When The Shatner Hits The Fan

Ah, another day, another new William Shatner commercial. Yeah, James Brown was "The Hardest Working Man In Show Business", but Shatner is hustling for a "Honorary Mention". Hustler. Hmm, that's a good word for dear old Bill, isn't it? Judging William Shatner objectively is problematic for me even during the worst of times. I can't casually dismiss his as a pompous fraud because, to be fair, he's not. Alright, as a dramatic actor, he's shamelessly served up fat, greasy, overcooked ham sandwiches for years. What he does and how he does it isn't a choice anymore, it's imbeded in his DNA. However, as a comic performer, I believe Shatner is seriously underrated. The few episodes of Trek that stay fresh and timeless are the ones where Kirk gets to be funny, and--amazingly--he is. There's nuance, timing, discipline, and suppleness. He's relaxed; he's not dialing it to "11". In other words, Shatner is everything that's glaringly absent from his hambone performances. When Shatner does drama, he's a slab of Canadian Bacon. He's selfish, and an out-of-control scenery-chewer who swallows his fellow actors. In comedies, he's remarkably generous, invites everybody to the party, and buys the beer. Watch Shatner's past work with Spader and Lithgow. There's a sly ease and camaraderie which you usually see only in the pairings of legendary comedy teams that have a history. When Shatner has the clown make-up on, he's a team player. When he has Yorick's plastic skull in his hand, he thinks he's the team. Shatner is a good actor. He deserves his second act. But he shouldn't sing anymore, please dear God. The only thing Shatner should do with a microphone is ignore it. Let's not mention the hair.