In defense of Shatner

[Gorn Captain]

Can anyone provide evidence that counters the perception of Shatner as a dick? The overwhelming majority of comments I've read so far on this board have been negative. This runs counter to my one experience with him, when I had the chance to speak to him for a few minutes and found him to be a gracious, personable guy. And I'm not exactly a VIP. Did I just get him on a good day? Anyone?

 

[Cyke101]

I wouldn't say overwhelming (or even a majority). Rather, I think a good chunk of posters here assume that he's using some sort of persona that's rather consistent with his comedies or his brand of humor (him being a dick on Conan, for example, has been very warmly received on this board, and he's been a constant guest of Conan's for years).

Is there a chunk of posters here who don't like Shatner? Sure, but I remember even just a few weeks ago the fierce debating that was "Shatner should be in JJ's Trek" that started since Nimoy joined the cast.

 

[Gorn Captain]

I meant from people who have met him, not seen him on tv. And from those who have met him, I think it is a majority of negative comments.

 

[Lightinspire]

I was about 10 feet away from him a few years ago when he came here to tape a commercial on a space age type of ER at a local hospital and when he was done a fan approached him, not for an autograph, just to chat and started telling him how great she though he was and he waved his hand at her and told her to leave him alone....That is the only experience I have seen outside of a performance.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

Can anyone provide evidence that counters the perception of Shatner as a dick? The overwhelming majority of comments I've read so far on this board have been negative. This runs counter to my one experience with him, when I had the chance to speak to him for a few minutes and found him to be a gracious, personable guy. And I'm not exactly a VIP. Did I just get him on a good day? Anyone?

If anyone has read Shatner's semi-autobiography, he states that he was very serious while doing Star Trek. It was only after he decided not to be so serious, and a whole new set of jobs opened up for him.

I haven't spoken with Shatner, but I have with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and they describe the interaction between with Shatner is a back-and-forth progression with each side goes like this: Shatner comes up with the basic premise and sends it to his collaboraters. They flesh it out and send that back to Shatner, who works on it some more and so forth.

In the end, they have a novel or a script or comic book or whatever. I am amused by people who have never spoken to any of the people Shatner collaborates with and call them all liars with no proof, only their opinions.

 

[Cyke101]

I meant from people who have met him, not seen him on tv. And from those who have met him, I think it is a majority of negative comments.

Then I've no answer. But I do recall this really great story about Mancow's wedding and how Shatner made it even more memorable.

 

[jamestyler]

I've never met the man, but I've always found his persona amusing. I think some many people take him too seriously, more so than he does himself.

 

[sbk1234]

I've never met him either. I will use myself as an example, which may relate to Shatner. I'm a nice guy. I have no real negative feelings about most people. However, I have a VERY quirky sense of humor. I have inadvertantly alienated a LOT of people while trying to be funny. I never meant anything by it, but it happens.
I get the impression that Shatner is a lot like that, too. I think a lot of his problems come from his humor not working for most.
I also think that with him, a lot of people really try to look for things to knock. I don't know why. Perhaps it's people's sense of loyalty to the other actors who feel they have been slighted by him in the past. I don't know.
Just my two cents.

 

[Forbin]

Sometime in the 70s a friend of mine worked backstage at a local playhouse. Shatner was going around the country in his camper doing 1-man shows at the time, and he did his show here in Jersey. After the show, my friend was having trouble starting his car in the parking lot. He had his head stuck in the engine sorting it out (he was a mechanic), when The Shat pulled up in his camper and asked my friend if he needed any help. My friend had it under control, and said no thanks. Shat said take it easy and drove off.

So he seemed like a damn nice guy back then, at least!