Star Trek legend William Shatner came under attack on Twitter from a number of people who claim the actor blocks people due to their sexuality.
A number of these individuals claimed or insinuated Shatner is anti-gay or a homophobe.
hey @WilliamShatner which nickname do you like best? Will, Bill, Billy, Billiam, or Homophobe?? 🙈
— sugar peach (@flackflerp) September 8, 2019
Shatner would reveal that those attacking him appear to be “friends of the BTS troll I blocked.” BTS is a South Korean boy band. Shatner continued, “So I guess that Annie darling made it about her sexuality instead of her harassment. Always be a victim; it will get you nowhere.”
Apparently they are friends of the BTS troll I blocked. So I guess that Annie darling made it about her sexuality instead of her harassment. Always be a victim; it will get you nowhere!😉 https://t.co/ku0Oybsy4Q
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) September 5, 2019
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Nevertheless, Shatner saw a number of individuals beg him to block them. Not only were people begging Shatner to block him, but a number of them were sending him photoshopped images of him as Captain Kirk from Star Trek: The Original Series.
You can see a number of the tweets sent Shatner’s way compiled by Twitter user Dataracer.
Star Trek SJW’s are attacking William Shatner again trying to stir up a fake outrage mob.
They’re trolling him with “bizzare photoshops,” then play the victim card and call Shatner a biggot after he blocks them.
Capt Kirk is having none of it. 🖖 pic.twitter.com/v7LuqMnhpk
— Dataracer (@Dataracer117) September 6, 2019
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Dataracer wasn’t the only one to compile Tweets attacking Shatner. YouTuber MechaRandom addressed the outrage mob in a recent video.
One thing that Mecha points out in her video, which most Trek Fans will relate to, is the massive divide within the fandom between older and younger fans. See, the Star Trek fandom has seen a shift from unity to division. With newer fans, especially over the last ten years, having little to no real love for older cast members.
Much of this comes from the newer fans turning a sub-section of the fandom into a collection of identity groups. This is something ironically that the creator of the franchise, Gene Roddenberry, attempted to overcome with Star Trek. One of the core messages of the show is unity and looking past differences.
MechaRandom explains, “There’s a huge divide between older Star Trek fans and the casts, and the fans of the older casts and these newer Star Trek fans who hate old Star Trek. And they come to these conventions and they look down on you when you look down your nose at them. I suppose, but they started these things, they look annoyed that you’re there…These people just love, and they wear it like a badge of honor that they get blocked. So they can play the victim.”
Shatner called out the individuals describing them as “immature types” who are trying to “incite fake hate.”
Is that what you are trying to make of this? Such immature types. So you can scream Shatner blocks gays to incite fake hate? https://t.co/I46IBuXOqA
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) September 5, 2019
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Fans of William Shatner know that when it comes to Twitter, the actor rarely if ever holds any punches. He took on a Star Trek podcast host who wished he was dead. (Related: William Shatner Shuts Down Star Trek Podcast Host Who Wished He Was Dead)
He’s also gone toe to toe with Congressional candidate Brianna Wu, who targeted Shatner for his charity work. (Related: Brianna Wu Takes Aim At Star Trek Actor William Shatner, He Fires Back!)
Do you believe that William Shatner handled this all well? Also, what do you think of the current state of affairs within the Star Trek fandom? Let me know your thoughts below!