Fried chicken is... my LIFE!

March 22, 2020 9:51 PM

Sunday Mar. 22 is the eleventh anniversary of 'Talk Like William Shatner Day'. (NSFW language). This anniversary seems more notable than the tenth because Shatner's performances also dial up to 11. The Mary Sue discusses the second anniversary in 2009. Lamarche also notes the second (NSFW language) and third anniversaries.

Master Shatnerist Kevin Pollak invokes the man in a job interview. John Belushi logs an entry - promise! Carol Burnett and Jim Carrey take a turn at the conn. Frank Caliendo channels Denny Crane. The late Joe Alaskey does Shatner as Woody Allen.

The man himself is puzzled, offers his own explanation for his speech pattern and admonishes obsessives to get a life.

Pollak went face-to-face with Shatner and his daughter Melanie on an episode of 1997's anthology series 'Peversions Of Science' (SFW clip, NSFW whole episode).

(Happy 89th birthday Bill... live longer and prosper.)

posted by zaixfeep (10 comments total)

The first Shatner/Kirk impression I ever saw was the late, great Joe Alaskey on Comedy Tonight back in the 80's. Pleased to find this clip from that appearance. BTW, happy birthday Bill.
posted by Zedcaster at 10:35 PM on March 22, 2020

"To shatner" is a verb, just like "to goldblum." When I direct, I can tell the actors to "Shatner it up/down a notch," and they always know what I mean.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:36 PM on March 22, 2020 [7 favorites]

How could I have missed... Nimoy doing Shatner?
posted by zaixfeep at 10:54 PM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

Oops, I must be tired. I missed the Joe Alaskey link in the post. Oh, well. What I can add is that apparently Joe was one of the first to do the Shat and that early Kevin Pollak seems to channel some Joe.
posted by Zedcaster at 11:28 PM on March 22, 2020

{Mods, pls correct my description - references should be to 11th/2nd/3rd annual Day rather than the 11th/2nd/3rd anniversary, and the Mary Sue was 2010, the 2nd annual Day/1st anniversary. Clearly I learned nothing about annual vs anniversary despite 45 years of observing SNL and Today Show anniversary-year logos and specials. Thanks}
posted by zaixfeep at 11:39 PM on March 22, 2020

Oops, I must be tired

It's ok, we're all a bit frayed from Shatneringsheltering in place. We could all use some normal sociaization and... (slaps cheek per syllable) AN-TI-BOD-IES!
posted by zaixfeep at 11:47 PM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Perhaps I can redeem myself with this entire episode of CBC Radio 1's comedy The Debaters. Canada's favourite faux fight forum of the air.
The topic? William Shatner is the greatest actor. (click the link under Shatners photo)
The "debate" between actor Eric Peterson* and comedian Sean Cullen* digs deep into Shat lore. Bonus: Cullen does a passable Bill Shatner impression albeit briefly.

*known in Canada, not so much anywhere else.
posted by Zedcaster at 12:08 AM on March 23, 2020

"To shatner" is a verb, just like "to goldblum." When I direct, I can tell the actors to "Shatner it up/down a notch," and they always know what I mean.

The judges would also have accepted “Gimme Shatner.”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:39 AM on March 23, 2020 [5 favorites]

It's just a Shat away.
posted by adamrice at 6:37 AM on March 23, 2020 [5 favorites]

I wish I could remember exactly where I saw or read it, but I seem to recall some linguistics expert saying but he knew as soon as he heard Shatner speak that Yiddish had been his first language.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:24 AM on March 24, 2020