... other people have gone before. But older and fatter.

Those were essentially George Takei's sentiments when asked what he thought about William Shatner's recent spaceflight:

He’s boldly going where other people have gone before. He’s a guinea pig, 90 years old and it’s important to find out what happens. So 90 years old is going to show a great deal more on the wear and tear on the human body, so he’ll be a good specimen to study. Although he’s not the fittest specimen of 90 years old, so he’ll be a specimen that’s unfit!

Oh my.

Shatner responded via Twitter:

Don’t hate George. The only time he gets press is when he talks bad about me. He claims 50+ years ago I took away a camera angle that denied him 30 more seconds of prime time TV. I’m giving it back to him now by letting him spew his hatred for the world to see! Bill the [pigface emoji]

If not for the Russian actress who went up to the ISS last week, Shatner would have been our first actor in space, instead of just oldest person.

Takei's "boldly going where other people have gone before" is accurate, a little bit witty and not too nasty, i.e. funny. The old and fat stuff though, at best, feels old and tired.

It should be noted that Shatner cracked a quick joke at his own age / condition when discussing with Bezos how the simulator doesn't fully prepare one for the flight and the strain of g-force:

Good Lord, just getting up the bloody gantry was enough. [grabs hip] Aghh.

Takei on Ellison

On the topic of Takei only getting press when he talks bad about Shatner, Heavy.com reported this week about Takei commenting on one of original series writers, Harlan Ellison.

Ellison wrote the original screensplay for Star Trek's City on the Edge of Forever. Though it was changed radically for the episode which aired and the changes were the source of a long ongoing feud with Gene Roddenberry and the franchise.

Yes. Another intense ongoing feud between Star Trek personalities.

Takei basically confirms the view that Ellison was volatile and abrasive, but also very imaginative and delightful when not screaming at people.

[ Main Image: George Takei at 2019 Phoenix Fan Fusion. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia. ]

References

Blue Origin (October 13, 2021). Replay: New Shepard Mission NS-18 Webcast. YouTube.

Gostin, Niki (October 14, 2021). George Takei calls William Shatner an ‘unfit’ guinea pig after spaceflight. Page Six.

Shatner, William [@WilliamShatner] (October 16, 2021). Don’t hate George. Twitter.

Zabiegalski, Robin (October 13, 2021). George Takei Dishes About Working With Harlan Ellison. Heavy.com