Shatner, a Canadian citizen who's publicly empathized with the far-right and President Donald Trump, has repeatedly feuded with Trekkies who feel that he has turned away from the show's culturally-progressive message (Star Trek made television history by broadcasting television's first interracial kiss, between Shatner and castmate Nichelle Nichols). The actor often calls out examples of what he considers to be unwarranted attacks on men.
Shatner's signature was notably absent from a February letter sent by the original Star Trek cast condemning President Donald Trump's "racism and bigotry."
At least one liberal critic accused the actor of "tarnishing" Star Trek's legacy with his "alt-right language," according to Gizmodo.
"'It seems that Shatner has not so much misunderstood the source material than turned away from it,' Manu Saadia, author of Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek.According to Saadia, the show tacitly endorsed socialistic policies, like the notion that wealth should be evenly distributed throughout the population.
'Star Trek is the lone TV show that has carried the torch of equality, progress, and utopia in popular culture. To see one of its most famous ambassador using alt-right language should be a wake up call to fans,' Saadia continued.
'It is ruinous for the 50-year-old franchise, especially so close to the launch of its first new show in more than a decade. Shatner is known to be prickly and jealous of his status in Star Trek. Maybe he can't stand that the limelights are now trained on a new, diverse crew?' said Saadia."
"Star Trek is a lot of things but, at its heart it stands for the ideal that the fruits of technological and social progress should be equally shared among all of humanity. That's definitely not what Shatner is advocating here," said Saadia.Funny, that wasn't our interpretation.
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