Billy Shatner in Toronto this past weekend, loser!

[Fremen]

I can't explain it, but I'm very aware of Shatners ego...and I like it. I kinda think he plays on it, like Paris Hilton plays on being really stupid but is not.
He cracks me up with his I'm so great attitude. I just adore the guy.

 

[Beren]

Scary to think that he is coming to Orlando next year. Wonder if he'll pull the same thing?

Well, that'll depend on how much in demand he is... If there had been demand, he would have been signing from 2-5pm, no question.

I'd like to know how much he will be charging at his next convention though.

Beren

 

[pixletwin]

I can't explain it, but I'm very aware of Shatners ego...and I like it. I kinda think he plays on it, like Paris Hilton plays on being really stupid but is not.
He cracks me up with his I'm so great attitude. I just adore the guy.

I fail to see how he is a "loser" because he is aware of his extreme bad-ass-ocity.

 

[Valfar]

Since Shatner is from Montreal Canada, i think the dude could have at least cut fans a break here and not charged $80, thats really lame.

 

[kl241]

You actually believe that because you share the same hometown as The Shat that you are entitled for him to give you a break?

 

[Valfar]

Damn skippy, and especially after all the riff raff that prepaid fans had to go through and just everyone in general that attended the show.

 

[Geil]

I can't explain it, but I'm very aware of Shatners ego...and I like it. I kinda think he plays on it, like Paris Hilton plays on being really stupid but is not.
He cracks me up with his I'm so great attitude. I just adore the guy.

He can't be all that bad if he is willing to do skids for Conan
:

 

[2000man]

That sounds like typical Shatner. Last year at Big Apple, he showed up late and worked through the line quickly. Then, Kate Mulgrew showed up. It was all done at one booth. Most people re-lined up to get Janeway. Shatner was sitting there smiling at the line until he realized it wasn't for him! He went to the middle of the booth behind a curtain away from view.

I went back later as I found a poster I wanted to get signed. I asked if Shatner was still signing. They said yes, but he was on break. I bought a ticket and waited. The line got to be 20-30 people. Shatner came out from behind the curtain, worked though the line and disappeared again.

 

[SkyZero]

A friend who has helped work these autograph tables at these type of conventions has told me that the "big" stars don't want to sit at the tables when there aren't very many people lined up. It makes them look bad. So they conveniently take a "break" until the line is long enough... or just not show up until the line is big enough. All part of managing their image... and egos.

 

[kl241]

 

[klocket]

Man, That's Shatner's Raw Nerve for ya!

M.

 

[kl241]

 

[The Ween]

I understand that, trust me I do. I watched TOS from age 4 myself (see previous post) but I also as an adult have read the autobiographies of Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and the producers of TOS and the picture they paint of Shatner even in the 60s is not very flattering. (Leonard Nimoy didn't comment on Shatner's huge ego in his book but he DID put him in his place back in the 60s.)

Captain Kirk is your hero. Great. But this is the actor William Shatner we are talking about. And I for one don't want to give someone like that my hard-earned $$. I only did it for the complete-set thing.

Others have had it far worse, there's this guy who came to the expo only to see Stan Lee and tell him how much his comics meant to him during his troubled childhood and the handlers were completely rude, Stan Lee wasn't even allowed to personalize items "$40! signature only!"

I had a whole speech I wanted to share with Leonard Nimoy last year, how much TOS meant to me blabla, it was the first time I had ever seen cast members of TOS live, so that was exciting to me. Only to be shepherded through. He WAS nice enough to personalize it though, after I asked. And LN had a huge line-up on both days so it was a lot more understandable that he had to keep it moving.

Walter Koenig had few people, but he seemed to only grin and bear it, LOL He wasn't really interested in engaging the fans. Or maybe he's just shy.

Beren

I saw Walter Koenig years ago and I thought he was a total jerk. He's not shy at all. He just doesn't seem to really care. I remember during his question and answer a local newspaper photographer took his picture while he spoke and he got totally pissed off and jumped all over the guy. Why I don't know. All I know is, I got up and left. I didn't bother with autographs either.

 

[The Ween]

A friend who has helped work these autograph tables at these type of conventions has told me that the "big" stars don't want to sit at the tables when there aren't very many people lined up. It makes them look bad. So they conveniently take a "break" until the line is long enough... or just not show up until the line is big enough. All part of managing their image... and egos.

True, and their handlers dictate a lot of things as well.

 

[Valfar]

Thinking about Koenig, sure he might be a prick to many but, we don't know what kind of life he had, he son may be just a crack in the door to how messed up that family could have been.

 

[toylion]

That sounds like typical Shatner. Last year at Big Apple, he showed up late and worked through the line quickly. Then, Kate Mulgrew showed up. It was all done at one booth. Most people re-lined up to get Janeway. Shatner was sitting there smiling at the line until he realized it wasn't for him! He went to the middle of the booth behind a curtain away from view.

I went back later as I found a poster I wanted to get signed. I asked if Shatner was still signing. They said yes, but he was on break. I bought a ticket and waited. The line got to be 20-30 people. Shatner came out from behind the curtain, worked though the line and disappeared again.

Galaxy Quest was based on 'Billy'.

 

[IKE-CON]

Galaxy Quest was based on 'Billy'.

And at least Galaxy Quest was enjoyable.
I know he has a lot of fans, but I'm going to say it anyway.

What else has Shatner done(besides anything Star Trek)
that was really any good? If someone say's T.J. Hooker or
Boston Legal, I'm going to slap you. Because the answer is nothing.
He has nothing else to show for his 50+ years of acting. If you look
at his bio on IMDB, for 50 years, it lacks any real meat, but has
plenty of crappy filler.

So Trek is it and like any actor who is getting old and doesn't have anything else to fall back on, he is flailing.
You can only ride the coat tails of Trek for so long. Let's face it, in the eyes of any reasonable person,
he's not a good actor. Sure, 100's of thousands will remember
him from Star Trek, but for the wrong reasons. They have some
emotional tie to the show and he just happen to be there. If a good
actor like Deniro was Kirk, you think he would do any conventions.
He wouldn't have to, because he's a good actor(see how that works)

I'm sure I'll get blasted by trekkies & Shatner lovers alike, but come on, you know it's
the truth. I'm not saying that some of the Trek stuff wasn't good and yes, I'm old enough
to have watched the orignals, next generation, enterprise, all the movies, etc etc.....
so I'm not pulling this out of thin air. But I will say, most of one's I liked, were without Shatner.

I think with every new generation born, Bill Shatner becomes more and more forgotten.....
and that's okay. Sometimes, it's just better to let some things fade away.

Besides, do you really want Shatner showing up at conventions at 80 or 90 asking $1000 for his autograph?
That would be just sad.

Here's the scene.

Little girl and her father walking around comicon 2025. They
come across a small booth in a far corner of the civic center.
Little girl pulls on father's jacket and points.

Little Girl: Who's that Daddy, he looks like a homeless person.
Father: I'm not sure honey. let's give him 5 dollars though, he looks hungry.

They put 5 dollars in a Jar on his booth table.

Shatner: $5 crappy dollars...Can't you read, I am Kirk, the original James T. Kirk from Star Trek damn it!
Father: Sorry mister, we thought you looked hungry and just wanted to help.
Shatner: Wait.....a minute.......I know.....that voice.......Damn you KHAN.....DAMN....YOU....KHAN!!!

Little girl and father run away.

End scene



Yes...sad indeed.

 

[pixletwin]

Shatner was awesome in 3rd Rock from the Sun. He actually has excellent comedic timing.

 

[sloaner]

If by "meet" you mean being told to keep moving along, hand over your to-be-signed item to a handler who passes it on to Shatner who then passes it on to another handler who then passes it back to you, then yes, you can definitely "meet" him for $80 bucks.

Beren

I had the same thing happen to me with stan lee. I understand he had to sign alot of stuff but I was alittle disappointed that he didnt even really look at me and only wrote stan lee on the picture. I'm still hapy to have the auto but my friend got a picture sitting down with stan for $10 less and stan actually talked to him. Another buddy of mine got shatners auto AND picture spending $160 and he didnt really have a problem with it. My first fan expo was fun overall.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

Nobody calls The Shat "Billy."


And it's "Mr. Shatner" to you.

I can't explain it, but I'm very aware of Shatners ego...and I like it. I kinda think he plays on it, like Paris Hilton plays on being really stupid but is not.
He cracks me up with his I'm so great attitude. I just adore the guy.

I think Bill Shatner is AWESOME! I met him at a Grand Slam convention in Pasadena, California and he was extremely nice!

At the autograph session he chatted it up with everyone in line and was very funny!

I can't wait to see him in $@#% My Dad Says!

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