A Great Entertainer. A Great Humanitarian. And My Dearest, Dearest Friend for 25 Years.

(Before you start, I realize the title probably should have been "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Pretend, if you like. It's likely that only Highlander will pick up on this title. But, ::she says smiling slyly:: that's enough for me.)

I'm not sure I can say I'm a huge William Shatner fan. Oh, I watched my fair share of Star Trek, and then some, on Sunday mornings back in the late 60's and early 70's. And, I've truly enjoyed his recent work on Boston Legal. "Denny Crane, Trix are for Kids... Denny Crane, coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs." Heh. Cracks me up to think of the very dramatic Captain Kirk saying some of the absolutely hilarious lines that William Shatner utters on Boston Legal. But, he's just one of those actors that has a place in my heart more for nostalgia's sake than for profound talent or a significant social consciousness. Or so I thought.

Even if you're not a Star Trek fan, you had to have been tied up in your funny uncle's basement for thirty years if you don't know who Captain James T. Kirk is. Now before you start (especially you Mark), William Shatner is not dead. At least not to my knowledge. (As a side note, when I started typing this, Highlander asked me what I was blogging about. When I responded with "William Shatner", he shrieked like a doomed teenaged girl in a bad horror movie and said "Oh My God! Is he dead?!?!? Is he dead?!?!?" After I shot him in the right thigh with the thorazine dart, I was able to get back to my point.) It's hard not to give William Shatner his props for a lifetime body of work.

Okay, okay, he's made a lot of really crappy stuff, too. I'm sure he'd be just as anxious to forget DEAD MAN'S ISLAND as the rest of us. And T.J. Hooker, too. Let's not forget THAT. Wait, let's do. But he's made a few bucks doing some memorable tv. That much should be pretty undeniable.

William Shatner has always had a reputation of having more than his share of machismo. That's probably why Kirk came across they way he did, and how he can play, so tongue-in-cheek, the over-the-top Denny Crane. But when I ran across a link for this show, I thought he might have gone...too far. Too far even for William Shatner. Changing the world? Hmmm.

I started thinking about all of the cool Star Trek gizmos and gadgets, and decided that maybe it would be a fun show after all. I mean anyone who doesn't see the similarity between flip cell phones and Star Fleet communicators is really not trying. In the last thirty five years, things like computers, medical technology and space exploration (and communications, for that matter) certainly would have been expected to evolve a great deal. But, if anyone can pull off being the sole catalyst for so much advancement, I suppose James T. Kirk can.

A generation of young minds was, irrefutably, influenced by Star Trek. And certainly, the geeks of my generation would have, very much, wanted to bring this world closer to that one. I suppose I just hadn't realized that those same smart young men would be giving William Shatner credit for their inspiration. William Shatner. An actor.

All the nerdy science guys I knew were fantasizing about being Spock, or Bones, or Scotty. Maybe it was just too much to want to be Kirk. Maybe it was like "Hold on there, Mister. Who are you kidding? Kirk with a pocket protector and glasses? Give it up, Fanboy!" I just had no idea they idolized him to this level.

I understand that the show outlined the influence of Star Trek, as it related to various scientific disciplines. Less invasive medical breakthroughs, such as CAT scans, MRI's and lasers were linked back to the Enterprise sickbay's standards. The fact that early computers and software programs (the Altair 8800) had names tied to this fictional show were discussed. A senior astronomer with SETI credited the show for pushing their cause forward to the point where their agency could become a reality. And the non-coincidence in naming the first shuttle "Enterprise" was drooled over by Trekkies working at NASA.

Unfortunately, I didn't catch the show itself. Only a blurb, after the fact. And I've yet to be able to find any upcoming viewing information. Which is pretty disappointing! I will definitely be watching for another shot at it.

And, you know...it's not just science fiction becoming science fact that you can chalk up to William Shatner's influence. There are a few other things that he should be getting credit for...

1) Interracial sex. It was 1968. Most of you were there. White James T. Kirk laid some serious kissage on black Lt. Uhura. Southern TV stations were so outraged, they refused to air the show. So, you know, William Shatner made it possible for white guys everywhere to have a shot at Halle Berry and Tyra Banks. You've just got to be kinda hot and have a lot of money.

2) Furby's! Anyone who thinks those annoying little furry things aren't a direct descendant of Tribbles is just fooling themselves.

3) Music. Shatner recorded his version of the Beatles tune "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" in 1968 and it still holds the record for worst pop recording ever. Inspiring people like Jason Alexander and William Hung to follow in his footsteps, Shatner has changed the music industry (though technically, not for the better), and possibly reality television.

4) PETA owes William Shatner a little gratitude. By helping them get the word out about precautions to be taken in the event of a natural disaster, Shatner shows that his work with alien life forms has taught him to appreciate those non-humans among us.

5) And PETA isn't the only charity on William Shatner's radar, he's coughed up...sorta...a little something for Habitat for Humanity, too. Donating a kidney stone in January of this year, netted the organization $25,000. That's right. William Shatner's actual kidney stone. What a guy!

6) Cos-Play. Sure, it's more about anime' now than anything else, but geeks dressing up at Star Trek conventions is where this stuff started. Though, Shatner himself would be the first to say that these people need to "Get a Life!"

7) Horse-Breeding. I'm not sure, exactly, how up close and personal he gets with this, but in 1997, he won the World Harness Championship with one of his horses. He's been...um...active as a breeder for many years, possibly leading the way for half-human, half-equine beings everywhere, though I couldn't find much detail on that.

8) Homosexuality. It's not just black women and beastiality for Shatner. His on-the-set relationship with Leonard Nimoy (caught in this poignant photo) helped forge the way for so many other misunderstood gay couples.

And then there's the whole impending birthday surprise thing, which is scheduled to come out on Wednesday (his 75th birthday). This guy has been busy. Almost single-handedly responsible for dozens of major scientific and social advancements, he should be above man's law. Hell, Dick Cheney hasn't done a TENTH of the stuff for society that William Shatner has, and HE can get away with murder. It's so hard to be a benevolent god.

It makes me wonder, what show will spark the next big push? Will there be advances in robotics that will be due to the influence of The Power Rangers? Virtual reality programs with Matrix-y names? Truth be told, I'm a little vexed as to why "The Jetsons" got dissed here. I guess "How George Jetson Changed The World" might be pushing it. Best to just wait around and see what else William Shatner has in store for us.