Happy 80th Birthday, William Shatner! 226
gregg writes "Today another geek legend celebrates a birthday. Best known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk, William Shatner has cemented himself into geek science fiction lore forever. Today he begins his ninth decade on this planet — yes, Captain Kirk is now 80 years old."
Live Long and Please End Raw Nerve (Score:5, Insightful)
Seems like a nice enough guy, but man is that show painful to watch. I don't toss around the word "himbo" outside of a tanning salon very often, but it's pretty bad when Valerie Bertinelli has to talk down to you.
I guess at least his infamous ego seems to have ebbed a bit in his advanced years. But he still can't appreciate why Walter Koenig and others hated him in the Star Trek days. In his appearance on the show, Koenig looked like it was all he could do to keep from grabbing him and yelling "YOU STOLE ALL OUR LINES, MOTHERFUCKER!" It probably didn't help that Shatner kept saying stuff like "I'm sorry that you *perceived* me as being selfish or hostile to you back then."
Still, got to give the guy props for a great performance in Star Trek 2. I always wondered how Nicholas Meyer got it out of him. On the DVD commentary track I finally learned how he did it. He would do so about 10 throwaway takes. After about 10 takes, Shanter would get tired and stop trying to be Shatner (i.e. the pompous hero) and he would start to play around with the lines and actually act. Shatner didn't realize what a favor Meyer was doing to him at the time.
Live Long and Prosper! (Score:5, Insightful)
Looks like he's doing well on both the living long and the prospering parts...hope there are many years to go. Anyone else think that Raw Nerve is the best thing Shatner has ever done? I love Captain Kirk and Denny Crane but raw nerve is a damn entertaining format, rarely do you see an interview type show where by the end of it you feel like you actually got to know the person a little bit...Raw Nerve does that just about every time, its more like listening in on a conversation at another table more than watching an interview and I really appreciate that.
Re:Damnit Jim, I'm a doctor not a magician! (Score:5, Insightful)
DeForest Kelly. Now *there* was the Star Trek actor who made the show. Great actor playing a great character.
Re:Shatner's 9th decade? (Score:2, Insightful)
As soon as he's over 80.0000 years old, even if by a second, he's in his 9th decade.
Not to belabor the point, but he actually was "in his 9th decade" the second after he turned 79 years old, for the same reason that you are "in your first year" a second after you are born.
That's not possible (Score:4, Insightful)
William Shatner can't be 80 - that would mean I'm no longer young.
Re:OK, maybe I'm a bit grumpy today. (Score:5, Insightful)
On a personal note, it's cause I can rarely say anything meaningful on articles involving actual science, and it doesn't feel right to post humorous comments on them either. On the other hand, I feel perfectly fine throwing in a meaningless comment about Kirk, Vader, Adama, Dr. Who, etc cause they're fictional characters. It doesn't matter if I don't respect them, or something.
Re:OK, maybe I'm a bit grumpy today. (Score:4, Insightful)
Because you can't make fun of Neil Armstrong, von Braun or Rutan. Except, of course, for their hair cuts. They are engineers after all.
Look at all of these 100's of posts you're talking about. The ones rated at +2 are all jokes, or jokes of old jokes. Or requests to end his TV show. The man can literally be made fun of thousands of different ways, time and time again, and people will eat it up.
What are you going to say about Neil Armstrong that is funny, or honestly hasn't been said before?
And yes, you appear to be in a worse mood than myself, which is saying a lot.
Re:Shatner's 9th decade? (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm in my seventh decade and only 52 years old! Also second century and second millenium.
I was born late in 1958
my first decade was the fifties
2nd - sixties
3rd - seventies
4th - eighties
5th - nineties
6th - noughts
7th - teens
"In" is not the same as completing, OTHO everyone enters their next decade on the january 1 every ten years greatly simplifying the calculation. Now get off my lawn!