100% agree that he’s a very bad leader. That wasn’t his role, his role was arrogant, risk-taking playboy. Keep in mind that the TOS years were the late 60s. TOS ran at the same time as the Smothers Brothers, Green Acres, and Bewitched. Arrogant, risk-taking playboy is a prime white male media main character trope that spans generations and decades. No one likes an asshole - unless it’s YOUR asshole, then it can get shit all over and you expect someone else to clean it up. Kirk broke rules, did whatever, fought everyone and banged everyone else, and always came away a winner. THAT was his role.
Even for the TOS movies, they tone him down into a “leader” a bit and it’s really just being the guy everyone has to listen to. It’s an ensemble of subordinates who largely do whatever, he barks demands, and because it’s a movie/show, they’re always working towards the same goal and get the job done.
100% agree that he’s a very bad leader. That wasn’t his role, his role was arrogant, risk-taking playboy. Keep in mind that the TOS years were the late 60s. TOS ran at the same time as the Smothers Brothers, Green Acres, and Bewitched. Arrogant, risk-taking playboy is a prime white male media main character trope that spans generations and decades. No one likes an asshole - unless it’s YOUR asshole, then it can get shit all over and you expect someone else to clean it up. Kirk broke rules, did whatever, fought everyone and banged everyone else, and always came away a winner. THAT was his role.
Even for the TOS movies, they tone him down into a “leader” a bit and it’s really just being the guy everyone has to listen to. It’s an ensemble of subordinates who largely do whatever, he barks demands, and because it’s a movie/show, they’re always working towards the same goal and get the job done.
The Original Series