I LOVE sweaty basketball players!

February 20, 2007 3:37 PM

George Takeiresponds to Tim Hardaway's recent comments.
posted by EarBucket (86 comments total)

Best eight-word sentence ever.
posted by phaedon at 3:39 PM on February 20, 2007

George Takei just gets better and better.
posted by tkchrist at 3:44 PM on February 20, 2007

Oh, my!
posted by Optamystic at 3:45 PM on February 20, 2007

smells like pussy in here... i think.
posted by phaedon at 3:45 PM on February 20, 2007 [3 favorites]

Reminds me of this.
posted by delmoi at 3:50 PM on February 20, 2007

Hilarious!
posted by owhydididoit at 3:51 PM on February 20, 2007

I've always found pro sports vaguely Homoerotic; perhaps that in no small way contributes to my love of pro sports.

However my love of George Takei: 100% Homoerotic.
posted by French Fry at 3:53 PM on February 20, 2007

Hellooooooo.....
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:55 PM on February 20, 2007

i guess takei was on heroes last night.
posted by phaedon at 3:57 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Oh, I get it! He's gay! Haha!
posted by roll truck roll at 3:58 PM on February 20, 2007

Takei totally took the Stern world by storm and every asshole out there fell in love with him. Who knew this guy was so good at comedy and his sense of humor towards himself is priceless.

Ohhhh myyyyy
posted by evilelvis at 4:02 PM on February 20, 2007

Takei has really gone all out on being 'out'.

Bravo to Jimmy Kimmel for giving Takei the airtime =p
posted by nomisxid at 4:02 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

phaedon writes "smells like pussy in here... i think."

Man, he nails all of those jokes. Great timing. I had no idea he was so funny.
posted by mr_roboto at 4:09 PM on February 20, 2007

Takei needs to do a monthly/weekly podcast.

helloooooo....
posted by CKmtl at 4:12 PM on February 20, 2007

Who is Tim Hardaway, and what were his recent comments?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:12 PM on February 20, 2007

i guess takei was on heroes last night.

The caption for that video is incorrect. Takei was in the episode that aired Feb. 5.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:16 PM on February 20, 2007

stavros: ESPN has a great show call Outside the Lines, that covers this issue. Tim Hardaway used to (?) play for the Miami Heat and did an interview with Dan LeBatard on local radio.
posted by phaedon at 4:24 PM on February 20, 2007

Hellooooooo...
posted by LordSludge at 4:25 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Gracias, phaedon. I'll assume from context (not following Youtube links at work) that that interview contained some virulent anti-homosex talk for some reason.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:27 PM on February 20, 2007

you're welcome. here's the transcript, as your assumption is correct.
posted by phaedon at 4:30 PM on February 20, 2007

That's accurate, stavros. The video actually covers the context for Takei's response, which is why I didn't include extra links about the controversy.
posted by EarBucket at 4:31 PM on February 20, 2007

It's funny, but George Takei celebrating his recent outness is like that friend who just saw a rerun of The Sopranos on A&E for the first time and just can't stop talking about how great this show The Sopranos is and even though it's a fantastic show you fucking know, we've all known for years, for fuck's sake, we know you loves TEH P3niS.

I loved him on Heroes.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 4:34 PM on February 20, 2007

Going out of your way to attack an entire group of people for no reason other than to spread hate?

Oh to be a fly on the wall of every locker room shower Hardaway has ever been in. . . .
posted by bardic at 4:45 PM on February 20, 2007

Takei is gay? I never knew till now.
posted by Komsomol at 5:02 PM on February 20, 2007

George Takei, you are brilliant, hilarious. Truckloads of kudos to you!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:09 PM on February 20, 2007

Really? I thought ol' George stepping out of the closet was about the most unsurprising Famous Person Event since the other George falling off his Segway, or Brittney showing everyone her lady parts.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:10 PM on February 20, 2007

DevilsAdvocate: The "heroes last night thing" wasn't really George, it was a guy who vaguely looks like him poking his finger in a kind of goatse fashion.

Check out his wiki. Not only was he and his family interned during WWII, he also acted with the Duke in the Green Berets! Go George!

BTW, I've loved this guy since I first heard him speak "out" on Howard Stern. He's an incredibly cool man.
posted by snsranch at 5:12 PM on February 20, 2007

I saw this earlier today. And you know, I've never had any disrespect for George Takei in my life, but my respect for the man has just risen to previously unimaginable heights. He couldn't have done this better. Once everybody in America sees this clip, Hardaway is either going to have to recant, or be seen by the whole world running away in abject terror of Captain Sulu.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:19 PM on February 20, 2007 [4 favorites]

Lovely! By the way, what is it about the original Star Trek cast characters?
posted by carter at 5:20 PM on February 20, 2007

Takei rules. He should have had his own ship ages ago!
posted by zoogleplex at 5:21 PM on February 20, 2007

"By the way, what is it about the original Star Trek cast characters?"

That would be "sheer, unaccountable magic."
posted by zoogleplex at 5:22 PM on February 20, 2007 [4 favorites]

DevilsAdvocate: The "heroes last night thing" wasn't really George, it was a guy who vaguely looks like him poking his finger in a kind of goatse fashion.

Watch a little further in the video, snsranch. They talk about and to Takei. The guy you're talking about is Hiro. Takei plays his father.
posted by bob sarabia at 5:29 PM on February 20, 2007

The other day, someone didn't believe me when I told them that Jimmy Doohan had been shot on D-Day. I was wrong though -- he was shot seven times. Much love to TOS in so many regards. And even if Shatner is a grade-A asshole, he's a very talented and self-effacing asshole.

Faint of Butt writes Once everybody in America sees this clip, Hardaway is either going to have to recant, or be seen by the whole world running away in abject terror of Captain Sulu.

Well, let's not get too excited. This is Jimmy Kimmel we're talking about. I thought the clip was funny in spite of the material (stereotypically effeminate gay male getting horny over black man-meat). Meh. But Takei makes it funny through his amazing voice and affectations.
posted by bardic at 5:30 PM on February 20, 2007

George Takei is completely amazing.

I adore that man. I adore him.

In March he's going to appear at a con near me. I'm going to print out a choice still from that video - if I cant find a higher quality one on the internets somewhere - and have him autograph it, and shake his hand, and thank him for reminding me that I just dont laugh enough anymore. I'm too busy being angry and outraged.

I think I'm going to keep this link on my desktop for a while. :)
posted by perilous at 5:31 PM on February 20, 2007

i cant believe you think i thought hiro was george takei... haha..!!
posted by phaedon at 5:37 PM on February 20, 2007

perilous: you want an awesome still, try 4:12 of the video i post earlier
posted by phaedon at 5:44 PM on February 20, 2007

Who is "Tim Hardaway" and what were these recent comments?
posted by DU at 5:45 PM on February 20, 2007

Already covered, DU.
posted by bob sarabia at 5:48 PM on February 20, 2007

Oh hell yeah. I can not think of a more perfect response to Hardaway's comments.

That's right Tim. Hate them all you want, but just know, if you weren't on their radar (gaydar?) before, you sure as hell are now.

Takei just keeps getting cooler and cooler.
posted by quin at 5:51 PM on February 20, 2007

Whoa, he even used the same wording I did. AND I tried to search the thread, but stupid Firefox would only search the textarea.
posted by DU at 5:52 PM on February 20, 2007

stupid Firefox?
posted by spock at 6:03 PM on February 20, 2007

I don't see how Takei's comments help. To me, while they are obviously "jokes", they perpetrate stereotypes people may have about gays and the fear that many hetero males have about gay rape and PMITA prison.
posted by notmtwain at 6:28 PM on February 20, 2007

they perpetrate ... the fear that many hetero males have about gay rape ...

Perpetuate, perhaps?

Please, the whole 'gay panic' thing is not a valid defense of hatred nor of any violent action. It's rooted more in disgust than fear. Prototypical homophobic straight guys aren't going to be overpowered and raped by the swishy 'obviously' gay sissies that they love to bully and beat up.
posted by CKmtl at 6:45 PM on February 20, 2007

I think that's the point, notmtwain. Because those hetero fears sound ridiculous when put into the context of reality... as though it's justified to cling to homophobia since George Takei (or any gay man for that matter) is on a mission to have sex with Tim when he least expects it so Tim needs to denounce them. As though someone else being gay & liking men is actually a threat to HIS masculinity or his life. It's got nothing to do with him. Gay men are far more interested in eachother.

So that was funny because it was a ridiculously blatant attempt to just push the guy's buttons. With Sulu. Which TOTALLY rocks.
posted by miss lynnster at 6:52 PM on February 20, 2007

Saw the end of a celebrity "roast" (I think it was for Shatner) which was pathetic. Takei was the butt of everyone's jokes.
posted by spock at 6:52 PM on February 20, 2007

Tim Hardaway offends me too, and gives a bad rep to homophobes everywhere. Speaking as a self-confessed homophobe, I am insulted that he is making everyone think homophobes hate gay people. We don't hate gay people. We're scared of them. They creep us out. It's not hate that homophobes are spurting - it's fear. I wish people like Tim Hardaway would get that right. They make us wanna jump up on chairs and squeal in high pitched voices... or is that mice?
posted by ZachsMind at 6:53 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Takei is sending up the idea that The Gays are lurking in the bushes, just waiting to jump out and have sex with good straight men like Hardaway, not perpetuating it. The Evil Sulu laugh at the end is the perfect touch, too.

The fastest way to defuse bigotry is by making it a laughingstock. By making Hardaway look like a fool, Takei just might make a few people out there re-examine their own homophobia and realize it's pretty stupid, too.
posted by EarBucket at 6:54 PM on February 20, 2007

Yes, sorry, perpetuate. But I fail to see the humor in the threat, real or not, to have "straight guys overpowered by swishy 'obviously' gay sissies."
posted by notmtwain at 6:54 PM on February 20, 2007

Or what miss lynnster said.
posted by EarBucket at 6:57 PM on February 20, 2007

I once convinced a really rude homophobic guy that he had the "wrong" ear pierced. (He didn't.) He had said some horrifically bigoted things so I couldn't feel too badly when he bought it. He then spent the next three hours retracing his conversations with every man who had been nice to him since the piercing of his ear... trying to figure out if they were trying to make him have sex. He completely unravelled. We all went to a restaurant and he actually declared to everyone that he thought the waiter was trying to hit on him. It was all entirely in his self-absorbed, ignorant little brain, though.

Sometimes I wonder if he ever figured out that I lied...
posted by miss lynnster at 7:00 PM on February 20, 2007 [5 favorites]

miss lynster, i think your playing with the homophobe is the kind of humor that earbucket recommends as the best way to defuse bigotry.

As you said, the only problem is that you didn't tell your homophobe that you were playing with him-- so that you can't have much confidence that he ever had that moment of realization.

In the same way, I am not sure that someone holding a view like Hardaway's would ever realize that Takei was just mocking him.
posted by notmtwain at 7:09 PM on February 20, 2007

Who knew that Sulu would turn out to be the normal, sane one in the group?

Kelley, crazy.
Shatner, crazy.
Nimoy, crazy.
Nichols, crazy.
Koenig, crazy.
Doohan ... Doohan ... OK, Doohan was normal, too. And a war hero. But still ...
posted by frogan at 7:16 PM on February 20, 2007

Your enjoyment of Sulu's PSA shouldn't be dependent on the social good it causes. Hardaway can continue worrying that the gays everywhere are going to gay-i-fy him and Sulu's PSA will still be funny.
posted by aburd at 7:19 PM on February 20, 2007

In the same way, I am not sure that someone holding a view like Hardaway's would ever realize that Takei was just mocking him.

I'd be very concerned for someone couldn't figure out that that green-screen bit was anything *but* tongue-in-cheek. I mean, we aren't talking about dry, deadpan, British sarcastic witty wordplay -- where the "uh, is he serious?" moment rules supreme -- here. It's pretty blatantly over the top.
posted by CKmtl at 7:25 PM on February 20, 2007

I actually was going to tell him... but I was on vacation & I ended up just never running into him again before leaving. I probably would've told him earlier except his meltdown was such a sight to behold that I couldn't bear to interrupt it.
posted by miss lynnster at 7:27 PM on February 20, 2007

... for someone /who/ couldn't...
posted by CKmtl at 7:31 PM on February 20, 2007

Takei is a pretty nice guy...he corresponded by email with my hubby re the Japanese interment camps-I think hubby had found some online pics that he thought Takei would appreciate, (I forget the context) but anyway the man took the time to write back and they had a nice discussion.
posted by konolia at 7:33 PM on February 20, 2007

Koenig, crazy.

You'd be crazy too if you had to take all those anti-teep drugs.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:39 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

xoxo Takei
posted by Kloryne at 8:46 PM on February 20, 2007

And thus Hardaway is branded forever. Beaten by a gay Asian man. Screwed, even.

Revenge can be sweet, I see!
posted by five fresh fish at 9:29 PM on February 20, 2007

frogan, I don't know my Trek cast gossip real well. What's the story behind all your crazy verdicts?
posted by George_Spiggott at 10:06 PM on February 20, 2007

Liked the "smells like pussy in here... i think" clip, but thought the Jimmy Kimmel bit was way too obvious and not a little offensive. I mean, he makes it seem like all gay men are creepy old guys with a taste for NBA flesh. Could have been a more sophisticated in his takedown of the NBA player. But the "smells like pussy in here... i think" was pretty fucking brilliant.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:17 PM on February 20, 2007

Takei in '08!
posted by Dizzy at 10:31 PM on February 20, 2007

George Takei is pretty great.
posted by Tacos Are Pretty Great at 11:10 PM on February 20, 2007

Thank you, Mr. Takei.

Frogan: Thou shalt not insult Nichelle Nichols. Ever.
posted by Goofyy at 11:38 PM on February 20, 2007

LOL, I've been waiting to watch this all day.

Mr. Takei is like a king.

Is it wrong to really, really want my kids to be gay?
posted by redteam at 11:48 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

spock writes "Saw the end of a celebrity 'roast' (I think it was for Shatner) which was pathetic. Takei was the butt of everyone's jokes."

If it's the one that Phaedon linked, then I think that's just how the Friar's club works. One year they did the same thing to Brett Butler due to her drinking problem. I think it's their way of expressing acceptance.
posted by concrete at 11:57 PM on February 20, 2007

Well, I have to admit I was surprised to find out he came out, but that doesn't stop him from being one of my top two favorites from the Classic series (Scotty being the other, geek that I am, but Scotty never had a swashbuckling kick).

I'd love to meet him in person, having once spent a charity casino night at Shatner's. I so should have stolen one of his toupees as a memento...
posted by Samizdata at 12:16 AM on February 21, 2007

Samizdata---
Been there, done that.
I stole two of Shat's toops at BleedGeeksDryCon '04.
One I use for giving my Montero that Lustrous Shine Other Cars Only Dream About!
The other? I keep it close by. Verrrry close.
posted by Dizzy at 6:05 AM on February 21, 2007

I don't watch the Jimmy Kimmel show, but when I see clips on the gootube I am usually impressed. Kimmel has seemed like a bit of a douche in the past, but maybe that was his association with Adam Corolla.

Unnessary Censorship is among the bits I'm thinking of that are really funny.
posted by frecklefaerie at 7:10 AM on February 21, 2007

Very funny.
I have to say that in the back of my mind I have a fear, based on my limited knowledge of American homophobes, that Hardaway will pull a Jenny Jones and murder Takei.
posted by chococat at 7:47 AM on February 21, 2007

Well after all that buildup I wasn't really expecting much, but that was fantastic.
posted by dreamsign at 8:08 AM on February 21, 2007

Hardaway (ironic name) - as far as the locker room thing goes - women (reporters) get to go into the guy’s locker room, but guy reporters can’t enter the womens (’cos, y’know, we’re all rapists). Lift that -and I have no problem with the rest of the sexual politics. Gay, straight, male, female, no problem.
Beyond that sliver of a needle thin bit of empathy, Haraway is an idiot. And indeed, a completely brainwashed one. Jack Johnson/Jackie Robinson/ etc. etc. are rolling in their graves.
And yes, Takei rocks. I remember an interview with him where he explained that the writers of the show wanted to have him wield a samurai sword (in ‘Amok Time’ or something? Trekkies help me out here) and he thought that was too stereotypical and he went with a fencing foil. The more I thought about that - beyond the social stuff - the more obviously right the choice was. Especially in terms of the set - the body movement for a katana would be entirely different. Too heavy. Not as much of the Pepi le-Pew “AHA!” sort of playfulness going on that you can get out of a foil. So - although I’m not joe actor, I do know body movement - I think it was a great choice in acting terms. Plus it fit with the whole Star Trek mythos in that humans are no longer divided. So why shouldn’t he like musketeers and swashbucklers and such? The katana would have been hacky (Lookit! He’s Japanese! Get it?!) Guy has balls and brains as well as style.

Funny. I’m thinking of Jack Johnson as a heavyweight. He had all that. Balls, brains, loads of class, dressed to the nines. Extremely skilled in his profession. And he still couldn’t get a shot at the title because he was black.
Of course, back then it was ok to be afeard of the black folks. Homosexuals are the minority du jour apparently.
Good thing we’re all fighting each other. I’m sure there’s no one profiting from it.
posted by Smedleyman at 10:24 AM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

I remember an interview with him where he explained that the writers of the show wanted to have him wield a samurai sword (in ‘Amok Time’ or something? Trekkies help me out here) and he thought that was too stereotypical and he went with a fencing foil.

IIRC, that episode was "The Naked Time."
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 11:38 AM on February 21, 2007

Takei rules. He should have had his own ship ages ago!

He was captain of the USS Excelsior I believe

/geek
posted by sporky at 12:24 PM on February 21, 2007

women (reporters) get to go into the guy’s locker room, but guy reporters can’t enter the womens

Is that true? I did some half-assed research on this a few months ago and as far as I could tell, legally -- in the US -- the law is the same for male and female reporters.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:28 PM on February 21, 2007

"He was captain of the USS Excelsior I believe"

Indeed he was, in ST VI, but that was 20+ years too late, IMO. I mean in the sense of they should have given him his own ship and done a new series with Captain Sulu.

A seasoned guy like Sulu coming off the original "5-year mission" probably would have immediately, and with Kirk's recommendation, been promoted to Lt. Commander and given command of some smaller ship like a frigate or destroyer; such happens often even in today's navies. There are quite a few "Captains" of US Navy ships who don't actually hold the rank of Captain (which is equivalent to the Army's full Colonel), even on relatively critical front-line units like attack submarines.

A Sulu-commanded ship with a new crew would have made for a fun spin-off series, I think. Takei would have done a great job. This is just my personal thing, tho. (/ubergeek)
posted by zoogleplex at 12:57 PM on February 21, 2007

bardic

Wait, what?

How is Takei "effeminate"?
posted by Target Practice at 2:46 PM on February 21, 2007

Wait a second. Guys erotically involved with other guys? They can do that now? What will they think of next? And will it involve ferrets? I like ferrets.

That said - I have only seen Heroes up to the bit where Takei was the big reveal at the end. Dude gives good cold stare.
posted by Sparx at 3:49 PM on February 21, 2007

Eh, you can slice up and analyze camp five ways come Sunday. But, for many people it is an inside joke that is used to piss off straight people. It's a classic form of resistance humor of grabbing a stereotype, taking it to gross excess, and then throwing it right back into the face of those who oppress.

zoogleplex: I think that's one of the old flaws of the entire franchise. TOS didn't last long enough, however in the novels Sulu and Checkov would get transferred to other posts only to request transfer back to the Enterprise after a few months.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 4:17 PM on February 21, 2007

I stood behind Shatner in line at a coffee house 2 years ago. He was wearing white cotton pants. He had a really bad visible panty line going on. Yep... I saw Shatner's panty line.

I've had a good life.
posted by miss lynnster at 4:43 PM on February 21, 2007

“I did some half-assed research on this a few months ago and as far as I could tell, legally -- in the US -- the law is the same for male and female reporters.”

My info might be out of date. Get offa my lawn. You kids with your googles.
posted by Smedleyman at 4:53 PM on February 21, 2007

Surprise! Buttsecks!
posted by librarina at 7:09 PM on February 21, 2007

I ♥ George.
posted by deborah at 7:14 PM on February 21, 2007

I ♥ George.

[deep voice] You like him very much.
posted by bwg at 8:07 PM on February 21, 2007

Too bad Takei never got to make Blow'd up!
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:22 PM on February 21, 2007