Editing Leonard McCoy (section)

==="He's dead, Jim."===
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Twenty times on the original ''Star Trek'' series, McCoy declares someone or something deceased with the line, "He's dead", "He's dead, Jim", or something similar. The phrase so became a [[catchphrase]] of the character that Kelley joked that the line would appear on his tombstone<ref name="Porter">{{cite book | title = Star Trek and Sacred Ground: Explorations of Star Trek, Religion, and American Culture | last = Porter | first = Jennifer E. | year = 1999 | publisher = SUNY Press | page = 127 | isbn = 978-0-7914-4334-7 | contribution = Darcee L. McLaren}}</ref><ref name="Amesly">{{cite book | last = Amesly | first = Cassandra | others = John Fiske (ed.) | title = Cultural Studies: Volume 3, Number 3 | year = 1990 | publisher = Routledge | isbn = 978-0-415-03743-3 | pages = 68–69 | chapter = How to Watch Star Trek | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5fPe1YuA_6MC&pg=PA63 | quote = Equally part of typical episodes are a series of lines that fans readily recognize: some that are favorites in particular episodes (such as the 'accoutrements' cited in the beginning commentary) and some which are closely identified with characters: Dr McCoy says, 'He's dead, Jim,' and 'I'm a doctor, not a — '; Spock remarks 'Fascinating' to occurrences which appear likely to kill or maim the crew...' | access-date = October 18, 2020 | archive-date = April 17, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210417175951/https://books.google.com/books?id=5fPe1YuA_6MC&pg=PA63 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="Kaplan">{{cite journal | last = Kaplan | first = Anna L. | date = October 1999 | title = Obituary: DeForest Kelley | journal = Cinefantastique | volume = 31 | issue = 8 | page = 62 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=CYJZAAAAMAAJ | access-date = 2009-04-07 | quote = Dr. McCoy's signature lines, "He's dead, Jim", and "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer", will never be forgotten. In fact, Kelley joked that the line, "He's dead, Jim", would be written on his tombstone. | archive-date = March 12, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170312131200/https://books.google.com/books?id=CYJZAAAAMAAJ | url-status = live }}</ref>—and it appeared in the first sentence of at least one obituary<ref name="independent19990613">{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-deforest-kelley-1100057.html | title=Obituary: DeForest Kelley | work=The Independent | date=1999-06-13 | access-date=7 April 2016 | archive-date=August 22, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822113214/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-deforest-kelley-1100057.html | url-status=live }}</ref>—but disliked repeating the line.{{r|rioux2005}}{{rp|166}} During filming of ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'', when Spock is dying from radiation exposure, Kelley felt it would spoil the gravitas of the moment, so he and [[James Doohan]] agreed to swap their lines: McCoy warns Kirk not to open the chamber, and [[Scotty (Star Trek)|Scotty]] says, "He's dead already".{{r|rioux2005}}{{rp|249}}<ref name="greenberg199205">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=94 | title=Install Long and Prosper | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=May 1992 | access-date=2013-11-24 | last=Greenberg | first=Allen | page=46 | archive-date=December 3, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002514/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=94 | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[University of Southern California]] literature professor [[Henry Jenkins]] cites Dr. McCoy's "He's dead, Jim" line as an example of fans actively participating in the creation of an [[underground culture]] in which they derive pleasure by repeating memorable lines as part of constructing new mythologies and alternative social communities.<ref name="Jenkins">{{cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Henry |title=Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York, N.Y. |isbn=978-0-41-553328-7 |page=76 |edition=updated 20th anniversary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xxwAZj22IdoC&q=%22he%27s+dead%2C+jim%22 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-date=April 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417190847/https://books.google.com/books?id=xxwAZj22IdoC&q=%22he%27s+dead%2C+jim%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> As an example, the line appears in [[The Firm (novelty band)|The Firm]]'s 1987 [[novelty song]] ''[[Star Trekkin']]'', which became a #1 hit in the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Star Trekkin' – a number one hit! |date=August 27, 2020 |url=https://trekkingwithdennis.com/2020/08/27/star-trekkin/ |publisher=Trekkin' with Dennis |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wester |first=Anine |title=Star Trekkin 2009 |date=2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUq9Hxqad24 |publisher=[[YouTube]] |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref>