willing to commit such an awful crime.

This turned my thoughts away from actual Trekkies. I thought that a group of men just decided to use Vulcan costumes as disguises for their crime. What woman would be afraid (in terms of sexual safety) of a few guys with pointy ears? Trekkies are not commonly thought of as being great at dating or as overly sexually active individuals, so maybe a Spock costume would create a bit of trust from the victims.

But it begged the question, 'How are a pair of pointy ears a good disguise?' The victims could still get a good look at their attackers.

I was perplexed. At karaoke the following Sunday, I told DM about the story. Her first words were, "But, but... Vulcans are PEACE-loving people!" This was useful in only one way. It just showed how much of a closet Trekkie DM really is.

Long story short (too late), I spoke to many about this news story. I finally found someone (and I forget who, otherwise I would give credit) that knew more about the story. As it turns out, the Vulcans were not your run-of-the-mill Star Trek variety.

In Saint Paul, there is a celebration each year and there are the "bad guys". The group of men are called Vulcans and they run around causing mischief at carnivals. They wear red and cover their faces in red face paint and black marks. They used to kiss women in crowds (this changed a few years ago - I'm sure it was a concern) and they take black grease paint and write a "V" on a person's face. It turns out the attackers of these women were dressed as these Vulcans, not Spock.

And that, somehow, makes so much more sense!