RE: Star Trek: Yes, they do that -- only it's Isabella, the sentient space nebula, not Bob. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaginary_Friend_%28Star_Trek:_...

I think you can fairly call Tolkien racist without bringing an external debate into it -- the fact is that as an author he spent an inordinate number of pages establishing racial heritage, and his characters are deeply straitjacketed by their race.