Shatner missing Nimoy's funeral

[MarsWeeps]

William Shatner tweeted the following:

• I am currently in FL as I agreed to appear at the Red Cross Ball tonight. Leonard's funeral is tomorrow. I can't make it back in time.

• I feel really awful. Here I am doing charity work and one of my dearest friends is being buried.

Sad to hear that he can't make it. I don't want to sound like I'm judging the man but charity work will always be there, you can only say goodbye to your friend once. I think the Red Cross would understand if you cancelled on them.

 

[Melakon]

I think Shatner places more emphasis on work and helping others over matters of personal convenience.

 

[MarsWeeps]

I think Shatner places more emphasis on work and helping others over matters of personal convenience.

Paying final respects to a long time friend that has died doesn't sound like "personal convenience" to me. It's not like he would be cancelling to go camping or horseback riding.

 

[urbandefault]

I'm sure Shatner will have to hear all kinds of criticism from every corner of the universe for this for the rest of his life. But we don't know what's gone on behind the scenes. He may have already said his goodbyes privately. In real life, it happens all the time.

Some of us never get the chance to say goodbye to an old friend, either in person or at a funeral. That's a personal pain that we live with.

Others are uncomfortable at funerals, especially when it hits really close to home.

We make our peace and move on.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what his reason is. It's none of our business.

 

[Christopher]

I don't want to sound like I'm judging the man but charity work will always be there...

Will it? Charity work can save lives. Some of those lives might not be saved if the charity work is deferred.

I can't think of a better way to honor Leonard Nimoy's legacy than to devote one's time to helping people in need.

 

[MarsWeeps]

I can't think of a better way to honor Leonard Nimoy's legacy than to devote one's time to helping people in need.

I know. It's just that they seemed to be such close friends, on screen and off, I assumed he would be have been there.

 

[BillJ]

Shatner being there would likely turn the funeral into even more of a media circus. I'm sure he'll say goodbye in his own way.

 

[FredH]

I don't want to sound like I'm judging the man but charity work will always be there...

Will it? Charity work can save lives. Some of those lives might not be saved if the charity work is deferred.

I can't think of a better way to honor Leonard Nimoy's legacy than to devote one's time to helping people in need.

Hear, hear.

 

[CoveTom]

I, personally, think it is horrible that he is missing the funeral. I think for something of that nature, you put everything else aside and do whatever is necessary to be in attendance. It is the proper thing to do. Everyone associated with the Red Cross would, or should, understand.

Am I making a judgment? Yes. I'm entitled to do that. And I know I'm going to get slammed by tons of people around here asking me who I am to judge. And I don't much care, so you might as well not take the time to post that.

I still say it's horrible, and I have less respect for Shatner now.

 

[HFMudd]

This is a tough one, and I've been in similar situations (have you?). I think the important thing to ask is "What would Leonard want?". Would he want Shatner at his funeral, or helping out a charity that is probably depending on him to raise money at some scheduled event? I know what I would say if I was the deceased.....

 

[enterprisecvn65]

I'm not judging Shatner one way or the other. Everybody has to deal with loss in their own way. Sting didn't attend his parents funeral because he thought the media that'd show up would be disrespectful. Don't know if I agree with his choice but I respect it.

Same with Shatner. He has his reasons and I'm not going to condemn the man over this.

What I will say though is, given some of his past history, his less than shining reputation with many ST fans and his expressed love for Nimoy, this is NOT going to go over well with many people and he's going to get skewered tremendously for it.

Shame. This will probably just turn into another chapter of "Why William Shatner is a terrible human being"

 

[Cyke101]

I'd like to think that this is in part similar to David Spade missing Chris Farley's funeral -- Spade couldn't bear to see his best friend in a box, as he put it. He even got as far as the airport but couldn't find himself boarding the plane.

But that's mere conjecture on my part. Yeah, we all have our own ways of grieving, but there were very few friendships that lasted as long as Shatner/Nimoy. They knew each other on a personal level that we can only guess at to this day, and so only they would know far more about each other than perhaps we can expect.

 

[MarsWeeps]

I think the important thing to ask is "What would Leonard want?". Would he want Shatner at his funeral, or helping out a charity that is probably depending on him to raise money at some scheduled event?

Too bad he couldn't do both. Attend the charity event, fly out in time to make the funeral.

 

[Kirk1980]

I'm sure Mr. Nimoy's alter ego would approve. It is, after all, logical, to help those is need now, while you can.

 

[urbandefault]

I'll say this and be done.

Two weeks ago today I found out that my best friend of 40 years passed a year ago next week. We hadn't spoken in about 15 years after a falling out, but I spent the better part of that trying to reconnect. The fact that I didn't get the chance to reconcile is something that I'll have to live with. Could I have done more? I don't know. I never will. I'll beat myself up about it, but it won't change things. All I know is that my friend is gone and I didn't get to say goodbye.

Let Shatner grieve, in whatever way works for him.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

I'd like to think that this is in part similar to David Spade missing Chris Farley's funeral -- Spade couldn't bear to see his best friend in a box, as he put it. He even got as far as the airport but couldn't find himself boarding the plane.

But that's mere conjecture on my part. Yeah, we all have our own ways of grieving, but there were very few friendships that lasted as long as Shatner/Nimoy. They knew each other on a personal level that we can only guess at to this day, and so only they would know far more about each other than perhaps we can expect.

Yeah but a big difference is Spade didn't have a significant past history of seemingly self centered behaviors, so most accepted his comment at face value. Shatner doesn't have that luxury and many will see it as "Self centered asshole Bill again couldn't even make his friends funeral, what did you expect?"

Again I won't judge him for something as personal as this. He's gotta do what he's gotta do. The cold truth though his choice plus his past are going to combine to really make him look bad to many.

 

[MarsWeeps]

I'm sure Mr. Nimoy's alter ego would approve. It is, after all, logical, to help those is need now, while you can.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...or the one."

 

[DeMilburn]

I think we put too much importance on funerals as a way of us saying goodbye but they are not the only way to say goodbye. Shatner has reasons, we may agree we may not, but he feels it is important. Once he has done that work, he may get together with Nimoys family and other friends and say his goodbye or do it in the way he feels best.

 

[Cyke101]

I'd like to think that this is in part similar to David Spade missing Chris Farley's funeral -- Spade couldn't bear to see his best friend in a box, as he put it. He even got as far as the airport but couldn't find himself boarding the plane.

But that's mere conjecture on my part. Yeah, we all have our own ways of grieving, but there were very few friendships that lasted as long as Shatner/Nimoy. They knew each other on a personal level that we can only guess at to this day, and so only they would know far more about each other than perhaps we can expect.

Yeah but a big difference is Spade didn't have a significant past history of seemingly self centered behaviors, so most accepted his comment at face value. Shatner doesn't have that luxury and many will see it as "Self centered asshole Bill again couldn't even make his friends funeral, what did you expect?"

Again I won't judge him for something as personal as this. He's gotta do what he's gotta do. The cold truth though his choice plus his past are going to combine to really make him look bad to many.

The hell? This really is neither the time nor thread to post about passive-aggressive sniping at, well, anyone for the sake of conjecture. What the hell would I or anyone else care about fan reaction about the deeply personal grieving process? You say you won't judge him for something personal like this, but then you turn around and judge a group of people for something that, frankly, is petty and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things (like Nimoy's passing). It's still cynicism, plain and simple -- whereas Nimoy was one of the least cynical people in Hollywood.

If fans want to be bitchy at Shatner, that still has no real bearing on you nor does it bring Nimoy back, so there's no point in questioning cynicism with more cynicism. There are other things to think about, like his passing and what he meant to all of us. When people are trying to make peace with one's passing, there's no need to prepare for antagonism. Whatever anyone says or judges about Shatner, unless you were a personal friend or relative to him, it's not personal to you, or me, or anyone else on this board except for Shatner.

 

[kirkfan]

I think Shatner places more emphasis on work and helping others over matters of personal convenience.

The needs of the many...