Sunday, Comedy Central will airing a roast for William Shatner. Since he recently won an Emmy, jokes about his acting hold less weight, so recognition must be made of his talent. His other non-Trek accomplishments should also be praised. He has stated that he considers "T.J. Hooker" to be a groundbreaking show like "Hill Street Blues" as it featured some hardhitting stories. So the T.J. Hooker references should be respectful.

Unfortunately, the promos for the roast feature some sexist jokes. One male 'comedian' mentioned that in attendance were some women he would have liked to have sex with 30 years ago. Vulgar, sexist and age-ist jokes don't belong on television. Comedy Central should have shown more responsibility and deleted those type jokes.

P.R., just so you know, there's an already in-progress discussion on this topic here.

Sunday, Comedy Central will airing a roast for William Shatner. Since he recently won an Emmy, jokes about his acting hold less weight, so recognition must be made of his talent. His other non-Trek accomplishments should also be praised. He has stated that he considers "T.J. Hooker" to be a groundbreaking show like "Hill Street Blues" as it featured some hardhitting stories. So the T.J. Hooker references should be respectful.

Do you understand what a roast is? It's where everyone is supposed to talk smack about the person getting roasted, but it's all in good fun. Nobody takes it seriously. I'm just saying that if they took your advice they wouldn't have anything to say, since roasts are not about being nice and respectful.

When The Dean Martin Show was close to its end, some of the shows became roasts for Dino's friends in show business (Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles, Muhammad Ali and Lucille Ball were four "honorees") When Martin's show was cancelled in 1974, the roasts continued as occasional specials for a few years. In fact, the shows were made available on DVD, and were sold by Guthy-Renker infomercial. None of the comments were respectful, but they were clean (at least what was broadcast was.) The Friars Club has been having roasts for years, and they're definitely not clean. (Comedy Central has televised some of them.) But as Brian said, it's all in good fun. Plus, Comedy Central rated the Shatner show "TV MA," and had a disclaimer that the show was for adults only!

Also, they said that Shat was sitting in the original Captain's chair from TOS bridge. I doubt it, as the buttons on the right arm of the chair were wrong. Of course, someone could have changed the chair, but why would they? It's like painting graffiti on the Eiffel Tower (which had none when I was in Paris last April.)

Again, there is a pre-existing discussion of this topic on Shatner's board in the TOS Cast section.

I think it's probably the chair that was used in the TNG episode Relics.

A few days have passed, so I can more calmly review the "roast" to William Shatner. I think that televised filth masquerading as a tribute to Shat was total disgrace. Trek has always embraced progressive ideas, so why would Comedy Central assault fans with sexist, racist, and homophobic slurs (also masquerading as 'jokes'). This garbage was wholy unsuitable for family audiences ( I almost let my daughter stay up and watch this horror show).

The program was littered with constant references to anal intercourse. What a disrespectful response to George Takei's coming out. Andy Dick's story about how he was concieved through Spock anally raping Kirk was pathetic and belonged in a 'Beavis and Butthead' tribute instead.

About some other jokes: What did the odor of Lisa Lampinelli's vagina have to do with Trek? Nothing, it was just an excuse to insult women. Why the confrontational tone with Shat (from Jeffrey Ross) about a toupee. Shat told Letterman that he doesn't wear a hairpiece. Insult Shat, an imply he is a liar.

Thank you, P.R. You didn't have to watch it, you know.

Since there's already a board for this elsewhere I recommend, and kindly ask Morgan, that this one please be closed.

There's another board for this? That's MADNESS!

This garbage was wholy unsuitable for family audiences.
Regardless of how you feel about the "Roast," it was rated "TV MA" and had a disclaimer before it was aired stating that it was for adults only. Plus, it was aired after 10 p.m. here in the Eastern U.S. Not everything is, or should be, aimed at "family audiences." Your TV (if it was made after July, 1999) or your cable box has a parental control feature, to block out what you might consider objectionable programming. I suggest you use it; I do.

And, Mr. Shatner does wear a toupee. The authors of the 1996 book, "Inside Star Trek", Herb Solow and Bob Justman (who were as close to the production as any of the cast) said as much in said tome that he wore one during production of the series. I suggest he still does, as lost hair does not grow back. And, he has not had a hair transplant; they stand out like a sore thumb on men that did have one (remember the late Sen. William Proxmire?)

Your TV (if it was made after July, 1999) or your cable box has a parental control feature, to block out what you might consider objectionable programming. I suggest you use it; I do.

And even if it was made before July 1999, it has a parental control feature. It's called an "Off Button".

The problem seems to be that Rona doesn't know the difference between a "Roast" and a "Toast". She seems to be under the impression that it's the latter that Comedy Central was going to present.

BTW, if anyone has the book, "Inside Star Trek," the toupee story is on page 341. That should clear up any "hair-raising" doubts.

Would it hurt to play along with Shat and pretend that he doesn't wear a toupee. Sometimes I see elderly men with outrageously fake-looking hairpieces, but I never feel any need to go up and insult them. His hairpiece doesn't really look bad, so leave him with some dignity.

This was the first roast I've ever watched, and perhaps the last. I did watch (a couple of years ago) some of those constant infomercials for the Dean Martin roasts. The humour in those seemed much more gentle, if you can call Ruth Buzzi hitting people over the head with a handbag 'gentle' humour. Accepting the fact that this was for mature audiences, there just seemed to be so many lowlights in the program. Watching George Takei smile as Ben Stiller called him a child molester was more than awkward. As for Andy Dick, he seems to be one of the most attention needy persons I've ever seen. He continually butted in during other people's routines, and he wasn't funny. His tongue-licking routine was gross. Nichelle should have slapped him in the face. His 'Trek' story was so adolescent with its 'Beavis and Butthead' bunghole jokes, it was pathetic. Did anyone find this witty?

As for the choice of guests...Farrah! What a sad wreck. I don't think she was acting, she appears to be genuinely out of it. The tabloids have been so cruel to her in the last few years, so I didn't expect she would be fondly remembered here. Why was her routine aired while Nichelle's (who is of much greater interest to Trek fans) was cut? I wasn't that familiar with some of the comedians - I'd never heard of Lisa Lampinelli. Now, I know more than I care to know about her (she enjoys anal sex with many different African American men). I thought Patton's joke about Carlos Mencia passing out from the smell of her vagina was vicious, until I heard her joke about Shat's "ballbag". I read somewhere that men's privates shrink as they get older, not increase in size.

One could be forgiven for thinking that the roast was for George, as so many of the jokes were about his sexuality. One moment seemed eerily authentic- when George told Shat what he wanted to tell him for 40 years.

I'm glad that Nimoy and Majel weren't in attendance. It really was beneath their dignity. One of the audience members looked like a young Nimoy...his son, I presume?

so leave him with some dignity.

Obviously, Rona, you are unaware of the purpose of a "roast".

There's a difference between gently poking fun at a person's foibles and tossing them headfirst into a sewer. Not to mention everyone else in the vicinity.

Humor doesn't necessarily have to be rude, crude, and lewd.

If you cut out all the vulgarity, it would have been a very quiet hour.

This was the first roast I've ever watched, and perhaps the last. - P.R.

You described it as 'filth,' 'garbage' and a 'horror show,' but this is perhaps the last? Does your TV only get one channel? I like Shatner, but I wasn't interested in this so I didn't watch.

Would it hurt to play along with Shat and pretend that he doesn't wear a toupee. Sometimes I see elderly men with outrageously fake-looking hairpieces, but I never feel any need to go up and insult them. His hairpiece doesn't really look bad, so leave him with some dignity.

People have been joking about his toupee ever since at least the 1970s. If he wanted "some dignity" that's the pooint where they offered to roast him he would have said "no thank, I"m not going to be a part of that." Unlike you the people in Hollywood know what a roast is, and what kinds of jokes are tolk there.

As for Andy Dick, he seems to be one of the most attention needy persons I've ever seen. He continually butted in during other people's routines, and he wasn't funny.

I agree, Andy Dick is not funny most of the time, just annoying. I have no problem with anyone's sexual preference, but when your entire public persona is wrapped up in embodying every negative stereotype that people have about gay people it's time to get some new material.

His hairpiece doesn't really look bad, so leave him with some dignity.
My girlfriend was watching a Star Trek episode with me (she's not a fan, but tolerates my fannishness more than my ex-wife did) and says that of all the actors on the show, Shatner's hair looked the most natural; the rest all looked like they were wearing pieces.

P.R.: Would it hurt to play along with Shat and pretend that he doesn't wear a toupee?
Luigi Novi: Well, I don't know if it would hurt, but it would defeat the entire purpose of a roast, since they're all about insults.

Nove Rockhoomer: You described it as 'filth,' 'garbage' and a 'horror show,' but this is perhaps the last?
Luigi Novi: Perhaps she was referring to some of the classic Dean Martin roasts whose informercials she mentioned above.

Though, even if that isn't the case, it's not inconsistent with her past willingness to watch things that she knows she will not like.

And, he has not had a hair transplant; they stand out like a sore thumb on men that did have one (remember the late Sen. William Proxmire?)

The only celeb that I know of having had that done is author Dean Koontz. If you see his older pix on his books he had quite a receeding hairline and a mustache. Then after the transplant he's got a full head of hair and no mustache! But he looks a lot younger, too, and to hear him talk is quite enjoyable because he's very intelligent and funny as hell.

I agree with both P.R. and Brian about Andy Dick (good thing his name isn't Randy!) not being funny, though I think he isn't at all. Why anyone likes him or his idea of humor is beyond me.

In all the years I've seen Shatner I've never really noticed his hairpieces, except maybe for T.J. Hooker, though I've seen hardly any of those shows. Maybe I just can't see it (or don't want to) but in TOS his hair seemed natural and even in all the movies, too. Hell, even Burt Reynolds' wigs look natural, IMO.

There are differing levels in roasts--there have been occasions where roastees have been genuinely offended by comments. The book "Classic Sitcoms" details during a roast of Norman Lear, one of his All in the Family supporting players "joked" that he loved Norman even though he had no idea what he was doing on the show. Soon the actor was phased out.

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As for Andy Dick, he seems to be one of the most attention needy persons I've ever seen.

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Would any of you buy an unrated DVD of it if there was one? Not that I've heard anything, of course. I'm just wondering. This way you could see it with all of the cussing intact, no commercials and maybe even some deleted stuff. Actually, there shouldn't be any deleted stuff, it should all be kept in. Well, except of course for all the Dick stuff. No one would miss that. The DVD could also have a small featurette of Shatner's feelings about the whole thing, like was he bothered by any of it or did he enjoy the entire show and whatnot.

Mark Evanier has a pretty good commentary on the roast.

In the interest of fairness, I should mention that Shatner has criticised other people's hair. On the short-lived 90's Tom Synder lateshow, Shatner was a guest (I remember taping it, because I didn't want to stay up late). Shat looked at Tom for a few moments and then said; "I don't like your hair". Tom responded; "Don't start with my hair, because we could talk about yours!"

I was semi-surprised to see Nichelle at the roast. Shatner was rather vicious in one of his books and said that the only reason Nichelle was on Star Trek is because she slept with Roddenberrry. I guess she forgave Bill.


Maybe some of the jokes about Shat's acting at the roast sank in. On the red carpet at last night's Emmy Awards, Shatner was asked why he never won an Emmy for Star Trek. He responded (modestly for him); "maybe I wasn't good enough".

Evanier: But then the other half the time, you don't know what was said and it's like some sick Sudoku game where you sit there, mentally plugging each of Mr. Carlin's Seven Dirty Words into the blanks to see if the sentence makes any sense.
Luigi Novi: LOL. God I miss reading Evanier's POV column in the Comics Buyers Guide. Thanks for reminding me that it's online, Morgan.

Ironically, I'm finally endeavoring to cut up the 400 or so CBG's that have been piling up over the years, since we're all cleaning the house to prepare for a September visit, and right now, the two aspects of each issue that I'm cutting out of each one is Evanier's POV and Peter David's But I Digress. Interesting that someone should point me to the online version around the same time that I'm doing this.

I have to agree with most of Evanier's comments.

Most of the jibes were at Takei, not at Shatner, and Takei took them with amazingly good grace.

Why were half the roasters there? I can understand Takei, Nichols, and Betty White -- they co-starred on his shows. Caliendo and Pollack as well, since Shatner is one of their bread-and-butter impressions. But why were Jeff Ross(?), Farrah, Linda L., and Andy Dick there?

Andy Dick was on Voyager, a spin-off of Star Trek, which Shatner was on for some of the episodes.

Shatner was on Voyager? I know George Takei was in an ep ("Flashback").

Live long and prosper.

I knew Dick was on Voyager ("Message in a Bottle", I believe), but Shatner never was, and that's a pretty tenuous connection.

Andy Dick was on Voyager, a spin-off of Star Trek, which Shatner was on for some of the episodes.

Emphasis mine. I believe he was saying that WS was on ST for "some" of the episodes, perhaps being facetious.

Yes i was being sarcastic. (In point of fact, Shatner wan't in the first pilot. WS was in episodes 2 to 79, though. He was in 98.7% of the episodes.)

Would any of you buy an unrated DVD of it if there was one?

It was released yesterday, and is available here. Good price ($14.99), too.

Speaking of William Shatner,
Why is there such a feud between him and George Takei,? Are they both at fault and can't they make amends, ?are they like the two Grumpy Old Men from the 1993 film "Grumpy Old Men" and the 1995 sequel "Grumpier Old Men" ?

Did anyone else watch William Shatner's trip into space on
October 13, 2021
He became the oldest person to go into space at 90 years young,
It was an Incredible TV moment

This has nothing to do with the roast. There is a William Shatner board in TOS but you’ll be chancing your arm with the moderator there who may delete the comment out of spite….

The posts would be deleted, because he's banned from my forums.

Good thing Jeff doesn’t have the inclination to email Phil and ask what rule he broke to get banned from your boards