tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12495695880373680372024-03-18T08:21:19.646+01:00Shatner's ToupeeShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-82371379850255768462021-10-13T07:59:00.005+02:002021-10-13T17:25:16.882+02:00Special Coverage: First Toupee in Space<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBLiRniifurJW1lJVuj-NRajnbu-rjGMVu_wWAG4G969CUBcxB_WdsXyR1AqfWVML_ZguxC7ddkH4qpTVqfZi9nitMFBANpF9jDcGBdQI4LmKCC9Cq7XLOAWHHBIZ6IMJfsuWi7rBzcE/s1600/BillS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBLiRniifurJW1lJVuj-NRajnbu-rjGMVu_wWAG4G969CUBcxB_WdsXyR1AqfWVML_ZguxC7ddkH4qpTVqfZi9nitMFBANpF9jDcGBdQI4LmKCC9Cq7XLOAWHHBIZ6IMJfsuWi7rBzcE/s320/BillS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> We will have special coverage of the historic first ever flight of a toupee into space. Stay tuned, and for now: Godspeed! </p><p><br /></p><p>UPDATE: They made it! The capsule detached (from the lower stages), and the toupee stayed put. There will be a wealth of scientific data to analyze in the days ahead. But for now, history has been made. Bill Shatner has become the first person ever to fly a toupee into space. Congratulations! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgB_A5829QCPA02IsWBWdOe5WQ-N7eswoO1MXbxxiBpr6-uSDFX4_Ym3fl7qf1HiOo4T6dU4teu0V2-SwW4MoZCEFaBoeUvc9H1bDUUUhv1G79tv7Q4uPTSAD4NnxS_8HWPuq-QsaoHA/s768/skynews-shatner-splash_5545398.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgB_A5829QCPA02IsWBWdOe5WQ-N7eswoO1MXbxxiBpr6-uSDFX4_Ym3fl7qf1HiOo4T6dU4teu0V2-SwW4MoZCEFaBoeUvc9H1bDUUUhv1G79tv7Q4uPTSAD4NnxS_8HWPuq-QsaoHA/s320/skynews-shatner-splash_5545398.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>UPDATE II (let the verbal puns begin!): Despite tremendous stresses and g-forces, the parachute and capsule remained firmly attached to each other at all times during the final stage of reentry. Remarkable technologies have ensured that the risk of a separation is all but impossible. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMKOWfVPiddpO07L87Hm591hgtcv5gk3NTgORhyphenhyphen7ktyjCZ0SRDRDTP0YzjWHdT6Dvcas2XAko2WrP62_gLcRoNAJjrqxIa9Gu1n_8TxP7KLSNkbIxb4gJGsX5BzGeh56gdDNRnYRrnF4/s1920/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMKOWfVPiddpO07L87Hm591hgtcv5gk3NTgORhyphenhyphen7ktyjCZ0SRDRDTP0YzjWHdT6Dvcas2XAko2WrP62_gLcRoNAJjrqxIa9Gu1n_8TxP7KLSNkbIxb4gJGsX5BzGeh56gdDNRnYRrnF4/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-76770926517507304632021-07-02T08:24:00.004+02:002021-07-28T07:24:20.565+02:00Bill Shatner's Really Bad Decision<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHtXMWtC7ZMVcF-QCpyIFO_A0ia-n2TBqC3AzZwN7fJu7SlmvoWeZ3jVMsjWIAJHESh_6mTBCFDvdwI40KoUVwOJqqS9cpLUd3Xh2t8rTIH9LFiGAjI2scNkMOnwg2Go6Z4gHWDxTvdg/s1434/01.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHtXMWtC7ZMVcF-QCpyIFO_A0ia-n2TBqC3AzZwN7fJu7SlmvoWeZ3jVMsjWIAJHESh_6mTBCFDvdwI40KoUVwOJqqS9cpLUd3Xh2t8rTIH9LFiGAjI2scNkMOnwg2Go6Z4gHWDxTvdg/s320/01.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>A truly appalling and <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/star-trek-icon-william-shatner-spars-with-journos-about-his-new-show-on-kremlin-tv">misguided decision</a> by Bill Shatner to star in a TV show on Russian state-TV channel RT. Hopefully, with some close associates whispering in his ear, he will rapidly reverse course and the space-time continuum will be restored.<br /></p><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoulvoP9skr7s4zoWy8olhp1N917T-kBqVjcV6em_ImMWDjerOw8905SrYVP_8nmYvakRrTUeMpz8QGhg03jJbfEykZKyXYHqKhP4qh2jKI0hPq0kbbmbcFia7Xcjw4l5zs-_SvX-NBu8/s1440/02.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoulvoP9skr7s4zoWy8olhp1N917T-kBqVjcV6em_ImMWDjerOw8905SrYVP_8nmYvakRrTUeMpz8QGhg03jJbfEykZKyXYHqKhP4qh2jKI0hPq0kbbmbcFia7Xcjw4l5zs-_SvX-NBu8/s320/02.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Update: In a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/william-shatner-his-rt-show-billionaire-space-race-mortality-n1274683">recent interview</a> with NBC, Bill Shatner addressed a question about Russia Today being a propaganda network by stating: "Is it a propaganda network? I don’t know. Is it any more than the BBC or the CBC or the French network or the Japanese network? I don’t know."<br /></p><p>And so the self-compromising begins. The old "I don't know...is it?" trick. No, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC">BBC</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Broadcasting_Corporation">CBC</a> are not propaganda networks; they are public service broadcasters with rigorous mechanisms in place to ensure impartiality and fairness, especially in their news divisions. They are among the most cherished institutions of their kind in the world. Russia Today <i>is</i> a propaganda network, whose sole function is to create a so-called "counter-narrative" to advance the interests of the Putin regime. </p><p>It is really very, very sad to hear such words from Bill Shatner. Being "apolitical" is one thing, but this is certainly not that. Regimes hurt people. That's what they have to do to stay in power. Even if Bill Shatner's show is in itself not political, it may serve to draw in viewers, who then absorb the desired "counter-narrative" (i.e. Western democracy is rotten and maybe authoritarianism has a point?) and that will end up hurting people. We're sure that Bill Shatner, all things being equal, would not want to do that. </p><p>Note: Information on Japan's public service broadcaster NHK can be found <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHK">here</a> and information on France's public service broadcaster France Télévisions can be found <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_T%C3%A9l%C3%A9visions">here</a>.</p><p></p>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-69737446758996801572016-05-04T20:42:00.002+02:002016-05-04T20:43:12.472+02:00Something new...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrAtoglBes_cYVbgknx3efzqDdxEbgZfEBJ15gvpYl1028w-x2zYGcCm8MChpi1mktvqANjS8UvkniixpM7GfudWLl0PNFrtW1G5_zzvCco3u8KHYbVeJZKlro9VRAPeuEZnFCezOrJk/s1600/Shat.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrAtoglBes_cYVbgknx3efzqDdxEbgZfEBJ15gvpYl1028w-x2zYGcCm8MChpi1mktvqANjS8UvkniixpM7GfudWLl0PNFrtW1G5_zzvCco3u8KHYbVeJZKlro9VRAPeuEZnFCezOrJk/s320/Shat.jpeg" width="226" /></a></div>
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We're briefly emerging from retirement: a reader emailed us this picture, and we couldn't resist posting it for you. Toupless? Or just squashed or oddly placed? What year? Public or private? What's going on...? <br />
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-ST ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com291tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-34965046861471857552016-01-19T15:50:00.001+01:002021-05-20T07:50:22.872+02:00That's all Folks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXjew64BOXurzY1xBoheFX39xbbhdI5NEN_IlJq-h6-SfKUnNXvFreW_e5VNxSe7sxuBKlqxgwJJm7pUoX0RxuoOu7JWTNL2TXWkFlIQ7AFL2xCWW2-7BxHROeeeq6CyaTRwS-FHSLUs/s1600/thatsall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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It's been a great pleasure writing this blog over the years. But we feel the time is now right to move on - and to let Bill Shatner settle in to his autumn years with a lasting, secure toupee free from the prying rays of our all-powerful touposcopes.<br />
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This blog and it's collection of articles will remain online for readers to continue to discuss Bill Shatner's hair, or lack thereof. After all, in our complex world, we know sometimes Bill Shatner's toupee is the only thing that seems to make sense. So please do continue the heated debates that have fueled this site over the years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5AQ-Y9D0V1PHV5b0mdGlmVP4ErzFLPJVttEsK31pmY27KRn_tX765rFypQ683oM8QQeAO23mcOelRCDEKPPNrXahDrjU5OtezFswq7YBVqT-B5cdt1Y_gAod9pYtGs5wJiPmQzTzX1Q/s1600/enterprise-restoration-nasm-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5AQ-Y9D0V1PHV5b0mdGlmVP4ErzFLPJVttEsK31pmY27KRn_tX765rFypQ683oM8QQeAO23mcOelRCDEKPPNrXahDrjU5OtezFswq7YBVqT-B5cdt1Y_gAod9pYtGs5wJiPmQzTzX1Q/s320/enterprise-restoration-nasm-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg4ttRi-vWdT9lCSF583iX4UkkB0NvdQrH_daJYGZT134GjVP3tuIYFSzAwfdCE1VG0FTp9gwXGmIhqrRIVXdUgjFC2dHTF7GxUu-7uAWvo5XywaFSFWcGdb90y3bIZtsXNc-XXS9Flk/s1600/enterprise-restoration-nasm-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg4ttRi-vWdT9lCSF583iX4UkkB0NvdQrH_daJYGZT134GjVP3tuIYFSzAwfdCE1VG0FTp9gwXGmIhqrRIVXdUgjFC2dHTF7GxUu-7uAWvo5XywaFSFWcGdb90y3bIZtsXNc-XXS9Flk/s200/enterprise-restoration-nasm-4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>Scientists continue to learn of the crucial role played by glue in holding together the original </i>Star Trek <i>series. <a href="http://www.space.com/31816-star-trek-starship-enterprise-restoration-photos.html" target="_blank">Source</a>.</i></div>
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Thanks so much to all our readers, including those who contributed in various ways since we started back in 2009. We've greatly enjoyed analyzing not only Bill Shatner's hairline, but his various works stretching back to the 1950s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqq9Iozy2F2TTTFjQrg1XmY0v5TRMKvDyaJSDl_GWoqumTm6JDXOrT9nddMvV-FePYdQhIkDZZRy3dam6n_mD3vkVpMrnNQUt80yNzrBwz3PYZqwu73gP9Wo0cuRpWBniO8HDeXe1OCu0/s1600/wigs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqq9Iozy2F2TTTFjQrg1XmY0v5TRMKvDyaJSDl_GWoqumTm6JDXOrT9nddMvV-FePYdQhIkDZZRy3dam6n_mD3vkVpMrnNQUt80yNzrBwz3PYZqwu73gP9Wo0cuRpWBniO8HDeXe1OCu0/s320/wigs.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<i>Recently released (click for larger) production memo from </i>Star Trek<i>. <a href="http://blogs.library.ucla.edu/special/2014/11/12/hair-today-gone-tomorrow/" target="_blank">Source</a>.</i></div>
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Permit us to end with a hopeful call to arms: TV series<i> </i>and movies shot on celluloid are being remastered and restored thanks to the advent of high-definition video. But largely left behind in all this have been an array of TV movies shot on film, in particular during the 1970s. We sincerely hope that weird and wonderful gems such as Bill Shatner's 1973 <i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/04/horror-at-37000-feet-toupological.html" target="_blank">The Horror at 37,000 Feet</a> </i>(perhaps as a double-bill with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_on_Flight_502" target="_blank"><i>Murder on Flight 502</i></a>), or 1971's epic mini-serial <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/07/test.html" target="_blank"><i>Vanished</i></a>, or the 1968 oddity <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/12/perilous-voyage-toupological-analysis.html" target="_blank"><i>Perilous Voyage</i></a>, or the thrilling <i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/04/disaster-on-coastliner-toupological.html" target="_blank">Disaster on the Coastliner</a> </i>(1979), also get a shot at being preserved and reissued on Blu-ray. Here's hoping...<br />
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Thank you and farewell!<br />
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-ST<br /> </p><p>The rest is history...
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ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com94tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-64150155030799348392015-10-23T13:54:00.001+02:002015-10-27T14:04:51.045+01:00The Apprentice?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI_MhOiu3fnG8ocuCl-SActh2Jl8h3cnaaYZt6OnQAo2_9mSDId__GnkxuHrVpWbuY7fGVzrmPMHCjNvPFxRiizD1OjsOZn8aNSzel8T1QbS9dDCqBicJpOq4Ew1jj4Kj0KFCp4twjpU/s1600/orig_b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI_MhOiu3fnG8ocuCl-SActh2Jl8h3cnaaYZt6OnQAo2_9mSDId__GnkxuHrVpWbuY7fGVzrmPMHCjNvPFxRiizD1OjsOZn8aNSzel8T1QbS9dDCqBicJpOq4Ew1jj4Kj0KFCp4twjpU/s320/orig_b.jpg" width="253" /></a> </div>
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We've covered Bill Shatner's 1958-60 stint performing in the theatrical play <i>The World of Suzie Wong</i> a <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20World%20of%20Suzie%20Wong" target="_blank">number of times</a>. But it turns out that far more photographs exist from this time - ones of significant toupological interest. For example, while perusing Marc Cushman's <i><a href="http://www.thesearethevoyagesbooks.com/" target="_blank">These Are The Voyages</a> </i>books we came across a publicity still from 1958 or '59 featuring Bill Shatner and co-star <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_Nuyen" target="_blank">France Nuyen</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1NeNVZDFfyYxnrwsiKn_K-IicX1q7Izc18484y1RWyeWWfsKu4ch6XDZt_lvOR6edcpeW9-C9iySxjMJcndoEytATlFU8N9S4h_TIODC9VOLMQ5ApOem4skRD2O-CH3Kw9Tl9y_LqEk/s1600/00045.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1NeNVZDFfyYxnrwsiKn_K-IicX1q7Izc18484y1RWyeWWfsKu4ch6XDZt_lvOR6edcpeW9-C9iySxjMJcndoEytATlFU8N9S4h_TIODC9VOLMQ5ApOem4skRD2O-CH3Kw9Tl9y_LqEk/s320/00045.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The picture is of a very low resolution, but nonetheless we'd say it is pretty certain Bill Shatner is toupless here - combing, spraying and creating a shell that could still pass as a full head of hair if photographed correctly. Perusing a couple of Internet photo-sharing sites and message boards, we also came across another picture from the same shoot - <a href="http://girldontcome.canalblog.com/archives/2013/07/27/27717695.html" target="_blank">apparently</a> taken by photographer Milton H. Greene on October 14, 1958: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiUn95dsJeEf8q9Y6nICv9wbWGFnXU21z2GCrHU7yE8aJua4JHl5VHnyE4FcqRBgJydBwOXmTMpDlyl_eFw-zAzw-zogMGT53V8WJffHvwd-KxyyRxQXeE5CPdGFlWDJcUXWG5akJ6IA/s1600/shatner02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiUn95dsJeEf8q9Y6nICv9wbWGFnXU21z2GCrHU7yE8aJua4JHl5VHnyE4FcqRBgJydBwOXmTMpDlyl_eFw-zAzw-zogMGT53V8WJffHvwd-KxyyRxQXeE5CPdGFlWDJcUXWG5akJ6IA/s320/shatner02.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Here, the thinning is more evident. Indeed, the sides of Bill Shatner's hair appear noticeably fuller and of a greater volume than the hair atop the scalp. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19v63af6ZJShwqyIA0IcjHM-N-S1VWhktG_8WgU5dGW4NGsm9hD0ykT8DwgVCN38HJHnWqtHNyKalpAH9oxdA1hUV7CfQDCDvkitsfbXMAF_7hq06RWfJOYYduZDsmG9R2ogXiCER8gw/s1600/shatner02b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19v63af6ZJShwqyIA0IcjHM-N-S1VWhktG_8WgU5dGW4NGsm9hD0ykT8DwgVCN38HJHnWqtHNyKalpAH9oxdA1hUV7CfQDCDvkitsfbXMAF_7hq06RWfJOYYduZDsmG9R2ogXiCER8gw/s320/shatner02b.jpg" width="259" /></a> </div>
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Let's quickly refresh our memories about the play in question:<i> </i><a href="http://www.ibdb.com/Production/View/2699" target="_blank">according to the IBDB</a>, <i>The World of Suzie Wong</i> had two separate runs on Broadway, New York. The first was at the Broadhurst Theatre from October 14, 1958 to November 7, 1959; the second run, at the George Abbott Theatre, ran from November 9, 1959 to January 2, 1960. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnf0szbJX_g_OgP1jgVO-sc-_CWT9ws5h6qrw6Mzk3FqMxYUS38eAfoqHhXWUXZO2slzNMD4aU2H-eG63X79zJlUm9yLInMW5yJv9siTKMdV1lfNpjBlOC0zWm7PS8wWKyqRZZVs5Bz-o/s1600/orig_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnf0szbJX_g_OgP1jgVO-sc-_CWT9ws5h6qrw6Mzk3FqMxYUS38eAfoqHhXWUXZO2slzNMD4aU2H-eG63X79zJlUm9yLInMW5yJv9siTKMdV1lfNpjBlOC0zWm7PS8wWKyqRZZVs5Bz-o/s200/orig_001.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>
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<i>Source: <a href="http://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?forumID=1&pageID=2&threadID=95976&archive=0" target="_blank">Film Score Monthly message board</a> </i></div>
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The story, set in Hong Kong, sees serviceman Robert Lomax (Shatner) falling for a local prostitute (Nuyen). In his autobiography, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Up-Till-Now-The-Autobiography/dp/B0031MA8P6" target="_blank"><i>Up Till Now</i></a>, Bill Shatner relates how, following initial disastrous reviews, he altered his acting style and helped re-imagine the play as a satire - which then became a hit (more in our <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/01/world-of-suzie-wong-toupological.html" target="_blank">toupological analysis</a>)!</div>
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<a href="http://www.tv.com/shows/the-ed-sullivan-show/november-16-1958-william-shatner-and-france-nuyen-lou-costello-dody-goodman-and-arnold-stang-137649/" target="_blank">We also know</a> that on November 16, 1958, Bill Shatner and France Nuyen performed an extract from the play (presumably still the "bad" version) on live television, on the <i>Ed Sullivan Show</i>. No footage of this has ever been seen publicly since the original transmission (but certainly such a performance would have been cause to take numerous publicity stills). </div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Ap5UwYgl2H4SUFusbn-ekudB-SDypzPqC0PQrI8YEGR5PQagmcWriwqda7YZ0uoLFUWfbqyGb7EkOmVo2tIHFuRXdvhKRvT1SZw2kEeMWlhD2QP_SqrXobSYKhCzdx4KuLzXNGbznxL/s1600/SuzieW15.jpg" width="155" /></div>
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The <i>Suzie Wong</i> era is of particular interest because it serves as a unique example of us seemingly having pictures of Bill Shatner both toupless <i>and</i> wearing a very early approximation of a "Jim Kirk Lace". A common reference point! Over the span of the play's almost 15 month run, it appears that Bill Shatner's real hair became increasingly thin to the point that - at least for certain (perhaps later) publicity stills - a toupee began to be viewed as essential. So we have what is, we think, almost certainly a toup: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjat8lI9g4dGR5XCitUpskOUfZ9sbQwHoKCd_Cgckh-NJRLKBnIMLIck_ozq7aCKjBftowsCI8eH8-nPd1ghCF9xUOKq9QO6kQbOzUJIh-YMJ-qmvqab9puS2gj1sVMUIb-l3ERcFtIsL0/s1600/orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjat8lI9g4dGR5XCitUpskOUfZ9sbQwHoKCd_Cgckh-NJRLKBnIMLIck_ozq7aCKjBftowsCI8eH8-nPd1ghCF9xUOKq9QO6kQbOzUJIh-YMJ-qmvqab9puS2gj1sVMUIb-l3ERcFtIsL0/s320/orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OdGdJseKn4xvwPJEeDr2JINcwKI8SFOkKIDHj4nbQUjap4bmaLL0VRLNh1CbpHYl04tPQjNHdfnoPWqouKDjpkRnzYiRmDRGs-yCSpc1xDLxR47GwFg_iqn2udpnlvtSJ0Bxos4w3jfL/s1600/SuzieW09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OdGdJseKn4xvwPJEeDr2JINcwKI8SFOkKIDHj4nbQUjap4bmaLL0VRLNh1CbpHYl04tPQjNHdfnoPWqouKDjpkRnzYiRmDRGs-yCSpc1xDLxR47GwFg_iqn2udpnlvtSJ0Bxos4w3jfL/s1600/SuzieW09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8eZx2jt-aehgNt_yMijgD2i87qBHpXhGC8SL5Y3L8xb3PSN7EnjLqyCY09nv8n1bKpItBM9MrOc2f6fsW5S4-Rhs5aIsTrzPH8pR4vtMpzmZsgWrea-MgOQ1fz1j6Fdnhd6SezT3pz5y/s1600/SuzieW10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8eZx2jt-aehgNt_yMijgD2i87qBHpXhGC8SL5Y3L8xb3PSN7EnjLqyCY09nv8n1bKpItBM9MrOc2f6fsW5S4-Rhs5aIsTrzPH8pR4vtMpzmZsgWrea-MgOQ1fz1j6Fdnhd6SezT3pz5y/s1600/SuzieW10.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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...also this quintessentially "Jim Kirk lace" 1959 television interview on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dick_Clark_Show" target="_blank"><i>The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show</i></a>:</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<i><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LqKdrvMDjkI" width="320"></iframe></i><br /></div>
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And also<i> </i>likely not<i> </i>toup:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQsTNOBU2Sqt9dN_Gq5UcFPGe0A-Yg8ZPnHimf5iV93bDIIgWsS979LySAE4GiItHvCL3AEi94m_MIdtR-nGuvumzUoPBei4XyxzJpN6VBdV04Rv0u9CjWPI_oW5ciJ6jdXRwRdklcFQ/s1600/WShatner006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQsTNOBU2Sqt9dN_Gq5UcFPGe0A-Yg8ZPnHimf5iV93bDIIgWsS979LySAE4GiItHvCL3AEi94m_MIdtR-nGuvumzUoPBei4XyxzJpN6VBdV04Rv0u9CjWPI_oW5ciJ6jdXRwRdklcFQ/s320/WShatner006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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closer...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2w19_ys3HX2jFQJ4mqqFhiAuqoZ_FfXjTjktRYP3Fcld6Sd3yboaO1vIoiD2jPlEi-wzhcJ4MPp9-Vn_tp2A_DLBKEtu19udvAdKs0g8MPac6b3O0uCV0iafsJylYn4G_d23gUOI-tAA/s1600/WShatner006_b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2w19_ys3HX2jFQJ4mqqFhiAuqoZ_FfXjTjktRYP3Fcld6Sd3yboaO1vIoiD2jPlEi-wzhcJ4MPp9-Vn_tp2A_DLBKEtu19udvAdKs0g8MPac6b3O0uCV0iafsJylYn4G_d23gUOI-tAA/s320/WShatner006_b.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5ZzsVkpA2_fLtlJQbUPXGnalhC5vVHeeWe918VE2Khj87qPhaNcBvzLyOUjnSrZVndKlUebENdz2kCTPQYjsCItLlyg-V7DdTzG-8GA8ZH4u69foDjXXLC_yU3zUD1ad3ZT_qXbiVzqf/s1600/SuzieW03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5ZzsVkpA2_fLtlJQbUPXGnalhC5vVHeeWe918VE2Khj87qPhaNcBvzLyOUjnSrZVndKlUebENdz2kCTPQYjsCItLlyg-V7DdTzG-8GA8ZH4u69foDjXXLC_yU3zUD1ad3ZT_qXbiVzqf/s1600/SuzieW03.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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See also <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=cz8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA95&lpg=PP1&focus=viewport&hl=en" target="_blank">here</a> for a <i>Life</i> magazine feature published on October 8, 1958 (thus prior to the premiere) which appears to show that at this point, Bill Shatner was still toupless, but using heavy thickening spray of some kind:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJJsamDv4A_XWwj_Riehbd3_-ejQnWkx5zU5wfW3JVHEX3rOH9xp_sbqCkg3m9Gy98i_Dazew8t8sapin9xTFai8KCkbihSIYa94i168y4ab96nrYa1Db2_FLAcEfPqnUXIOu5wF2j9Y/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJJsamDv4A_XWwj_Riehbd3_-ejQnWkx5zU5wfW3JVHEX3rOH9xp_sbqCkg3m9Gy98i_Dazew8t8sapin9xTFai8KCkbihSIYa94i168y4ab96nrYa1Db2_FLAcEfPqnUXIOu5wF2j9Y/s320/books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, with greater certainty, <i>almost certainly</i> no toup:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiUn95dsJeEf8q9Y6nICv9wbWGFnXU21z2GCrHU7yE8aJua4JHl5VHnyE4FcqRBgJydBwOXmTMpDlyl_eFw-zAzw-zogMGT53V8WJffHvwd-KxyyRxQXeE5CPdGFlWDJcUXWG5akJ6IA/s1600/shatner02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiUn95dsJeEf8q9Y6nICv9wbWGFnXU21z2GCrHU7yE8aJua4JHl5VHnyE4FcqRBgJydBwOXmTMpDlyl_eFw-zAzw-zogMGT53V8WJffHvwd-KxyyRxQXeE5CPdGFlWDJcUXWG5akJ6IA/s320/shatner02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>But wait, there's more!</i> - as they say in infomercials.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzBkAUT6T6PFZjJWh2e8e3dOyuv2FUl0t-huPE59gOBUI-pUqzuPkPjUclEvUhQn3BjhZf0uSXqPxiiF2__BFpRCf8CoZrAJIcFBR2KQ1UJXFwhBHVgXb0SIBdDLyYarsuEBjzIbgOHo/s1600/orig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzBkAUT6T6PFZjJWh2e8e3dOyuv2FUl0t-huPE59gOBUI-pUqzuPkPjUclEvUhQn3BjhZf0uSXqPxiiF2__BFpRCf8CoZrAJIcFBR2KQ1UJXFwhBHVgXb0SIBdDLyYarsuEBjzIbgOHo/s320/orig.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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What if there was a brief intermediary phase, considered, but soon discarded? We've never encountered a Bill Shatner photograph that appears to be a <u>comb-over</u> before. But this is what we appear to have in another <i>Wong</i> publicity picture we came across (the date it was taken is not known by us). Something akin to "The Donald's" solution (we believe him when he says it's not a toup):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpHbTzccrEknhdf8MSyb_4ng7o7pYXGFcr0FAg6YDH89VhzXOj-WkqEMlunR4PWW3jlpSChAs9PiLd0ryKJy4lksTj0Dkh8_hMbn8DvfThb45g-9Z46Ium2GQ0xMl5cAEsMv4_jOkibE/s1600/how_to_make_donald_trump_hairdo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpHbTzccrEknhdf8MSyb_4ng7o7pYXGFcr0FAg6YDH89VhzXOj-WkqEMlunR4PWW3jlpSChAs9PiLd0ryKJy4lksTj0Dkh8_hMbn8DvfThb45g-9Z46Ium2GQ0xMl5cAEsMv4_jOkibE/s320/how_to_make_donald_trump_hairdo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Source:</i> <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1025610/A-step-step-guide-gravity-defying-Donald-Trump-combover.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a></div>
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Could it be that Bill Shatner briefly attempted this method too? Clever combing forward of long hair from the back?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI_MhOiu3fnG8ocuCl-SActh2Jl8h3cnaaYZt6OnQAo2_9mSDId__GnkxuHrVpWbuY7fGVzrmPMHCjNvPFxRiizD1OjsOZn8aNSzel8T1QbS9dDCqBicJpOq4Ew1jj4Kj0KFCp4twjpU/s1600/orig_b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI_MhOiu3fnG8ocuCl-SActh2Jl8h3cnaaYZt6OnQAo2_9mSDId__GnkxuHrVpWbuY7fGVzrmPMHCjNvPFxRiizD1OjsOZn8aNSzel8T1QbS9dDCqBicJpOq4Ew1jj4Kj0KFCp4twjpU/s320/orig_b.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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The hair just doesn't appear to be following a natural growth/combing pattern here. Rather, it appears to have been swept forward. The frontal hairline also appears to be showing signs of severe thinning. Perhaps the hair was squashed by a since-removed toup. Or perhaps it really is some sort of comb-over attempt. There do appear to be bald patches visible through the carefully placed strands in places rarely seen by the general public. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV7H34HbhXKWJ8TmfKCdMJ4B5bdA5B1XZxBEmNC_PgWxX9p2k_xO-bNF1NeIJdqqDNcFTFBV2s6qFWiqAI9BdrjMRcxGVuzngcWrD6mZB7JezjHWDJlkQj5TTkCtFi6l3O0a42ZhJqr8/s1600/orig_c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV7H34HbhXKWJ8TmfKCdMJ4B5bdA5B1XZxBEmNC_PgWxX9p2k_xO-bNF1NeIJdqqDNcFTFBV2s6qFWiqAI9BdrjMRcxGVuzngcWrD6mZB7JezjHWDJlkQj5TTkCtFi6l3O0a42ZhJqr8/s320/orig_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just when you start to think that all the toupological stones have been uncovered something like this comes along... </div>
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ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com88tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-24963211782784105612015-08-27T09:05:00.003+02:002015-08-27T19:40:39.580+02:00What a tangled web we weave...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPZG2AuT4JFK8XSmwrf-H4ifRu_cR28-HjnsiUFj4z1DkcqYfWWXUk-4hT4848kzr2Rf_a_RCZDm-hdm-goAd2-60CUjB0AoQLMfdU-cykLSAEgIfyB-E1XXFB8vEcRz5UtozzXiCn58/s1600/William-Shatner-600631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPZG2AuT4JFK8XSmwrf-H4ifRu_cR28-HjnsiUFj4z1DkcqYfWWXUk-4hT4848kzr2Rf_a_RCZDm-hdm-goAd2-60CUjB0AoQLMfdU-cykLSAEgIfyB-E1XXFB8vEcRz5UtozzXiCn58/s1600/William-Shatner-600631.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPZG2AuT4JFK8XSmwrf-H4ifRu_cR28-HjnsiUFj4z1DkcqYfWWXUk-4hT4848kzr2Rf_a_RCZDm-hdm-goAd2-60CUjB0AoQLMfdU-cykLSAEgIfyB-E1XXFB8vEcRz5UtozzXiCn58/s320/William-Shatner-600631.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPN2y18mLOrBHvIz3X_z26kpztZTIBeC6n0d_W7bnCIbQq74GS3d60QoujqrPJGUg6nniscroNgQUFfUVowm-5UWMBzBe8iWdP-7BKo7vb3-eqFg4GHl0BF5_pZDxoO9rGcOurr-TR5pM/s1600/free-photo-cactus-223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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Almost daily, the Mars exploration rover known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_rover" target="_blank"><i></i></a><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_rover" target="_blank">Curiosity</a></i> sends back <a href="http://curiosityrover.com/" target="_blank">pictures</a> and scientific data from the Red Planet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPN2y18mLOrBHvIz3X_z26kpztZTIBeC6n0d_W7bnCIbQq74GS3d60QoujqrPJGUg6nniscroNgQUFfUVowm-5UWMBzBe8iWdP-7BKo7vb3-eqFg4GHl0BF5_pZDxoO9rGcOurr-TR5pM/s1600/free-photo-cactus-223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MEv5eQzcyrr3altEUyZ5m4ZizZYweHYlot69o09fuxKn1HLbZE7-EY2YgPYbj9-2o8YcWncyGkshAEzdfNKw8p3zXVnOw0_EHuzHTqtrx-Uyd4NYRz5gowFDXV3kGE3J9G_7xEAqguw/s1600/Mars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MEv5eQzcyrr3altEUyZ5m4ZizZYweHYlot69o09fuxKn1HLbZE7-EY2YgPYbj9-2o8YcWncyGkshAEzdfNKw8p3zXVnOw0_EHuzHTqtrx-Uyd4NYRz5gowFDXV3kGE3J9G_7xEAqguw/s320/Mars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But imagine if one day, rather than yet another image resembling the above, the Rover sent back something like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPN2y18mLOrBHvIz3X_z26kpztZTIBeC6n0d_W7bnCIbQq74GS3d60QoujqrPJGUg6nniscroNgQUFfUVowm-5UWMBzBe8iWdP-7BKo7vb3-eqFg4GHl0BF5_pZDxoO9rGcOurr-TR5pM/s1600/free-photo-cactus-223.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPN2y18mLOrBHvIz3X_z26kpztZTIBeC6n0d_W7bnCIbQq74GS3d60QoujqrPJGUg6nniscroNgQUFfUVowm-5UWMBzBe8iWdP-7BKo7vb3-eqFg4GHl0BF5_pZDxoO9rGcOurr-TR5pM/s320/free-photo-cactus-223.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MEv5eQzcyrr3altEUyZ5m4ZizZYweHYlot69o09fuxKn1HLbZE7-EY2YgPYbj9-2o8YcWncyGkshAEzdfNKw8p3zXVnOw0_EHuzHTqtrx-Uyd4NYRz5gowFDXV3kGE3J9G_7xEAqguw/s1600/Mars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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It would be game over, right? You could pretty much forget about carbon isotopes and gas chromatographs and particle induced X-ray emissions, or the host of other complex experiments that seek out trace signatures of potential life-sustaining processes. Suddenly that would all be rendered meaningless. A minor detail. The big picture would be screaming out at humanity from across the Solar System. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53iTeBVex4ypY2zg2-T7Q2Ujb6rJNkMAbaTwKDvSZqw_FGKPnQfHtfADxDwsewsnYSLlCgaLdJ11QzZNSlnZN1coVMh9W2LyytkRZOg3gdOfsqnNAb5ifS-1E6dus493_QbObR9wk4OI/s1600/shat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53iTeBVex4ypY2zg2-T7Q2Ujb6rJNkMAbaTwKDvSZqw_FGKPnQfHtfADxDwsewsnYSLlCgaLdJ11QzZNSlnZN1coVMh9W2LyytkRZOg3gdOfsqnNAb5ifS-1E6dus493_QbObR9wk4OI/s320/shat.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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About a year ago, a reader alerted us to this 2009 publicity picture of Bill Shatner (credit: "www.imagemakr.com-copyright-20091"). It was an image that threatened to become a proverbial cactus on Mars. Sub-toupular particles were irrelevant. For this, even a touposcope would temporarily prove unnecessary (unbelievable though it seems - though, of course, still useful for closer examination). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gyyRH-eMrGkIqHEwHaf91zQC4tNfyM1VX0gr6DExh4Bs81br5fVcZ6S5Q0vY6NsMvYYJuruQROYQM0MAFELacHRTS5rFkT2AxVqxapwLNe_IySWdBPxhN6kXTA0CjGl8AiVcBtpXdXc/s1600/shat_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gyyRH-eMrGkIqHEwHaf91zQC4tNfyM1VX0gr6DExh4Bs81br5fVcZ6S5Q0vY6NsMvYYJuruQROYQM0MAFELacHRTS5rFkT2AxVqxapwLNe_IySWdBPxhN6kXTA0CjGl8AiVcBtpXdXc/s320/shat_02.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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All that was required was to zoom in, and observe with one's own eyes...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5DUBKoLzMAUAiGrjRYJlyhHEwGJwP3E9XDMKutk2M0MnqSnY8Jg2yg8_HlrMkZnFSEJjZWg5MpF_drSe33M3iYtjzpqrjl7lUIa4wZbxEfmSs2boD7UrNTPAf5pRoh_JeMZCemUXwLg/s1600/shat_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5DUBKoLzMAUAiGrjRYJlyhHEwGJwP3E9XDMKutk2M0MnqSnY8Jg2yg8_HlrMkZnFSEJjZWg5MpF_drSe33M3iYtjzpqrjl7lUIa4wZbxEfmSs2boD7UrNTPAf5pRoh_JeMZCemUXwLg/s320/shat_03.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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Closer...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QjUwPlUqRq3rwoJo_LtVM2pYNIh-dxKCPO4HxMEdcWSRlJGGc9C5PzDZLfcuJV1fw9gk73_HU6Z87ucYJuRnxxGPHZsVoBQs-kVFyMzXczcnso9XAV5a2S3LD6x5RCXcCdUv8GLy21M/s1600/shat_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QjUwPlUqRq3rwoJo_LtVM2pYNIh-dxKCPO4HxMEdcWSRlJGGc9C5PzDZLfcuJV1fw9gk73_HU6Z87ucYJuRnxxGPHZsVoBQs-kVFyMzXczcnso9XAV5a2S3LD6x5RCXcCdUv8GLy21M/s320/shat_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Upon examining this image, the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies decided upon an extremely rare step. It convened a full sitting of its Grand Toupular Assembly (GTA), attended by the heads of all 2,143 departments at our research facility.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rc47iGClE0OdjXyUWImovdovfKhetX3VvzCUt4hbKGysmk890YWFjwCCqL9vsNfgbX3lg37XNVl7hExCOE1eHJe5qsDmhlD6EYtwZXl7p76uDGiW3t7kWMSBezfiwRX5Ku6sjQlkJsE/s1600/WSSTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rc47iGClE0OdjXyUWImovdovfKhetX3VvzCUt4hbKGysmk890YWFjwCCqL9vsNfgbX3lg37XNVl7hExCOE1eHJe5qsDmhlD6EYtwZXl7p76uDGiW3t7kWMSBezfiwRX5Ku6sjQlkJsE/s320/WSSTS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The major find was announced: what appeared to be an extremely rare malfunction of the usually extremely reliable "Denny Katz" toupee.<br />
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After basic examinations were complete, our toupologists finally fired up their touposcopes: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQd0DI9pVhQQTk8Ncgf4mB83wEe4cTq9PwEp6abwkYFiyH_6cm-Kp71yngEPJx-S2AquuinjbbrLn9GvoxPXPtRNoSP-C1mMVklkxOclNSlnlyU5qzXDH3vN3d7mpzVwT2ODpRplAif64/s1600/shat_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQd0DI9pVhQQTk8Ncgf4mB83wEe4cTq9PwEp6abwkYFiyH_6cm-Kp71yngEPJx-S2AquuinjbbrLn9GvoxPXPtRNoSP-C1mMVklkxOclNSlnlyU5qzXDH3vN3d7mpzVwT2ODpRplAif64/s320/shat_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINwlpBp4Pg6k5OhqcxubRrGzc6EhiZ-KZY6zJlIe3pjx0sjgzUbu2Cyl6gvyvhLPLKPUPov7PgE9qxt6_PGeotAzpABCG-1rVvKmHiEm3FiVq9hXKZprn4Bjb82Y0wvvHIfGJ-WRJVls/s1600/shat_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINwlpBp4Pg6k5OhqcxubRrGzc6EhiZ-KZY6zJlIe3pjx0sjgzUbu2Cyl6gvyvhLPLKPUPov7PgE9qxt6_PGeotAzpABCG-1rVvKmHiEm3FiVq9hXKZprn4Bjb82Y0wvvHIfGJ-WRJVls/s320/shat_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Somehow, the Denny Katz toup had failed. A thinned-out patch had emerged revealing the base netting attached to the head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkq7HwbexWbVGtyE6BBI23JOu-F7pvaotzoQOqJFpEuG87E7pBh7H6gIIYT9HmsnzMh5CthJFRUXu-kJkvpdXTGtM4cvoBSvX_mDt9soEFizwuu-WEnYQgrtV9xGz9xpHXc3YiyQLk2I/s1600/shat_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkq7HwbexWbVGtyE6BBI23JOu-F7pvaotzoQOqJFpEuG87E7pBh7H6gIIYT9HmsnzMh5CthJFRUXu-kJkvpdXTGtM4cvoBSvX_mDt9soEFizwuu-WEnYQgrtV9xGz9xpHXc3YiyQLk2I/s320/shat_07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The pattern was unmistakable. A classic mesh. Oddly uniform for a toupee that prides itself on looking so natural.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi573rUfsMjhAhjz2E13Nz08fQQfkGZV0YNTY3_-sjBgdD9cFQge-mpvnlTMLttyFnNPh0ORMikl-SHTuvSEB3xF9BjKDa9iPRc_ocBiCy4pW5w2nksfVat1RSDz35R9b7HQhVZH2aIE34/s1600/shat_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi573rUfsMjhAhjz2E13Nz08fQQfkGZV0YNTY3_-sjBgdD9cFQge-mpvnlTMLttyFnNPh0ORMikl-SHTuvSEB3xF9BjKDa9iPRc_ocBiCy4pW5w2nksfVat1RSDz35R9b7HQhVZH2aIE34/s320/shat_08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Indeed, the toup also appeared to be moulting profusely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgrtor_zR5qiy65sExAXR4dLxwSylt63CpeTfSopo0QtvnfRjR31JSPgWB5SjTskJDbekb9UeskJsnSt-HIDvYJq3GjQnmcBZ-qss787vEs8SSb6gC3Qs1T20mxR3byhK5666hBv4Dz4/s1600/shat_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgrtor_zR5qiy65sExAXR4dLxwSylt63CpeTfSopo0QtvnfRjR31JSPgWB5SjTskJDbekb9UeskJsnSt-HIDvYJq3GjQnmcBZ-qss787vEs8SSb6gC3Qs1T20mxR3byhK5666hBv4Dz4/s320/shat_09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Was <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/11/toup-throat.html" target="_blank">Ed Katz</a> letting standards slip? Or was this a rare defective toup? Or had Bill Shatner simply kept the thing on for too long? Even odder is that this image is from the controlled environment of a publicity shoot - the place where you'd<i> least</i> expect a toup malfunction to find its way out. <br />
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But, then again, this <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/08/ouch.html" target="_blank">isn't the first time</a> that such a lapse has occurred:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vEw2mbI9_GOjTeN4caJ_KzIOyzM6yA_K7MiqdN4V-YzKozIJmmDqnOoDJcEMjuaf_2kQlQ-CezkXce2NSDGlEFXkC5McMqUJm8ZfVsDq_gsNsmntYu7ir8_Ebm1F-LALvz3SkaJndGw/s1600/ashesedenbackcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vEw2mbI9_GOjTeN4caJ_KzIOyzM6yA_K7MiqdN4V-YzKozIJmmDqnOoDJcEMjuaf_2kQlQ-CezkXce2NSDGlEFXkC5McMqUJm8ZfVsDq_gsNsmntYu7ir8_Ebm1F-LALvz3SkaJndGw/s320/ashesedenbackcover.jpg" width="204" /></a> </div>
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<i>Back cover of the 1995 Bill Shatner book </i>Ashes of Eden</div>
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How could a professionally created publicity photo feature a shirt littered with toup-particles (note the harsh cut edges on either side, unlike the more tapered look of natural hair), and even more shockingly a bare patch in the Denny Katz toup? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdyOaXSZM1FbF3W3cDrVGTaJPQzWh185hTeVyRVuPBhJgRhT_bXod_37RKNOBcGDmqC8jRKtVUgwVxTEOreIlV22aHDbDQiMrs-bfDI0RnwZNWhRZbN4tFXJ6QCPGEv138vX7qPOEEsw/s1600/shat_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdyOaXSZM1FbF3W3cDrVGTaJPQzWh185hTeVyRVuPBhJgRhT_bXod_37RKNOBcGDmqC8jRKtVUgwVxTEOreIlV22aHDbDQiMrs-bfDI0RnwZNWhRZbN4tFXJ6QCPGEv138vX7qPOEEsw/s320/shat_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Toup-particle on shirt.</i></div>
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Perhaps even more curious is that this publicity image is still being used to this day - for example to publicize the upcoming January 2017 <a href="http://startrekthecruise.com/" target="_blank">Star Trek Cruise</a>, at which Bill Shatner is the star guest:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2VSl7USYPiKiFyWZYzwq3IakvpoA8dwOQHcQ0b452t-aKwysdrQCG3fzlEH0FMCAIGly902DVvPfIxJ4_eRnGQ4D_PGfJkLFhZvEhR6uBMA5UlT_bHctzr5H2SVKNynKyDvlJV9awVM/s1600/trek+cruise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2VSl7USYPiKiFyWZYzwq3IakvpoA8dwOQHcQ0b452t-aKwysdrQCG3fzlEH0FMCAIGly902DVvPfIxJ4_eRnGQ4D_PGfJkLFhZvEhR6uBMA5UlT_bHctzr5H2SVKNynKyDvlJV9awVM/s320/trek+cruise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course, from a distance the picture can actually look quite natural - imperfections such as the visibility of the scalp and lack of follicular uniformity serving to make the toupee look more realistic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gyyRH-eMrGkIqHEwHaf91zQC4tNfyM1VX0gr6DExh4Bs81br5fVcZ6S5Q0vY6NsMvYYJuruQROYQM0MAFELacHRTS5rFkT2AxVqxapwLNe_IySWdBPxhN6kXTA0CjGl8AiVcBtpXdXc/s1600/shat_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gyyRH-eMrGkIqHEwHaf91zQC4tNfyM1VX0gr6DExh4Bs81br5fVcZ6S5Q0vY6NsMvYYJuruQROYQM0MAFELacHRTS5rFkT2AxVqxapwLNe_IySWdBPxhN6kXTA0CjGl8AiVcBtpXdXc/s200/shat_02.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
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But up close - yikes!!!<br />
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BONUS UPDATE:</div>
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A reader sent in some up-close pics they managed to take of the lifts inside Bill Shatner's costume from <i>Star Trek: The Motion Picture. </i>On a related note, the book<i> Return to Tomorrow: The Filming of Star Trek: The Motion Picture </i>is available for <a href="http://creaturefeatures.com/shop/books/returntotomorrow/" target="_blank">purchase here</a>. We're happy to give it a plug...</div>
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ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-38345089313995622922015-07-12T08:42:00.000+02:002015-07-14T15:03:19.334+02:00Who is Number One?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTIhoLT_QGaawpOQu4Ob3Anr8K9BDoWaWfsS5JfMXMc2nCrmE4Cm4fr3DlXbKI_XIalg0ZMPtFHaT3PFDMhk96DVxrlGxcaRLnLFf3QFD5O9KAyxwQUEFhHUuyOtdQHF7zVo0_LvTMd4/s1600/fallOut.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTIhoLT_QGaawpOQu4Ob3Anr8K9BDoWaWfsS5JfMXMc2nCrmE4Cm4fr3DlXbKI_XIalg0ZMPtFHaT3PFDMhk96DVxrlGxcaRLnLFf3QFD5O9KAyxwQUEFhHUuyOtdQHF7zVo0_LvTMd4/s320/fallOut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What happens when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_%281970_film%29" target="_blank"><i>Airport</i></a> (1970) becomes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane!" target="_blank"><i>Airplane!</i></a> (1980)? When <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Stavro_Blofeld" target="_blank">Blofeld </a>becomes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Evil" target="_blank">Dr. Evil</a>, and James Bond becomes Austin Powers?<br />
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Where do you go <i>after</i> deconstruction? Is there a way back?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTBaQU-iDDNltFnhqUiJHNMrEBE_4lctWmg1bjLhDSxbPfAsOQQnxhuIIcm1lZuSCARMWHeLfGW_FSEGa-o1DHDNcU8XoFRAe2DWpveXiFi9b2mkYwx7a-D-n4uE1KdKpXcCSedpbxvk/s1600/blofeld_drevil.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTBaQU-iDDNltFnhqUiJHNMrEBE_4lctWmg1bjLhDSxbPfAsOQQnxhuIIcm1lZuSCARMWHeLfGW_FSEGa-o1DHDNcU8XoFRAe2DWpveXiFi9b2mkYwx7a-D-n4uE1KdKpXcCSedpbxvk/s320/blofeld_drevil.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTIhoLT_QGaawpOQu4Ob3Anr8K9BDoWaWfsS5JfMXMc2nCrmE4Cm4fr3DlXbKI_XIalg0ZMPtFHaT3PFDMhk96DVxrlGxcaRLnLFf3QFD5O9KAyxwQUEFhHUuyOtdQHF7zVo0_LvTMd4/s1600/fallOut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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In the very last episode of the iconic 1960s TV series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner" target="_blank"><i>The Prisoner</i></a>, "<a href="http://www.the-prisoner-6.freeserve.co.uk/episode_seventeen.htm" target="_blank">Fall Out</a>", Number Six earns the right to be an individual. For he has so incessantly and relentlessly resisted all the efforts to have him settle into the Village, that the powers-that-be are left with no choice: have the chair yourself. You win...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisOk2W3-p-SWKoXg0UqvU70NCjEk9jztumfIjJ3Iat9xK4C-jKvVNY7x8rVM2j2yF_6yH7mB12d3WrYP-8kAnXW6azCDiVk4E2_wPVMbA63kg1YFSb74UosRmzdHtaJGIi6gy7P_JVA4/s1600/fallOut2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisOk2W3-p-SWKoXg0UqvU70NCjEk9jztumfIjJ3Iat9xK4C-jKvVNY7x8rVM2j2yF_6yH7mB12d3WrYP-8kAnXW6azCDiVk4E2_wPVMbA63kg1YFSb74UosRmzdHtaJGIi6gy7P_JVA4/s320/fallOut2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Only Bill Shatner has the privilege of seeing his unmasked bald self...</i></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Havel" target="_blank">Václav Havel</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela" target="_blank">Nelson Mandela</a>. William Shatner?<br />
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Post deconstruction. Post parody... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQMhR_qMgsiN_qXOMLUoLqvIslPCuElLmFEN6bu04Ww4wf-GVfD4ldXu5xYQywZkwquq1WYLA8VROayVsNT99t5waAQFAvS65ZATjfCotaYhyCgMb35_rDOiOF4k0KlFZrkn101kBhUs/s1600/image2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQMhR_qMgsiN_qXOMLUoLqvIslPCuElLmFEN6bu04Ww4wf-GVfD4ldXu5xYQywZkwquq1WYLA8VROayVsNT99t5waAQFAvS65ZATjfCotaYhyCgMb35_rDOiOF4k0KlFZrkn101kBhUs/s320/image2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>William Shatner in a <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/07/old-meets-new.html">1976 appearance</a> in the game show</i> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storybook_Squares">Storybook Squares</a> <i>(thanks to a reader for the tip).</i></div>
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A return to the now impervious original...<br />
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There's no two ways about it anymore, William Shatner has earned the right to say whatever he wants about his hair, their hair, your hair. Anyone's hair. And he has earned the right, after years of uncompromising battles, to have us believe his hair is real, too. It really is "<a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/william-shatner-world-broadway-review-292005" target="_blank">Shatner's World: We Just Live in It</a>"...<br />
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Witness two recent example of this Brave New World:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJQ3MCvsJ7FfX_YAdwrVwNL-YUQgZXama5-dEaC0LCcjHkAlqioSB8kYud8uCqgk4YOXcxsH-zMnk6BDLkQDFgfJC-p5yBekGDgRfzoK_RhmtEYfioYFugg-luMuburs_mEBqdY3SRa8/s1600/554d497bb80bcc99383a0b13_william-shatner-wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJQ3MCvsJ7FfX_YAdwrVwNL-YUQgZXama5-dEaC0LCcjHkAlqioSB8kYud8uCqgk4YOXcxsH-zMnk6BDLkQDFgfJC-p5yBekGDgRfzoK_RhmtEYfioYFugg-luMuburs_mEBqdY3SRa8/s320/554d497bb80bcc99383a0b13_william-shatner-wine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/05/william-shatner-brown-bag-wine-tasting-interview" target="_blank">A May interview</a> with <i>Vanity Fair</i> to promote Bill Shatner's new TV series <a href="http://www.ora.tv/brownbagwinetasting" target="_blank"><i>William Shatner's Brown Bag Wine Tasting</i></a>.<br />
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<i>(Interviewer) Jessica Pilot: I love wine. I only really drink white wine.<br /><br />William Shatner: There you are. So, if you like the wine and we engage in a conversation about the wine, <b>we ease our way into why your hair is as beautiful and long as it is; and let’s talk about your hair as well as the wine</b></i><i>. <b>And now we’re into something personal and hopefully get some human information about you that you and everybody else doesn’t know about. </b></i>[emphasis ours]</div>
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<i>Jessica Pilot: </i><i><i>I wanted to ask you about comedy. Are you interested in it?</i></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlJnqldCd6QSUWhcX9JCa2BgonLftVPwmo5nJ6LIYUaHDkczNCGQVmp3USfPI2HwXDEAA58BwPWwF9TNcDXMna7es1sXoKi0Y1uUrkzgNIkvXQmRh9xyIavq7HgvOQx76Uwk79VzcJ0I/s1600/Jessica_Pilot5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlJnqldCd6QSUWhcX9JCa2BgonLftVPwmo5nJ6LIYUaHDkczNCGQVmp3USfPI2HwXDEAA58BwPWwF9TNcDXMna7es1sXoKi0Y1uUrkzgNIkvXQmRh9xyIavq7HgvOQx76Uwk79VzcJ0I/s320/Jessica_Pilot5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><i>Jessica Pilot</i></i></div>
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Pilot knows. Bill Shatner knows. We know. For he can "ease" his way into talking about someone else's hair all he likes. He can "hopefully get some human information about you that you and everybody else doesn’t know about<i>". </i>Those are the rules. All we can do in return is: "ask you about comedy". That's what happens when you've finally won. </div>
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Need more proof?</div>
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<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/william-shatner-treks-back-in-time-to-play-mark-twain-on-murdoch-mysteries-1.3090732">News came out at the end</a> of May that William Shatner would be playing writer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain" target="_blank">Mark Twain</a> in an episode of Canadian detective series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murdoch_Mysteries" target="_blank"><i>Murdoch Mysteries</i></a>. Mark Twain!</div>
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This Mark Twain:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgci5pRHZLLoU9-fXOcq3fCdCfkKz_VNf93lV-BILd_QV3c-QEPhdYfN1c9YeBXDivzPcHWuDAgy5j8iu1s1XXMZl_kjWd3pFrOVAjeaW6BAMC0kE3d6YdA81zSta0wC-bbXcnwDrKD3dU/s1600/Mark-Twain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgci5pRHZLLoU9-fXOcq3fCdCfkKz_VNf93lV-BILd_QV3c-QEPhdYfN1c9YeBXDivzPcHWuDAgy5j8iu1s1XXMZl_kjWd3pFrOVAjeaW6BAMC0kE3d6YdA81zSta0wC-bbXcnwDrKD3dU/s320/Mark-Twain.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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In on-screen versions, he can be made to look pretty much like the real thing, as in an exceptional performance by actor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Hardin" target="_blank">Jerry Hardin</a> in <a href="http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Time%27s_Arrow_%28episode%29" target="_blank">two episodes</a> of <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZbSY1-TA79WKYmSKxLx0Z65yLxNUHfpfilsY2EQPL2Bcbjyl0kdpSfKhqZTebVj4YMxZK9103P2YZ4TWAiiaV8Fs2CxB21dyH0Bm9JfvPdV86mLNx2puGUvTi57yCv0mMfXkYe17Agg/s1600/times-arrow-part-ii-hd-055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZbSY1-TA79WKYmSKxLx0Z65yLxNUHfpfilsY2EQPL2Bcbjyl0kdpSfKhqZTebVj4YMxZK9103P2YZ4TWAiiaV8Fs2CxB21dyH0Bm9JfvPdV86mLNx2puGUvTi57yCv0mMfXkYe17Agg/s320/times-arrow-part-ii-hd-055.jpg" width="320" /></a><i> </i></div>
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<i>Image via <a href="http://tng.trekcore.com/hd/">Trekcore.com</a></i></div>
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But Bill Shatner - because he can - won't be removing his "Denny Katz" toup for anyone:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1_Iy0UTT3Bjo7EqO8lBv5smjF7t_hdFzFKWtRlUpQMYIy0KhSkOtdC4vEjQ9Vmv42estQjqOchwyhW875QYcx3kulm2Cdd_qO71mQ3R-Oi_WdDJPnZuznrk-2L7coU7EyVtA3FDQdAg/s1600/william-shatner-and-yannick-bisson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1_Iy0UTT3Bjo7EqO8lBv5smjF7t_hdFzFKWtRlUpQMYIy0KhSkOtdC4vEjQ9Vmv42estQjqOchwyhW875QYcx3kulm2Cdd_qO71mQ3R-Oi_WdDJPnZuznrk-2L7coU7EyVtA3FDQdAg/s320/william-shatner-and-yannick-bisson.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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And he can even mention that fact to <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/william-shatner-treks-back-in-time-to-play-mark-twain-on-murdoch-mysteries-1.3090732">CBC reporters</a>:<br />
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"Twain was tall and slim with white hair, at least when he got older, so I am playing my version of it."<br />
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What else can we do but offer a Jessica Pilot-style non-follow-up akin to: "I wanted to ask you about comedy. Are you interested in it?"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUds-r3Gshr3Tol_9jB5j-5czrNDnZAM1fnWIVdu0od0zCAdO4SIRtOz5sVRI5y6S7Af9ptFoq0ZyKl75xsyArPlo6k7ijP6n2jsD66y8uTZI0uQCLWAEgtpq15W_32LYvoQkCg9XnDbs/s1600/shatnermuyrch1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUds-r3Gshr3Tol_9jB5j-5czrNDnZAM1fnWIVdu0od0zCAdO4SIRtOz5sVRI5y6S7Af9ptFoq0ZyKl75xsyArPlo6k7ijP6n2jsD66y8uTZI0uQCLWAEgtpq15W_32LYvoQkCg9XnDbs/s320/shatnermuyrch1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQOeOp-vnk8ZQOAHySB4WlYFvmfZRVyZso0SpeMvKi-M9IG3dWZd7scR-2jLwIGop2xcVgWvmKFAQ1SuR1EGWBO_C7ksY-t2tbui6r4B1gYO-IJbofibYR_TdB048h8t96VyWJn7VLuo/s1600/muchhhh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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After almost 60 years of toupee-wearing, the 84-year-old has elevated himself and his toupee-wearing beyond parody, beyond deconstruction. And the mystery of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_mcgoohan">Patrick McGoohan</a>'s controversial, surreal ending to his iconic TV show may at last be solved...<br />
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<i>Did Patrick McGoohan predict that Bill Shatner's toupee would survive "intact and secure"</i></div>
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To quote the character of The President in the final episode of <i>The Prisoner</i>:<br />
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<i>"He has revolted. Resisted. Fought. Held fast. Maintained. Destroyed
resistance. Overcome coercion. The right to be a Person, Someone, or
Individual. We applaud his private war and concede that despite
materialistic efforts he has survived intact and secure. All that
remains is recognition of a Man."</i><br />
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UPDATE:</div>
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We wanted to remind our readers that on Tuesday, July 14, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_horizons">New Horizons</a> probe will be flying its closest approach past the dwarf planet Pluto, yielding some amazing photographs. Of the old Solar System count of nine planets, this is the <i>last one</i> we have yet to photograph up close. So it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6pH6nN9ZJ9hvHvonJMd_cIJVgHHIkHJiKtTilYZmmShcIqi_MTnmFAzVvsC-tEjEZhVlLRENEyUGyCHAL0aw2gHxlep89dUAHQoSUfIw42ZfCwTN-71RM8GroiQQIDnSdynFRqGHrOE/s1600/pluto-hubble-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6pH6nN9ZJ9hvHvonJMd_cIJVgHHIkHJiKtTilYZmmShcIqi_MTnmFAzVvsC-tEjEZhVlLRENEyUGyCHAL0aw2gHxlep89dUAHQoSUfIw42ZfCwTN-71RM8GroiQQIDnSdynFRqGHrOE/s200/pluto-hubble-01.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i> This Hubble image was the best we had...</i></div>
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Naturally, given our huge experience of studying images of William Shatner's scalp for
potential bald spots, lace lines and other phenomena, the WSSTS has been
working very, very closely with the New Horizons team since the start
of the project, including adapting our ultra-powerful touposcopes for
use in outer space. </div>
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More here: <a href="http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/index.php">http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/index.php</a></div>
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<i>Plutoup? A never-before-seen surface!</i></div>
ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-25414796063645982772015-04-25T09:10:00.002+02:002015-04-25T14:24:24.844+02:00Toupological roundup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9RPLlH3xjSItUOi3Ru-2JgWXRCm5qwGIKfaNLiSZXWSLgbHJRU-dHdjr9wChxAT_WkQ7o152ACWwmDyrCmk1oEwCErVe1XJB5sbIekoJgsA4hvgJMRsS91yCmvEbhejA_bDSvBod4Io/s1600/shatrevolver.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9RPLlH3xjSItUOi3Ru-2JgWXRCm5qwGIKfaNLiSZXWSLgbHJRU-dHdjr9wChxAT_WkQ7o152ACWwmDyrCmk1oEwCErVe1XJB5sbIekoJgsA4hvgJMRsS91yCmvEbhejA_bDSvBod4Io/s1600/shatrevolver.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></div>
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We're absolutely drowning in toupees at the moment - with many great tips provided by our valued readers - so we thought the best thing to do was to publish a bumper roundup and clear the decks.<br />
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There's a <a href="http://omeka.stedwards.edu/files/fullsize/e38da68047d958515f6a315b2261001b.jpg" target="_blank">70s era pic</a> apparently from 1972:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA-ykRYoWk6PrgFhJuaTMqixC5XLGqRMVpdhLYk-Moh2Y60zAGemZpbqDiZ0TWxLimV2274czfR6TXH3DJDKQRvUdieNUu79hDiFklmHNNaKrIa1CQ6O9m4Lt5fU1K5UneUftX588xwk/s1600/e38da68047d958515f6a315b2261001b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA-ykRYoWk6PrgFhJuaTMqixC5XLGqRMVpdhLYk-Moh2Y60zAGemZpbqDiZ0TWxLimV2274czfR6TXH3DJDKQRvUdieNUu79hDiFklmHNNaKrIa1CQ6O9m4Lt5fU1K5UneUftX588xwk/s1600/e38da68047d958515f6a315b2261001b.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once again Bill Shatner stakes a claim to be the true fifth Beatle. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89zgAfBv1PzOJXp0Sxq7S5dTh4gZ20kFtuFsZKkXwM4TiXeWSdfNr3dodYdUz07gLHO9joG2AOKoOwoIuUz8zEXF-P5eotZX7aw7hf4unTp9rlWkapeaSRN-0e7f7z2lZqOLkb7_EmkY/s1600/Revolver.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89zgAfBv1PzOJXp0Sxq7S5dTh4gZ20kFtuFsZKkXwM4TiXeWSdfNr3dodYdUz07gLHO9joG2AOKoOwoIuUz8zEXF-P5eotZX7aw7hf4unTp9rlWkapeaSRN-0e7f7z2lZqOLkb7_EmkY/s1600/Revolver.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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A striking style, but we'd say not necessarily the worst of 70s toupological excesses. <br />
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Then we have a gallery of characters from Bill Shatner's short-lived "master of disguise" series <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Coast_%28TV_series%29" target="_blank"><i>Barbary Coast</i></a> via Getty Images. <br />
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Thie first, rather rarely from the 1970s, employs the "lace front" forehead attachment method we know and love from the "Jim Kirk lace": <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBJBtcLrZA1XifBarcyG2vjcW4RpmttMjJc5kPX5q4eMBRV-mx_A4kBnNFB5MPTOH6mASvnyUbvI68kPBLvq-EL761E7DN8M9EfJ6QxvX3ST1LHv6XUZT7j3B7gQ_BSYDNFA9wf-xCvI/s1600/463577170.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBJBtcLrZA1XifBarcyG2vjcW4RpmttMjJc5kPX5q4eMBRV-mx_A4kBnNFB5MPTOH6mASvnyUbvI68kPBLvq-EL761E7DN8M9EfJ6QxvX3ST1LHv6XUZT7j3B7gQ_BSYDNFA9wf-xCvI/s1600/463577170.jpg" height="320" width="217" /></a></div>
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After that, things just get plain silly... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_08RyW1xE49LEtEMKJAOVCbcoPhjxktpn_mMcF3YyM8ISqZhiyumN_jfB7Qyh_IquDzEkLzQFJvHaKOz1vP42Ojsy2-VlL8oyUmyoQcKSaS8DnF4Xscylj4e6i0i9DQsFjiBFaFgUJY/s1600/463577248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_08RyW1xE49LEtEMKJAOVCbcoPhjxktpn_mMcF3YyM8ISqZhiyumN_jfB7Qyh_IquDzEkLzQFJvHaKOz1vP42Ojsy2-VlL8oyUmyoQcKSaS8DnF4Xscylj4e6i0i9DQsFjiBFaFgUJY/s1600/463577248.jpg" height="225" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBS4Ru9dEHcwIbARW7NVTH7g11ZAZmlrlWL3JoMgcK4BNIAE3n0WYOPg3w8eRf7GfS4GZoS1xdaSEv0eom86VoFxsM8m96a8JWn32sW4UNVrP-gSj8AQEMxyGZ2qZmkvwyeQX7qG_lxCc/s1600/463577312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBS4Ru9dEHcwIbARW7NVTH7g11ZAZmlrlWL3JoMgcK4BNIAE3n0WYOPg3w8eRf7GfS4GZoS1xdaSEv0eom86VoFxsM8m96a8JWn32sW4UNVrP-gSj8AQEMxyGZ2qZmkvwyeQX7qG_lxCc/s1600/463577312.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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We've also had much talk about BIll Shatner possibly finally saying "what the hell" - or "sod it" in British parlance - with regards to keeping his toup in prime form. Why not, right? At age 84, the actor has become a global icon, Twitter fanatic (seriously!), and can get away with pretty much anything (even weird - but typically bold - <a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-shatner-boldly-goes-after-water-20150423-story.html" target="_blank">irrigation ideas</a>)...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1swj5aqLf2d4240CL67Wlf6wtspQoCBT_dSF5MegZCLJcEsfyO84XlfdFnmnWlP9n70ywCApMFbY9fgUVeeNMSMS9iruLBlyx0zBHQ9QzZKUAzd05pp9HsMrmiFHmhDvAvn-zg0lrwg/s1600/CAj3LiEUwAAEO5B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1swj5aqLf2d4240CL67Wlf6wtspQoCBT_dSF5MegZCLJcEsfyO84XlfdFnmnWlP9n70ywCApMFbY9fgUVeeNMSMS9iruLBlyx0zBHQ9QzZKUAzd05pp9HsMrmiFHmhDvAvn-zg0lrwg/s1600/CAj3LiEUwAAEO5B.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg6ozqRegR2jgS1PW37QlBqKohi7mLHrntXXESylYbolRl-DTIe2wWgxyVHn2Gb8uXmBRI5OCEZWYaJhmrRbRUPOA4ZjhA3kf0rmxlothvaQptHkfaB-_1RFqJ-OQpNf3Mf4rj-4MxG8/s1600/shatcu2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg6ozqRegR2jgS1PW37QlBqKohi7mLHrntXXESylYbolRl-DTIe2wWgxyVHn2Gb8uXmBRI5OCEZWYaJhmrRbRUPOA4ZjhA3kf0rmxlothvaQptHkfaB-_1RFqJ-OQpNf3Mf4rj-4MxG8/s1600/shatcu2.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA-ykRYoWk6PrgFhJuaTMqixC5XLGqRMVpdhLYk-Moh2Y60zAGemZpbqDiZ0TWxLimV2274czfR6TXH3DJDKQRvUdieNUu79hDiFklmHNNaKrIa1CQ6O9m4Lt5fU1K5UneUftX588xwk/s1600/e38da68047d958515f6a315b2261001b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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If there's just a little less time for the toup, so be it... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkSzCAxZIVQUCJoa3MeOWsHukZtKyyqSD_4_yV-dNbwMiMV5A3r9rDusNu9gxdKFOoUjQpe8p-qSpVdbmH-8A89bUWNvi9CPzSZdeI_q0uOaBcTbHPruM0axc66j5SACsIIiRieeh110/s1600/seattle_toupee4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkSzCAxZIVQUCJoa3MeOWsHukZtKyyqSD_4_yV-dNbwMiMV5A3r9rDusNu9gxdKFOoUjQpe8p-qSpVdbmH-8A89bUWNvi9CPzSZdeI_q0uOaBcTbHPruM0axc66j5SACsIIiRieeh110/s1600/seattle_toupee4.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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But let's at least agree...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_0udERrfPEYt8bAnbpHK4nYN15KcYjY1pRpNlsdT6RCQzgYby4Ll6tJys-7Xi3vWy8fkB1DaiJanbR5C18Lvl-qhj2i_buEOmPkzV0gATqua7R7yV2dmcKY4PpY5uTJV4B1IGdhvPNY/s1600/shatcu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_0udERrfPEYt8bAnbpHK4nYN15KcYjY1pRpNlsdT6RCQzgYby4Ll6tJys-7Xi3vWy8fkB1DaiJanbR5C18Lvl-qhj2i_buEOmPkzV0gATqua7R7yV2dmcKY4PpY5uTJV4B1IGdhvPNY/s1600/shatcu.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></div>
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...that we don't want matters to get too out of hand. After all, we know from our pets that quality of fur is a strong indicator of all-round health. So routine is important...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8LYv0JZd1U4E2eRXqqcSooI586t9g4tXpIo_jPJTOoL5S6_duIO4jSICiS6WwEbwjr45AST5iI-Vm-KOHFEerl65dRL0QWQ1M1DMxhj-w-46JFgQhivIRcVu-3BxE8eHTde3i3G2lxk/s1600/catgrooming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8LYv0JZd1U4E2eRXqqcSooI586t9g4tXpIo_jPJTOoL5S6_duIO4jSICiS6WwEbwjr45AST5iI-Vm-KOHFEerl65dRL0QWQ1M1DMxhj-w-46JFgQhivIRcVu-3BxE8eHTde3i3G2lxk/s1600/catgrooming.jpg" height="316" width="320" /></a></div>
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As a celebrity, Bill Shatner remains in the glare of the limelight...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5zFxIHAXgm9goc6pDb71JGVFZKxFX2YD3ChTrbUKkwM7dRalCq5zwV3YjNPfJtXPfAoViu4yt2ZKXTVAJdeRv2rOTdBbTUQ2tCJ4inzN4f-v3-Y1csOyS0lQ41G0DyDaahTlJ-W5Bw4/s1600/Shatner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5zFxIHAXgm9goc6pDb71JGVFZKxFX2YD3ChTrbUKkwM7dRalCq5zwV3YjNPfJtXPfAoViu4yt2ZKXTVAJdeRv2rOTdBbTUQ2tCJ4inzN4f-v3-Y1csOyS0lQ41G0DyDaahTlJ-W5Bw4/s1600/Shatner.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyone know what this is from? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg359_KWRTEOymlSEmEGvgtsvUJUBhXbPEb606DG3xuA3wML4pexVbONImxSranCOU6h7OcNF6RTB1eB45tSjxYg5eTKUB5Sff4Ll3TjwiYeLHCBZbJc62rEVbq6xkgnIRrawxR5lakPJY/s1600/Shatcu4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg359_KWRTEOymlSEmEGvgtsvUJUBhXbPEb606DG3xuA3wML4pexVbONImxSranCOU6h7OcNF6RTB1eB45tSjxYg5eTKUB5Sff4Ll3TjwiYeLHCBZbJc62rEVbq6xkgnIRrawxR5lakPJY/s1600/Shatcu4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg359_KWRTEOymlSEmEGvgtsvUJUBhXbPEb606DG3xuA3wML4pexVbONImxSranCOU6h7OcNF6RTB1eB45tSjxYg5eTKUB5Sff4Ll3TjwiYeLHCBZbJc62rEVbq6xkgnIRrawxR5lakPJY/s1600/Shatcu4.jpg" height="320" width="310" /></a></div>
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For more on how spectroscopy can be used to determine chemical properties see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectroscopy" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Now let's go back to 1979s <i>Star Trek: The Motion Picture</i>...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdhxYGPeuIHgb5VsYKkSxkI600wWFkKGfnOEMnfMK9iB1yj-w9upV8GjKfHwW2F3knfQ8r1XT40YEKS10ZFQUV7Z0ue0KuAiJzatdDjLut0dLAVWJypMQdGlBbtBMCn4LvrDUhpbMej4/s1600/sttmp_hts_w_eastwood.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdhxYGPeuIHgb5VsYKkSxkI600wWFkKGfnOEMnfMK9iB1yj-w9upV8GjKfHwW2F3knfQ8r1XT40YEKS10ZFQUV7Z0ue0KuAiJzatdDjLut0dLAVWJypMQdGlBbtBMCn4LvrDUhpbMej4/s1600/sttmp_hts_w_eastwood.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
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And an image via the good folks at <a href="http://mystartrekscrapbook.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My Star Trek Scrapbook</a>. Clint Eastwood visiting the set with his family. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRsdnYjexRf2osrj5tDWpYzaRu7oV3ymyaSqYYuCC5CYAFOYDAA2NnZ0p9nuZ1RfXtDuHEMVVKwLNbOOtXY1fDXImRr3aO-FZh63fyuOF5Fn7mtA-7LJ5wTTEW4gr4IN75CConUbuaxc/s1600/shatcu3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRsdnYjexRf2osrj5tDWpYzaRu7oV3ymyaSqYYuCC5CYAFOYDAA2NnZ0p9nuZ1RfXtDuHEMVVKwLNbOOtXY1fDXImRr3aO-FZh63fyuOF5Fn7mtA-7LJ5wTTEW4gr4IN75CConUbuaxc/s1600/shatcu3.jpg" height="200" width="152" /></a></div>
<br />
But why is Bill Shatner apparently not wearing his "TJ Curly"? Was there still a personal-use toup at this point, which differed from the "public appearance toup"? Does this picture show a coveted patch? Astronomers study Hubble Telescope images for amazing pictures like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmLSIsCAWQfBgrGAALUyhIz6_7ovyU-YE6Xw_Bdx4nh7QbhRs2h3esCG0kVqgkW5_Uk4koWkQcEf8Pv4L2-4zG-UAbWqHaLX_dCVtD0EVt2F_P8kwcqEV-lT87VAuoCiRWXlP6v9PAww/s1600/NGC_2818_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmLSIsCAWQfBgrGAALUyhIz6_7ovyU-YE6Xw_Bdx4nh7QbhRs2h3esCG0kVqgkW5_Uk4koWkQcEf8Pv4L2-4zG-UAbWqHaLX_dCVtD0EVt2F_P8kwcqEV-lT87VAuoCiRWXlP6v9PAww/s1600/NGC_2818_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Ever wondered how the staff at the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies reacts when they appear to stumble upon something?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTVGlzuQOMh28lEoen_TE2x5_liQi3YHW3ZTGTGzkLhTGuevaIHZt202QAr7_u2qt0yyI2pkKWfUHpcz0g9kaCRqOZXCc8rWUV9rh6kB0MbF1X53HIOt-Lxd3SqbBoBb63_drf6HV3Ew/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTVGlzuQOMh28lEoen_TE2x5_liQi3YHW3ZTGTGzkLhTGuevaIHZt202QAr7_u2qt0yyI2pkKWfUHpcz0g9kaCRqOZXCc8rWUV9rh6kB0MbF1X53HIOt-Lxd3SqbBoBb63_drf6HV3Ew/s1600/26.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Even if to the untrained eye, the contours may appear less-than-clear...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsOfnudb_3QBfUHaz0vM4yRip019w9dHHYm3XTmkSFqNcDyhReWmmK8OIiK1FDA8Ve9_wx7BVPTjfRwmGuJqlqtzqqnX3EAWXpk809k85na6n-q8ZDepMeVo_XluLrHBL8ZPtioJUFJk/s1600/Shatpatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsOfnudb_3QBfUHaz0vM4yRip019w9dHHYm3XTmkSFqNcDyhReWmmK8OIiK1FDA8Ve9_wx7BVPTjfRwmGuJqlqtzqqnX3EAWXpk809k85na6n-q8ZDepMeVo_XluLrHBL8ZPtioJUFJk/s1600/Shatpatch.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our staff cherish and celebrate each potential find...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmx5m026doY2kBKAwKrFa2qTaUrXqpsVHrUYovI46OT9bKFu2eO_2cVv1oagcpSaQQ5xTGKE5QeDPVpLQZeaoKVYhXR9j2gydqcUGFbdcSOKqh9vDIKHFghhBgatuau_1yzkvkx_tat1s/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmx5m026doY2kBKAwKrFa2qTaUrXqpsVHrUYovI46OT9bKFu2eO_2cVv1oagcpSaQQ5xTGKE5QeDPVpLQZeaoKVYhXR9j2gydqcUGFbdcSOKqh9vDIKHFghhBgatuau_1yzkvkx_tat1s/s1600/28.jpg" height="206" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is often much to squeeze into our busy schedules...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hllsP54IUH24sWPKbA_olOnn-NXGsxq7iNWxi6n5LIoHYWgFV8hEk-BwDV0XjfBRI_iDRYV07f5A8M1r1noqkyE09R4U4d0DQMna9qFzJOcKTbQ6tW6fcA49kJ12VzXfgGZzJ_jET70/s1600/i_love_technology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hllsP54IUH24sWPKbA_olOnn-NXGsxq7iNWxi6n5LIoHYWgFV8hEk-BwDV0XjfBRI_iDRYV07f5A8M1r1noqkyE09R4U4d0DQMna9qFzJOcKTbQ6tW6fcA49kJ12VzXfgGZzJ_jET70/s1600/i_love_technology.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></div>
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Occasionally, that can lead to pressure...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZqUVrWrWFcpwNgsGMOot5_uqassmGoHtWJIXNxIUmbBBos3vf3vU15m41AnfboaOklse_XyZzlMT9-frnZ3IBWTWtEhkK-wu1RLO6Ox6j8mtXI6ZNyEiXv3uQ7GR-08Zi4m4T0tmkHg/s1600/bug-out-bob-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZqUVrWrWFcpwNgsGMOot5_uqassmGoHtWJIXNxIUmbBBos3vf3vU15m41AnfboaOklse_XyZzlMT9-frnZ3IBWTWtEhkK-wu1RLO6Ox6j8mtXI6ZNyEiXv3uQ7GR-08Zi4m4T0tmkHg/s1600/bug-out-bob-3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg6ozqRegR2jgS1PW37QlBqKohi7mLHrntXXESylYbolRl-DTIe2wWgxyVHn2Gb8uXmBRI5OCEZWYaJhmrRbRUPOA4ZjhA3kf0rmxlothvaQptHkfaB-_1RFqJ-OQpNf3Mf4rj-4MxG8/s1600/shatcu2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
And even some tension and fraying around the edges...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTO3D5dF77KisEqx6iiVqdsmNb71M4ft087wgDjhg9aiY6FmYLaLOaYVBvlM5Q81495OWaCA7pPYYar2bcPTNZ8dIO9bAUOYqFGXUDwmg6eAQ7tK3G0tLUYEjlYIWl3py7g7wRY2VJ0w/s1600/Shatcu5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTO3D5dF77KisEqx6iiVqdsmNb71M4ft087wgDjhg9aiY6FmYLaLOaYVBvlM5Q81495OWaCA7pPYYar2bcPTNZ8dIO9bAUOYqFGXUDwmg6eAQ7tK3G0tLUYEjlYIWl3py7g7wRY2VJ0w/s1600/Shatcu5.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></div>
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But we are soon reminded that with each toupee comes new potential for discovery and exploration.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhrm7RTLKkVsE2M2GOyrdxVugQrXcqthyphenhyphen-l426CWdb6zgbXoGjS7Azk5Z2cBEHzT9E-OT_e4ILKQRx6PctUtEY3jEBj42EOkTAR_IzdPEWGYQXPOndETGp8pPiDuXXp6TnWbIZLxIIc0/s1600/toupeedelivery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhrm7RTLKkVsE2M2GOyrdxVugQrXcqthyphenhyphen-l426CWdb6zgbXoGjS7Azk5Z2cBEHzT9E-OT_e4ILKQRx6PctUtEY3jEBj42EOkTAR_IzdPEWGYQXPOndETGp8pPiDuXXp6TnWbIZLxIIc0/s1600/toupeedelivery.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"A fresh batch of toupees arrives for me by courier on the first of every month. It is always a time of great anticipation, awe and excitement." - William Shatner (didn't say)</i></div>
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Let's end with a clip from a very rare 1990s TV documentary about the work of the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies. Staff assess an "impact site" (area subjected to extensive touposcopic examination), and are amazed by the results:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzy4v5d4K5mBg5HlZv4DEC6CFnk1DgtBkqKrJ_lPA8nqME_SZ1h6Ud2zG9PxWJ7_m8yTL651AWvFEI4XIl29g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Thanks for the tips. Have we missed anything?ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-24067111468022313962015-03-06T11:32:00.001+01:002015-03-06T12:58:40.061+01:00Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - a toupological analysis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQNZukQTSRIl821h-Q50xXfT_VfRIEeyFV4n9ZBSDlTyN3SxM17aip3lWj0VnsMuZer0eZsReYMVavGtXM-UWsJ3FZW0uuvbjUBVjtPoSZmM-Rkkh3wRJI7VC6tE2ttnIE3z0pggP2os/s1600/twokhd0978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84THB1yTtJ9KE0fsahewArOBS5IjK4ndnA__mb8uKjHj9g-Uf_3VAhQwaNqOS1Z1EbBm-zbp9J3q80aQbwqZ_Wq90wzK7PK9UD9jGYWOKg4IA99GVpJQ8t8GvKRbcOx_TBtdclm4FdB4/s1600/twok_tagline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84THB1yTtJ9KE0fsahewArOBS5IjK4ndnA__mb8uKjHj9g-Uf_3VAhQwaNqOS1Z1EbBm-zbp9J3q80aQbwqZ_Wq90wzK7PK9UD9jGYWOKg4IA99GVpJQ8t8GvKRbcOx_TBtdclm4FdB4/s1600/twok_tagline.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
And so there was a sequel: Khan. Genesis. Kirk's son. Spock dies... <br />
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1982's<i> Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan</i> is widely considered as either <i>one</i> of the best, or indeed <i>the </i>best of the original series big screen outings.<br />
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Firstly, why was this film ever made? For all its creative failings and production turmoil 1979's <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2011/10/star-trek-motion-picture-toupological.html" target="_blank"><i>Star Trek: The Motion Picture</i></a> managed to rake-in a respectable $139 million worldwide against what was then an astronomical budget of $46 million (a barley acceptable 302 percent return; incidentally 1977's <i>Star Wars</i> cost only $11 million and ended up making $775.4 million - a 7,049 percent return!).<br />
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Asides from satiating a hungry army of <i>Star Trek</i> fans, we suspect that a considerable part of<i> ST:TMP</i>'s box office success was a direct result of the <i>Star Wars</i> boom - for many non-Trekkers, the <i>Enterprise</i> crew's premiere big screen outing served as a sufficient sci-fi fix in the run up to the mid-1980 release of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Empire_Strikes_Back" target="_blank"><i>The Empire Strikes Back</i></a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7B3ROZ2g1j6Ydz9YKrFicBF_kqFD8Yp47oGAeiAlrD7sDZtSjCxHPn8sQ8SxX1RiPu-8T_k-QyRe8JZPmnd5C1l7kNtGVWHshCtOqQTdqZk-o50dcjwu0031AUlZduYCVad8zQkcHCM/s1600/star_wars_36234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7B3ROZ2g1j6Ydz9YKrFicBF_kqFD8Yp47oGAeiAlrD7sDZtSjCxHPn8sQ8SxX1RiPu-8T_k-QyRe8JZPmnd5C1l7kNtGVWHshCtOqQTdqZk-o50dcjwu0031AUlZduYCVad8zQkcHCM/s1600/star_wars_36234.jpg" height="167" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>In many ways, </i>Star Wars<i> (1977) was more like the </i>Star Trek<i> TV series than </i>ST:TMP</div>
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And so <i>Star Wars</i> saved <i>Star Trek</i> not once, but twice. Fox had a franchise in<i> Star Wars</i>. Did Paramount have one in <i>Star Trek</i>?<br />
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"The Creator" Gene Roddenberry was out. Kicked upstairs to the ceremonial role of Executive Consultant. TV producer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harve_Bennett" target="_blank">Harve Bennett</a> instead assumed the reigns. "Could you make [a better picture] for less than forty-five f*@#ing million dollars?" Bennett <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Star-Movie-Memories-William-Shatner/dp/0060176172/" target="_blank">recalled</a> a studio exec asking him.<br />
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"Oh boy, where I come from, I could make five movies for that."<br />
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<i>Harve Bennet and Gene Roddenberry.</i></div>
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After a few months, however, Bennett and writer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_B._Sowards" target="_blank">Jack Sowards</a> were stuck in rewrite hell. Lots of ideas, but no workable script. Enter the famously neurotic writer-director <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Meyer" target="_blank">Nicholas Meyer</a>. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/View-Bridge-Memories-Star-Hollywood/dp/0452296536/" target="_blank">He described</a> a meeting with Bennett and fellow producer Robert Sallin:<br />
<br />
<i>"Why don’t we make a list of everything we like in these five drafts? Could be a plot, a subplot, a sequence, a scene, a character, a line even . . .And then I will write a new script and cobble together all the things we choose."</i><br />
<i></i><br />
A miraculously quick rewrite ensued, which led to a rather miraculous script.<i> </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwh7-HsiOTrv67sDnb3Cj-0tEjH8LsE-lQmLWV2ZIf7gnN3dyHYapc66-wG4BVcWHJJwRQSbXZLx9HwBB4HkUel7P9rrZCWbbwTDKPFUpevihtglIe3uwZeQLrAS7rUrZZQAGR5OizYFE/s1600/meyer_shatner_twok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwh7-HsiOTrv67sDnb3Cj-0tEjH8LsE-lQmLWV2ZIf7gnN3dyHYapc66-wG4BVcWHJJwRQSbXZLx9HwBB4HkUel7P9rrZCWbbwTDKPFUpevihtglIe3uwZeQLrAS7rUrZZQAGR5OizYFE/s1600/meyer_shatner_twok.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Testing the waters? Bill Shatner performs a scalp meld on director Nicholas Meyer.</i></div>
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We should note that at this point in the history of <i>Star Trek</i>, the behind-the-scenes story and on-screen antics of the Starship <i>Enterprise</i> essentially fuse into one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbmOgwWchNsY1fh0J_oGeVzZ7wC40Wz18SuQ7XLU-rpdDkC-QIwsyD4ngcChyZ9rFWRetmcVWozJMO8v1LBNL3eKqAmJ-J35XgiAZifNLYW3jWXKB0BBo0FMMOip_3A99q_8Y7qe_S8I/s1600/Cinefantastique-TrekII.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbmOgwWchNsY1fh0J_oGeVzZ7wC40Wz18SuQ7XLU-rpdDkC-QIwsyD4ngcChyZ9rFWRetmcVWozJMO8v1LBNL3eKqAmJ-J35XgiAZifNLYW3jWXKB0BBo0FMMOip_3A99q_8Y7qe_S8I/s1600/Cinefantastique-TrekII.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The now-defunct </i>Cinefantastique<i> magazine. </i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP81DDliUDmKAsdl4ObYnkhyphenhyphenY2z2jNNsT0Lm-eLV5-ebkN0-IXKognmSXSeoe8Bb44InLNJ6C3-LPuJqNl73ZVmUDTgz1d6ZxUXxMZOifw19nWW01FMTzlPV0ugMEw_TuJJVAgWDe7uBo/s1600/ilm_84.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
During the 1980s, it wasn't enough to merely go see Treks <i>II</i>, <i>III</i>, <i>IV </i>etc... Rather, in magazines such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlog" target="_blank"><i>Starlog</i></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinefantastique" target="_blank"><i>Cinefantastique</i></a>, fans could learn about every aspect of how these films were made, from discarded story ideas to the effects magic of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Light_%26_Magic" target="_blank">ILM</a>. All part of the package...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP81DDliUDmKAsdl4ObYnkhyphenhyphenY2z2jNNsT0Lm-eLV5-ebkN0-IXKognmSXSeoe8Bb44InLNJ6C3-LPuJqNl73ZVmUDTgz1d6ZxUXxMZOifw19nWW01FMTzlPV0ugMEw_TuJJVAgWDe7uBo/s1600/ilm_84.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP81DDliUDmKAsdl4ObYnkhyphenhyphenY2z2jNNsT0Lm-eLV5-ebkN0-IXKognmSXSeoe8Bb44InLNJ6C3-LPuJqNl73ZVmUDTgz1d6ZxUXxMZOifw19nWW01FMTzlPV0ugMEw_TuJJVAgWDe7uBo/s1600/ilm_84.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Creating a nebula in a tank - <a href="http://img.trekmovie.com/images/merchandise/tos_movies_bd/ilm_84.jpg" target="_blank">source</a>. </i></div>
<br />
Another crucial factor in <i>Star Trek II</i> was Leonard Nimoy's initial reluctance to return for a "cash-in" adventure: "I really was adamant that I would not work on <i>Star Trek II</i> because I had been so frustrated with [<i>The Motion Picture</i>] and I was feeling very negative about the whole thing," <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trek-Making-James-Van-Hise/dp/1556983131/" target="_blank">the actor recalled</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ASCwvwNpmF6ykKYgjVzy-JIaIevXpe1iP9gvdsjJs6aYaCcqeuc4C2QMPSUplE1k_CNGEbJmWDZ8W-1DTuQwtyMkBqyCE9gIc-iCPW6LhBFFJaeTl8P6p4NfUCKZznMGnW5TM7uFwMo/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ASCwvwNpmF6ykKYgjVzy-JIaIevXpe1iP9gvdsjJs6aYaCcqeuc4C2QMPSUplE1k_CNGEbJmWDZ8W-1DTuQwtyMkBqyCE9gIc-iCPW6LhBFFJaeTl8P6p4NfUCKZznMGnW5TM7uFwMo/s1600/002.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But Harve Bennet had a potentially irresistible hook: "Leonard, how would you like to play your death scene?" the producer asked Nimoy over the phone. Spock was in.<br />
<br />
So this sequel ended up defying logic - the fragmented nature of its construction actually helped rather than hindered the final product. Crucially, the audience watches a story unfold with no idea about what will happen next...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEC1Y1Ne08IKGOoZcyCb_a4jncMqJmwNNGuwNP_UdOKZTFcQ3vLaCcgyks-GUafEqLKEYNWbvwK7HDsbRsplwYUi8WSCdLj5OPuTI6To44-tv_P7XI6lOvu4xvY6RUXrGIZxI3y80gvs4/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEC1Y1Ne08IKGOoZcyCb_a4jncMqJmwNNGuwNP_UdOKZTFcQ3vLaCcgyks-GUafEqLKEYNWbvwK7HDsbRsplwYUi8WSCdLj5OPuTI6To44-tv_P7XI6lOvu4xvY6RUXrGIZxI3y80gvs4/s1600/001.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan</i> is responsible for creating
something of a storytelling fallacy: discard the loftiness of the
original and bring in a bad-ass "black hat" villain in the sequel. <i>Wham! Bang! Boom! That's more like it!</i><br />
<br />
As director Bryan
Singer <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/07/24/comic-con-2006-singer-on-superman-sequel" target="_blank">said</a> of his never-realised plans for a sequel to (the yawn-fest that was) 2006's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_returns" target="_blank"><i>Superman Returns</i></a>: "I plan to get all <i>Wrath of Khan</i> on it." Flash forward to 2013 and the <i>literal</i> sequel to the <i>literal </i>re-boot of the <i>Star Trek</i> franchise, which <i>literally</i> brings back Khan; and, in case that wasn't subtle enough, it was <i>literally </i>called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek_Into_Darkness" target="_blank"><i>Into Darkness</i></a>. Get it? Dark. Villain. Is we becoming more dumber?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKonfzwGEVqLWm_WYAeYGbs5AZHmJkvmVJ74fIiQwCo5qQ-PyAYMShTyvCkkNCRpryCA9QeKMQECbx4nEKt_zlO2FYSLTORluLOaQ_hIIHExO7gs0GLswN4GenvhGLIpcdUjCDnI8fhI0/s1600/khan13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKonfzwGEVqLWm_WYAeYGbs5AZHmJkvmVJ74fIiQwCo5qQ-PyAYMShTyvCkkNCRpryCA9QeKMQECbx4nEKt_zlO2FYSLTORluLOaQ_hIIHExO7gs0GLswN4GenvhGLIpcdUjCDnI8fhI0/s1600/khan13.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Khan - now blond and mulleted.</i></div>
<br />
But the strengths of the 1982 sequel arguably have very little to do with Khan alone. Indeed, he is barely in the movie. Stuck on the bridge of the starship <i>Reliant</i> spouting histrionic tongue-twisters, one could even argue that the villain represents the weakest part of <i>The Wrath of Khan,</i> a mere shadow of the devious, ultra-manipulative tyrant of the original series episode "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Seed" target="_blank">Space Seed</a>".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsuHBV7ebhzEDhzSx0OhIFLT45CJf-tq-BbzgR5jPKYWeMZ6bpm-OOH4NvlX9rMnTGI-HrhBg8_HEen1ndUv3fxUlBMfOsRelYbhqC0XXiblaLmhYn1OhjH9G7jlx9ume76Mn0G6yCHo/s1600/spaceseedhd394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsuHBV7ebhzEDhzSx0OhIFLT45CJf-tq-BbzgR5jPKYWeMZ6bpm-OOH4NvlX9rMnTGI-HrhBg8_HEen1ndUv3fxUlBMfOsRelYbhqC0XXiblaLmhYn1OhjH9G7jlx9ume76Mn0G6yCHo/s1600/spaceseedhd394.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A possible key reason for<i> The Wrath of Khan</i>'s strong script is that it avoided the narrative traps, which to greater or lesser extent ensnared no less than four of the original <i>Trek</i> films:<br />
<br />
ST: I - We'll get there and see something amazing!<br />
ST: III - We'll get there and hopefully find something amazing (and then bring it back)!<br />
ST: IV - We'll get there and hopefully find something amazing (and then bring it back)!<br />
ST: V - We'll get there and see something amazing!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVYKVqvV05ngygmNGc7nQ_-xWshIfYZo30u6LovSbq_zg4wAywP6idBo_3ino3_0qilp3XSYN2TS6L2g6fA9KGzRohg3c7GkM1Kp5XdaGX1U3_wy4-zXYnNuX0wUxIOaAwSPz7dQyTKk/s1600/tmphd1490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVYKVqvV05ngygmNGc7nQ_-xWshIfYZo30u6LovSbq_zg4wAywP6idBo_3ino3_0qilp3XSYN2TS6L2g6fA9KGzRohg3c7GkM1Kp5XdaGX1U3_wy4-zXYnNuX0wUxIOaAwSPz7dQyTKk/s1600/tmphd1490.jpg" height="137" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>ST:TMP - staring and waiting to get there...</i></div>
<br />
Only <i>II</i> and <i>VI</i> present story structures, which are more snake-like, meaning countless unexpected twists and turns. <i>VI</i>, we would argue, is less successful at this with its somewhat muddled murder-mystery plot. From a storytelling viewpoint <i>Star Trek II</i> is mature, literate and bursting with all kinds of well-woven themes and tensions. And that has very little to do with the cliché about "getting all <i>Wrath of Khan </i>on it". That is just far too simplistic. <i> </i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRpwHQOFhfyXODLkf4n4ixjqXQzdnW3T_0_xu4Iii160Q-C5wf6iy6MuE4793tHW6Z1SZp7zPWHW66FO03OSh7gAk7KsClqQPwtQgJTFEdh5zvPDZ0IrGYsK3b7GnQIC7zBZI8Dlz69Y/s1600/shatner-birthday-present-from-kelley.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRpwHQOFhfyXODLkf4n4ixjqXQzdnW3T_0_xu4Iii160Q-C5wf6iy6MuE4793tHW6Z1SZp7zPWHW66FO03OSh7gAk7KsClqQPwtQgJTFEdh5zvPDZ0IrGYsK3b7GnQIC7zBZI8Dlz69Y/s1600/shatner-birthday-present-from-kelley.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></a> </i></div>
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<i>Star Trek II</i> isn't about explosions and villains - it is about life and death; old age and the creation of life; friendship and family; love and loss. It is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Hornblower" target="_blank">Horatio Hornblower</a> meets <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities" target="_blank">Charles Dickens</a>. Back in 1958, Robert Wise, director of <i>ST:TMP</i>, directed a submarine movie called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_Silent,_Run_Deep_%281958_film%29" target="_blank"><i>Run Silent, Run Deep</i></a> - ironically, very similar to Meyer's deliberately more militaristic and claustrophobic <i>Star Trek</i> film...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGrzQXkPojprXQYsQPx6qplfl1Gg5IMQmFjJk-GROH6FVqsLnZvvpuVZTbVENm0x9ESwnvOmTxWgW6hHD8uXYBr81S2wU829PCxpVFSpstEqsxWvYo5Xx-GvxhnMyaJ2nmQyEJTHv-Bg/s1600/spockcoffin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGrzQXkPojprXQYsQPx6qplfl1Gg5IMQmFjJk-GROH6FVqsLnZvvpuVZTbVENm0x9ESwnvOmTxWgW6hHD8uXYBr81S2wU829PCxpVFSpstEqsxWvYo5Xx-GvxhnMyaJ2nmQyEJTHv-Bg/s1600/spockcoffin.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Life and death...and life.</i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRpwHQOFhfyXODLkf4n4ixjqXQzdnW3T_0_xu4Iii160Q-C5wf6iy6MuE4793tHW6Z1SZp7zPWHW66FO03OSh7gAk7KsClqQPwtQgJTFEdh5zvPDZ0IrGYsK3b7GnQIC7zBZI8Dlz69Y/s1600/shatner-birthday-present-from-kelley.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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The production also included contentious re-shoots, filmed without
Meyer's participation, in which Spock's death was made less final. As
the end of production neared, it became clear that this movie might
actually be good - <i>so what the hell have we done by killing Spock?</i> Backpedaling ensued, from "Remember..." to a coffin on Genesis. The groundwork had been laid for a <i>Star Trek III.</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQNZukQTSRIl821h-Q50xXfT_VfRIEeyFV4n9ZBSDlTyN3SxM17aip3lWj0VnsMuZer0eZsReYMVavGtXM-UWsJ3FZW0uuvbjUBVjtPoSZmM-Rkkh3wRJI7VC6tE2ttnIE3z0pggP2os/s1600/twokhd0978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQNZukQTSRIl821h-Q50xXfT_VfRIEeyFV4n9ZBSDlTyN3SxM17aip3lWj0VnsMuZer0eZsReYMVavGtXM-UWsJ3FZW0uuvbjUBVjtPoSZmM-Rkkh3wRJI7VC6tE2ttnIE3z0pggP2os/s1600/twokhd0978.jpg" height="250" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Remember..." (to leave room for a sequel)</i></div>
<br />
For all the it's strengths, including a terrific score by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Horner" target="_blank">James Horner</a>, other movies in the series arguably do better in terms of cinematography (<i>III</i> and <i>IV</i>) and production design (again <i>III</i> and <i>IV</i>). <i>Star Trek II</i> never looked very good on home video with its <i>very</i> 1982-ish yellow-blood red color palette.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriRgfooxnCaUAxGY0DIwfQaCfkqrKHzlnB0zxhjDnLe5THjKgHLax1vpRi03jsTQS9d4v837oBUwsEqDCP9h88T0Hl9xAUm0zwuP7oc9_wjZsXE1ynBKe0W6s8_ctu2-Xgno5rVqjznc/s1600/004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriRgfooxnCaUAxGY0DIwfQaCfkqrKHzlnB0zxhjDnLe5THjKgHLax1vpRi03jsTQS9d4v837oBUwsEqDCP9h88T0Hl9xAUm0zwuP7oc9_wjZsXE1ynBKe0W6s8_ctu2-Xgno5rVqjznc/s1600/004.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
When the <i>Enterprise</i> bridge goes red for red alert, it goes almost totally red, which always looked pretty horrible on VHS and even DVD.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxDucgYYZjHncdmeXWdumnYb6aga4w87K2Vbs9Q8ADs-KbT0jfhVRRoFQEA3VJGPY-lg-DoC3s2m3vic7Wpyqg-JpHniqHbsMALLvc1sQ6flnyLTiBQhOWs-RxNsRj6wwYgn0Jc9hdZ0/s1600/red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxDucgYYZjHncdmeXWdumnYb6aga4w87K2Vbs9Q8ADs-KbT0jfhVRRoFQEA3VJGPY-lg-DoC3s2m3vic7Wpyqg-JpHniqHbsMALLvc1sQ6flnyLTiBQhOWs-RxNsRj6wwYgn0Jc9hdZ0/s1600/red.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Bleeding" reds on home video.</i></div>
<br />
Speaking of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gayne_Rescher" target="_blank">Gayne Rescher</a>'s cinematography, why is Khan's <i>Reliant</i> bridge lit so
cheerfully bright (with hints of minty green), while the <i>Enterprise</i> - along with the rest of the
movie - is lit with far greater broodiness and contrast? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv72cLuGG0sKujVQcgnFeONi1zYStL2xicIVnSuBfvRXS5TkqMtsBaDLD54g0qnWxnhDC0AJvOkCdk5HZ2xIbhSkqAxqJnKIsD95xnfgz8UDCdfEXEFT8Zo-RsBlLXM24O7DDKrp9NAlw/s1600/003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv72cLuGG0sKujVQcgnFeONi1zYStL2xicIVnSuBfvRXS5TkqMtsBaDLD54g0qnWxnhDC0AJvOkCdk5HZ2xIbhSkqAxqJnKIsD95xnfgz8UDCdfEXEFT8Zo-RsBlLXM24O7DDKrp9NAlw/s1600/003.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Odd mismatch - the "bright" villainous Khan and the very red </i>Enterprise<i>.</i></div>
<br />
But there is something of a revelation to be had here, too: for anyone who hasn't seen this movie <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-II-Restored-Blu-ray/dp/B002I9Z8B2/" target="_blank">remastered on Blu<i>-</i>ray</a> (hitherto the only one of the six properly restored for release on this format) we strongly recommend it. Though still unusual in terms of its aesthetic feel, the movie looks far better. The conscious effort to move away from the muted, under-lit look of <i>ST:TMP</i> and revive some of the colored gel techniques used in the Original Series leaps through the screen with a clarity not seen since <i>Khan</i> was released in cinemas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvd9Rn0RR9dA5Zz0uZ3UyJY62hyphenhyphenJAME30jl71qf0hY6n8N31uW2PbyqTtnNJBRC8VuJmlB8Rk8rPLCZ9OGmY6QlnNaifSItVWe6h_ojfuEnQvOZX5F1OZ-WjKw1kjzVw-hubGWKeTOZDE/s1600/bts_twok_genesis_cave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvd9Rn0RR9dA5Zz0uZ3UyJY62hyphenhyphenJAME30jl71qf0hY6n8N31uW2PbyqTtnNJBRC8VuJmlB8Rk8rPLCZ9OGmY6QlnNaifSItVWe6h_ojfuEnQvOZX5F1OZ-WjKw1kjzVw-hubGWKeTOZDE/s1600/bts_twok_genesis_cave.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In summary: certainly <i>Khan </i>suffers less from its low budget than <i>TMP</i> suffered from its excessive budget. But the lack of any location photography (until the tacked-on ending) is somewhat stifling, and the interior Genesis Cave (pictured above) set is rather odd and implausible. And, of course, Khan and Kirk never meet face to face. Lots of small gripes like that, but overall very successful. <br />
<br />
Let's move swiftly to the hair...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDnowM_uzQjD3RqPQSDEzVgCgrjLm4Gha6_Qc2Nkx9uBqdET5OlHG04JwG0EHoN_OHh9Z7vAJXdVmLpZeGfDlQMzPLgw7VlCAvQX9Cr0cCVaskdyJUK3_FLMT1oxb8EAkkYYpx0RHL8s/s1600/shatmerv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDnowM_uzQjD3RqPQSDEzVgCgrjLm4Gha6_Qc2Nkx9uBqdET5OlHG04JwG0EHoN_OHh9Z7vAJXdVmLpZeGfDlQMzPLgw7VlCAvQX9Cr0cCVaskdyJUK3_FLMT1oxb8EAkkYYpx0RHL8s/s1600/shatmerv.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psDRQi3oAGg" target="_blank">Bill Shatner promotes</a> </i>Khan<i> on the Merv Griffin Show. Note the easily identifiable demarcation line between toup and real hair.</i></div>
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The immovable "patty" of <i>TMP</i> is laid to rest in <i>Star Trek II</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl72jTwu6zSUck2JqH42Yy1675KutrgBG046vIVI89B1DzVr21k24lxZBT7h8qDE2auTKuXhnhKBGFVwmBScX3iiibFLUlsT02iW8HZ69wLWpJrHeWuQvfrQ_QP1-pnGbiDxE6cULQXRg/s1600/kirk_tmp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl72jTwu6zSUck2JqH42Yy1675KutrgBG046vIVI89B1DzVr21k24lxZBT7h8qDE2auTKuXhnhKBGFVwmBScX3iiibFLUlsT02iW8HZ69wLWpJrHeWuQvfrQ_QP1-pnGbiDxE6cULQXRg/s1600/kirk_tmp1.jpg" height="320" width="218" /></a></div>
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Rather, the hair returns to a slightly less perfect state, akin to the toup seen in <a href="http://theomegasector.com/index.php?/topic/20819-screentests-tmp-shatner-and-nimoy/" target="_blank">newly-revealed</a> (thanks to readers for tip) costume/makeup tests for <i>Star Trek: The Motion Picture</i>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvomlHzrMtw53PFgyRakQHnx4iNyrADgHfqhTI8V-qX2Xy1TBswsysuqM7O9vL396YJm0ADvvZoM5wG-eF5ZCTpllmXCPm2z1c7GJfptciYvWQ4liTF2bU6yo-jA0uYDxeGBBUThfBulo/s1600/sttmp-tests.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvomlHzrMtw53PFgyRakQHnx4iNyrADgHfqhTI8V-qX2Xy1TBswsysuqM7O9vL396YJm0ADvvZoM5wG-eF5ZCTpllmXCPm2z1c7GJfptciYvWQ4liTF2bU6yo-jA0uYDxeGBBUThfBulo/s1600/sttmp-tests.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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<i>Bill Shatner in 1978, before he went on a crash diet. Note the less patty-like hair.</i></div>
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All part of a conscious effort by both Meyer and Bennet to have the characters look like they had aged since <i>TOS</i>. "I had to be dragged in kicking and screaming," Bill Shatner <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Star-Movie-Memories-William-Shatner/dp/0060176172/" target="_blank">recalled</a> of his reluctance with regards to spotlighting the middle-agedness of Captain Kirk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOL0XDIRdVXbobUQurCPFzoyNGcCEbbzmSGy7_RvqAUa2AJt_Uh4L8NCWzs5hY7A8wmXRRS8lZKQqeOB5VsdV8wLSyGC7yFqALKlm_-rDLiySHcBTnxzdLEqwxKq4mjFxrv526abyWwlQ/s1600/007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOL0XDIRdVXbobUQurCPFzoyNGcCEbbzmSGy7_RvqAUa2AJt_Uh4L8NCWzs5hY7A8wmXRRS8lZKQqeOB5VsdV8wLSyGC7yFqALKlm_-rDLiySHcBTnxzdLEqwxKq4mjFxrv526abyWwlQ/s1600/007.jpg" height="163" width="320" /></a></div>
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While <i>III</i> has wind and <i>IV</i> has water, <i>II</i> sees very little physical action to challenge or disrupt the toupee. Perhaps this is why the movie represents the final <i>Trek </i>appearance of the "cap" version of the "T.J. Curly". For the next movies (no doubt caused by the demands of the very physical <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._J._Hooker" target="_blank"><i>T.J. Hooker</i></a> TV series in which the actor was starring) a sturdier, more resilient "T.J. Curly" would be affixed to the top and also the sides of the head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmosLyPJrio5RNxfmv83bG3spJccQv0k0kfOy_8u_OzlyVLChnpvA-o9vwa6zrdxV4WJTA-KzqXcbagZuTxHGWKf8OVDcPtMZsEUBG7UAyV_hiDm273Z1BDC6rvbLClMQHrwSGAk2ROCw/s1600/005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmosLyPJrio5RNxfmv83bG3spJccQv0k0kfOy_8u_OzlyVLChnpvA-o9vwa6zrdxV4WJTA-KzqXcbagZuTxHGWKf8OVDcPtMZsEUBG7UAyV_hiDm273Z1BDC6rvbLClMQHrwSGAk2ROCw/s1600/005.jpg" height="297" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>An occasional flaw is visible (top left), but no real "toupological moments"</i></div>
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The closest we could find to a real "MTI" (Moment of Toupological Interest) was a shot from the end of the movie:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIw2TKYSBtRHj_OYn0_e6yFa-UeRlZ8SH1NN9NOoctnWHP8nh6ryFuBD6m0XN1x9WRVD3qF_Bil2oOUuKyjNLUF5fAN72hCEVR8dNtEcU3MpPfne3gVel3JqYcxGHsi97DRftNNMmcsk/s1600/009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIw2TKYSBtRHj_OYn0_e6yFa-UeRlZ8SH1NN9NOoctnWHP8nh6ryFuBD6m0XN1x9WRVD3qF_Bil2oOUuKyjNLUF5fAN72hCEVR8dNtEcU3MpPfne3gVel3JqYcxGHsi97DRftNNMmcsk/s1600/009.jpg" height="320" width="296" /></a></div>
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This, too, we believe, was part of the non-Meyer re-shoots. For some reason, there is an almost "Afro" look to Bill Shatner's hair in the wide shot. Why does the hair suddenly seem so curly? Is it to help visualize that Kirk is wound-up over the loss of Spock? <br />
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Finally, it is with great sadness that we publish this review at a time when three <i>de facto </i>"torch-holding producers" of the<i> Star Trek</i> franchise have passed away, all within the space of a little over a week - <a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Maurice_Hurley" target="_blank">Maurice Hurley</a> (a kind of Trotsky figure to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Berman" target="_blank">Rick Berman</a>'s Stalin), Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett.<br />
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Bill Shatner <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/shatner-skipped-nimoy-funeral-celebrate-life-article-1.2134856" target="_blank">made some eyebrow-raising headlines</a> with regards to Leonard Nimoy's passing. Sometimes, the behind-the-scenes stories are far more complex, and the reactions of those who survive are not what we expect...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-DvPYrsgzcxNFkDFW0WSyYo4q_WnaOm1Fel1jb3kIkNirl1LjLTlMhnrgeSVRvQH3tDm5dfBLBjegubwMeRpOOEbTljk6dlRdaqDJvDzMlZ0I9kp2wLI_FuxlHILRh_ezhcP99dlEM8/s1600/macca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-DvPYrsgzcxNFkDFW0WSyYo4q_WnaOm1Fel1jb3kIkNirl1LjLTlMhnrgeSVRvQH3tDm5dfBLBjegubwMeRpOOEbTljk6dlRdaqDJvDzMlZ0I9kp2wLI_FuxlHILRh_ezhcP99dlEM8/s1600/macca.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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We note that Paul McCartney had not seen John Lennon for four years when his "brother" was tragically shot in December 1980. Never the most comfortable about expressing his feelings publicly, the devastated and deeply shocked former Beatle was unfairly berated for calling the news <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf30KfAUK5k" target="_blank">"a drag"</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWX5G163LbgGA-EBjIZVd3FgKv7T78z4Lcl5CdiexBWa2DZDZd0DqspHlD5M1hIDYYkaIuN_ShcKW_mdLs0h-SKL4o8WFd8mZkxIclmio3i8lAvRhUwfOf8YHEL3l0BWuGrQglaO5qrk/s1600/twokhd1074.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWX5G163LbgGA-EBjIZVd3FgKv7T78z4Lcl5CdiexBWa2DZDZd0DqspHlD5M1hIDYYkaIuN_ShcKW_mdLs0h-SKL4o8WFd8mZkxIclmio3i8lAvRhUwfOf8YHEL3l0BWuGrQglaO5qrk/s1600/twokhd1074.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></a></div>
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"We just don't have that kind of a relationship anymore - we used to..." Nimoy lamented of Shatner in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0K9qqFaSY0" target="_blank">a 2014 interview</a> with Piers Morgan. The once brotherly pair seemed to have stopped their mutual Twitter banter some time ago, too. Were they really as close friends as Kirk and Spock? Did they have some kind of falling out? And do Kirk's rhetorical words in <i>Star Trek II</i> apply at all here?: "...how we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life, wouldn't you say?"<br />
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There are always possibilities...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87PMKOtyrJWHValxGqVS8jZiFu575YKcUNm3E15vXpEj0BmdvcvXRNDq7VAZIojVVkGv2zLNfK9mp0PrKH4l4g9Vcy55qfWUBBcArwBJrbVe9rxRu1S-FOFs1slVODosZQcAEZ0OLf6g/s1600/nimoy_bennett_tsfs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87PMKOtyrJWHValxGqVS8jZiFu575YKcUNm3E15vXpEj0BmdvcvXRNDq7VAZIojVVkGv2zLNfK9mp0PrKH4l4g9Vcy55qfWUBBcArwBJrbVe9rxRu1S-FOFs1slVODosZQcAEZ0OLf6g/s1600/nimoy_bennett_tsfs.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015) and <a href="http://www.treknews.net/2015/03/05/harve-bennett-dies-84/" target="_blank">Harve Bennett (1930-2015)</a></i></div>
ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-31019397297918479702015-02-27T19:29:00.002+01:002015-03-01T07:48:04.816+01:00Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaegBm2HJkWYhMnPZP1aRLQF0g2BNhiFX9tVR8NuVDkgEwPlFXH6YmAEAdUNDj4W0G_ouWbD4BrenQ4h7znH-z4S3y6fd9ZfvgRn_xgtXlspmDB-uchU5NuLyvD4_9f1rSkP_k41oL3I8/s1600/LLAP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaegBm2HJkWYhMnPZP1aRLQF0g2BNhiFX9tVR8NuVDkgEwPlFXH6YmAEAdUNDj4W0G_ouWbD4BrenQ4h7znH-z4S3y6fd9ZfvgRn_xgtXlspmDB-uchU5NuLyvD4_9f1rSkP_k41oL3I8/s1600/LLAP.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></div>
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We mourn the passing today of Leonard Nimoy. Our sincere condolences to his friends and family.<br />
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Perhaps the most moving aspect of the outpouring of tributes to the actor is
the degree to which those involved in real-life space exploration
idolized Star Trek - and specifically Mr. Spock."NASA was fortunate to have him as a friend and a colleague," <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/february/nasa-administrator-remembers-leonard-nimoy/" target="_blank">the agency's Administrator Charles Bolden said on Friday of Nimoy.</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOy7StYKFOu-NtbIc0DXs3hhX2Z-W9cHZWL0B7JvP0SMzSJymtQEc56wIfxCJo_VRZNbEB1W1RUgoyog35nqZhoInbBwLrk6S8cWA9JKWx-TxH2UGHia0DcBrxgWd5EEIzqKY97jAcW28/s1600/marinerv_oct67_control.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOy7StYKFOu-NtbIc0DXs3hhX2Z-W9cHZWL0B7JvP0SMzSJymtQEc56wIfxCJo_VRZNbEB1W1RUgoyog35nqZhoInbBwLrk6S8cWA9JKWx-TxH2UGHia0DcBrxgWd5EEIzqKY97jAcW28/s1600/marinerv_oct67_control.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>A low-rated TV show? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_5" target="_blank">Even in 1967</a>, </i>Star Trek<i> was viewed by many in the space community as a viable vision of future spaceflight. </i></div>
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In 1967, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/These-are-Voyages-Season-Book-ebook/dp/B00KSS2SEU/" target="_blank">Nimoy wrote to</a>
Star Trek producer Gene Roddenberry about the enthusiastic reception he
had just received from scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center in
Washington D.C. </div>
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<i>I
do not overstate the fact when I tell you that the interest in the show
is so intense, that it would almost seem they feel we are a
dramatization of the future of their space program, and they have
completely taken us to heart - particularly since you and the rest of the
production staff of STAR TREK have taken such great pains in the area
of scientific detail on our show. They are, in fact, proud of the show
as though in some way it represents them.</i></div>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkix-RlnuCDcAX4n3ZIRTAyQDc3XTJnzlFGF5GUB6SWsZCo5SOKjTmMqxw0IfC7ZNZHxxGkYoRNhcPqQXem2xhFaya50UuKTGv_vB7UJertdxYBg4YFfIW5Hjenjc1KjVK92ZSj_vuswE/s1600/amoktimehd781.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkix-RlnuCDcAX4n3ZIRTAyQDc3XTJnzlFGF5GUB6SWsZCo5SOKjTmMqxw0IfC7ZNZHxxGkYoRNhcPqQXem2xhFaya50UuKTGv_vB7UJertdxYBg4YFfIW5Hjenjc1KjVK92ZSj_vuswE/s1600/amoktimehd781.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> </i></div>
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NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke and ESA European Space Agency Astronaut Luca
Parmitano released the below video message on Friday. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="180" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2AwUnkrqNyw" width="320"></iframe> </div>
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Nimoy's Mr. Spock character provided inspiration for an inclusive vision
in which mankind could first overcome internal differences, and then
extend that spirit to our exploration of alien worlds. In a sense, through
his portrayal of Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy served as an alien ambassador to
Earth. Aliens might not be the monsters of our darkest imaginings, he
showed. They could even become our friends...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IHR7pj2jYpuRUPh90KlJC158D6-pCyXga8Te_0a8TeJYBw5s7U6RFndVVIGJ6NoeNkITirhsZuUdQ3zK7TcTfB1TQZw7wajs4eDXjrNMevkv7zCUutcs4cPXXDMB1XBKuFnXKViP2Ns/s1600/Vulcansalute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IHR7pj2jYpuRUPh90KlJC158D6-pCyXga8Te_0a8TeJYBw5s7U6RFndVVIGJ6NoeNkITirhsZuUdQ3zK7TcTfB1TQZw7wajs4eDXjrNMevkv7zCUutcs4cPXXDMB1XBKuFnXKViP2Ns/s1600/Vulcansalute.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-49143735686724517442014-12-19T13:22:00.005+01:002014-12-24T09:34:41.185+01:00The (not quite) Indestructible Mr. Gore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5BX4LCTqh9aNey-cZBqQbMyr4_rAML2bajM7XKbg_ayDUiP9YBmHldSftCTeQ_R9LqzYi-mqtPuM_jwDEBdmY3exYkhlP4VjWSHjqjrVxvZ7mbUKYJoQ8MFS7nRjBJ3z8mwO_q34E2M/s1600/013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8H8WPZX_x8MPBXd1DjKg2bGkOOGamjleRKgDUtsSvAmIkabfRot5VBXgoW66_lqIhNi5_4YCMzzZ2-c16l2adGman6WFsbxCAq767hyFy9-gGKi3QLHCOE6F9AWJ3XCkUZwbkxoLbdA/s1600/1959-12-02-wed_variety_p28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8H8WPZX_x8MPBXd1DjKg2bGkOOGamjleRKgDUtsSvAmIkabfRot5VBXgoW66_lqIhNi5_4YCMzzZ2-c16l2adGman6WFsbxCAq767hyFy9-gGKi3QLHCOE6F9AWJ3XCkUZwbkxoLbdA/s1600/1959-12-02-wed_variety_p28.jpg" height="250" width="320" /></a></div>
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(<i>Source: <a href="http://rjbuffalo.com/gore-vidal-teleplays.html">rjbuffalo.com</a></i>) </div>
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"<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0713099/" target="_blank">The Indestructible Mr. Gore</a>" is a first season episode of a short-lived 1959-60 television series called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_Sunday_Showcase" target="_blank"><i>Sunday Showcase</i></a>. Much like the far better known <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_One_%28CBS_series%29" target="_blank"><i>Studio One</i></a>, it was an anthology series of teleplays (though it also included comedies and musicals), and often featured writing, acting and directing (including John Frankenheimer and Sidney Lumet) talents who would go on to achieve widespread fame and recognition. "The Indestructible Mr. Gore", broadcast in color, was written by celebrated American author <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gore_Vidal" target="_blank">Gore Vidal</a>, who also appears in the episode as an on-screen narrator.<br />
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Fred Kaplan's eponymous <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gore-Vidal-Fred-Kaplan-ebook/dp/B00C652YYM/" target="_blank">biography</a> <i>Gore Vidal</i> (<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=-cauzQyhd5kC&printsec=frontcover" target="_blank">available on Google books</a> - see pages 467-468) notes that "The Indestructible Mr. Gore" was "one of the last television dramas broadcast live..." It also adds that the program, screened on December 13, 1959 "deserved and received superb reviews".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuG7k3-xxQ-arzDcb792DlXsDsxC-uZVi5zEx3BiHFiJtPKi8rsY6JbEvlYS9J4vyHefg9hMr0k_rsSonmC2enY7lKKTumn_xTkoQ9UpsQXlhAfTWgpRCvQuanbYc1cN8mwHzB7yLb4I/s1600/Gore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuG7k3-xxQ-arzDcb792DlXsDsxC-uZVi5zEx3BiHFiJtPKi8rsY6JbEvlYS9J4vyHefg9hMr0k_rsSonmC2enY7lKKTumn_xTkoQ9UpsQXlhAfTWgpRCvQuanbYc1cN8mwHzB7yLb4I/s1600/Gore.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(Click for larger view)</i></div>
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Asides from Vidal as narrator, the episode stars William Shatner, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inger_Stevens" target="_blank">Inger Stevens</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._G._Marshall" target="_blank">E.G. Marshall</a> (who also acted alongside Bill Shatner in <i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/07/test.html" target="_blank">Vanished</a>,</i> 1971, and <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/04/disaster-on-coastliner-toupological.html" target="_blank"><i>Disaster on the Coastliner</i></a>, 1979). The story centers on Gore Vidal's real-life blind grandfather, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gore" target="_blank">Senator Thomas Gore</a>, portrayed by William Shatner. According to IMDB:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQmHal85Wz0TXM-rffgmu8-LyB1LUNVzgsHXJGDqlHWm4woz6rAWvmRBkPApzBymL2BezHcYzBRzQ2_8sAHwniJrrT1wpM8A05MjL1lGtLwzyb9wwYdfN7rYU2xPMxXEk5OT-4XKGDzw/s1600/ThomasGore3c08006u.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQmHal85Wz0TXM-rffgmu8-LyB1LUNVzgsHXJGDqlHWm4woz6rAWvmRBkPApzBymL2BezHcYzBRzQ2_8sAHwniJrrT1wpM8A05MjL1lGtLwzyb9wwYdfN7rYU2xPMxXEk5OT-4XKGDzw/s1600/ThomasGore3c08006u.jpg" height="200" width="145" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Senator Thomas Gore (source:Wikipedia)</i></div>
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"In the early 1890s, Thomas seeks employment in the office of a Texas judge. During the interview Thomas reveals that it is his life's ambition to become a United States Senator. He also informs Judge Wingate [Eg.G. Marshall] that he is completely blind."<br />
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On a side note: Thomas Gore would indeed overcome his blindness and serve as a US Senator from 1931-1937, chiefly under wheelchair-bound US president <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2012/06/splendid-deceptions-william-shatner-and.html" target="_blank">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a>.<br />
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William Shatner's portrayal of the blind but ambitious young Gore was called "outstanding" by <i>The New York Times</i>. <i>The Los Angeles Times</i>, meanwhile, called the episode an "expertly handled hour", and lauded the performances of the three stars performing alongside Gore Vidal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCcdY28C4Mjwhdn14rEKcEMM6l0qBEevdl5lBOgi_KFyJwoE0YUHNjh7I5cwf3XnbT11IG2xFgnFC-HPTDjOMf6-TOxUCvrxdt5pY_37SiGAygx_T_sg5T23ws52OyjM2oyIHLcSBEJg/s1600/1959-12-14_NYT_Indestructible_Mr_Gore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCcdY28C4Mjwhdn14rEKcEMM6l0qBEevdl5lBOgi_KFyJwoE0YUHNjh7I5cwf3XnbT11IG2xFgnFC-HPTDjOMf6-TOxUCvrxdt5pY_37SiGAygx_T_sg5T23ws52OyjM2oyIHLcSBEJg/s1600/1959-12-14_NYT_Indestructible_Mr_Gore.jpg" height="298" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<i>Source: <a href="http://rjbuffalo.com/gore-vidal-teleplays.html">rjbuffalo.com</a></i>) </div>
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We wish we could offer our own review of this episode. But unfortunately the master tapes of this show were erased by NBC in 1973. Thus, it may have been wiped from existence. In the UK, this phenomenon has given rise to the name "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_Believed_Wiped">Missing Believed Wiped</a>". Basically, until as late as 1980, TV stations were wiping tapes of previously broadcast programs to free-up space. Reruns? VHS? DVD? Historical value? No-one seemed to give a hoot.<br />
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A brief detour: Perhaps the most publicized wiping and subsequent re-locating of lost elements surrounds the BBC's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who" target="_blank"><i>Doctor Who</i></a> series. Dedicated fans have spent years tracking down episodes believed wiped by the BBC, locating copies in places as afar as Nigeria. This also led to some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjK-b4x9ZmQ" target="_blank">fascinating restoration technologies</a> being utilised (ever heard of "chroma dots"?). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_missing_episodes" target="_blank">But some episodes are still missing</a>.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="240" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZTujXxXdaXc" width="320"></iframe><br /></div>
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Even if, like us, you have no idea what <i>Doctor Who</i> is supposed to be about as a dramatic presentation, the story of how so many of its episodes were lost and then re-found is certainly worth looking at by anyone interested in film and television.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="240" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VShMxc5TVyw" width="427"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
Meanwhile, the website <a href="http://rjbuffalo.com/gore-vidal-teleplays.html" target="_blank">rjbuffalo.com has an extensive section</a> on the television works of Gore Vidal. It features plenty of stories of similarly lost episodes and calls for readers to help track down potential <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinescope" target="_blank">kinescope</a> (a film camera recording video footage off a TV) recordings that may or may not still exist somewhere. Its section on "The Indestructible Mr. Gore" notes:<br />
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"This is <u>one of the most sought-after of all lost television programs</u> [emphasis ours].
There MUST be copies around somewhere, and whoever
has them probably doesn’t realize that they’re anything special.."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMUB7Xuy61uk6Nd-VJV3HL5RS1VaSKsGMqRGzVAekqlb8ZyXziCSOxDR7gWfeahBn4o8sul0O3esaPmWMR1btnCZxRHnE-pzn2-V_B00R9NpNjY4UktqUeFb0RHDwtNsaQqog-8bXU70/s1600/wiped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMUB7Xuy61uk6Nd-VJV3HL5RS1VaSKsGMqRGzVAekqlb8ZyXziCSOxDR7gWfeahBn4o8sul0O3esaPmWMR1btnCZxRHnE-pzn2-V_B00R9NpNjY4UktqUeFb0RHDwtNsaQqog-8bXU70/s1600/wiped.jpg" height="96" width="320" /></a></div>
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"That is what happened to the 2 inch color quad.
There is the possibility, of course, that other 2 inch color quad copies,
recorded by stations that wished to delay the broadcast, might still exist.
The chances, though, are vanishingly small.
It is more likely that a kinescope, probably b&w, would still survive somewhere...If you have any leads, any leads at all, on where this program might be located, please <a href="mailto:rjbuffalo@rjbuffalo.com" target="_blank">contact me IMMEDIATELY</a>. It is of utmost importance that this program be found, rescued, restored, and released."<br />
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We contacted "rj" and confirm that he is still very much interested in tracking down this episode...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_j-_gg55k88KeyD7jLPqvdSOJ4Ls9dwBy91RGNZdLWdxGizmuB3RNTbPa1oCDEWTZ-17lj1Xcm_skONDADbwHKLTC2Wsx3ll8rnqtiC5_OC71NRKTDF-6rol5mbhWY9H9P1Z2iMc5Zs/s1600/KinescopeArticle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_j-_gg55k88KeyD7jLPqvdSOJ4Ls9dwBy91RGNZdLWdxGizmuB3RNTbPa1oCDEWTZ-17lj1Xcm_skONDADbwHKLTC2Wsx3ll8rnqtiC5_OC71NRKTDF-6rol5mbhWY9H9P1Z2iMc5Zs/s1600/KinescopeArticle.jpg" height="174" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>Fortunately for us, the story does not end there</u>. Two images of "The Indestructible Mr. Gore" <i>do</i> survive - one of which we believe to be of major toupological interest.<br />
<br />
The first, reprinted at rjbuffalo, is from a <i>Variety</i> TV listing of the broadcast (full image atop this post). Obviously, magazines cannot show pictures from live broadcasts that have not yet aired. So the image is possibly from a dress rehearsal or publicity shoot. It shows Bill Shatner very likely wearing his easily identifiable "Jim Kirk lace". (Note the lush and rounded, rather than v-shaped, hairline at the side of the forehead.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqdA_6Y8ABPsPHHhmXmLSukOpUCCXpZeMz_F04mtMNlZ5BkmSECqgOSchxNAzFEAh5Q4UNwvun-Ju9JBVlqWkXprXRlz0dSkPZc4VKhlo8zVvjbj4QvQSFy48px6fUKT0GnGvfj2nG38/s1600/1959-12-02-wed_variety_p28CU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqdA_6Y8ABPsPHHhmXmLSukOpUCCXpZeMz_F04mtMNlZ5BkmSECqgOSchxNAzFEAh5Q4UNwvun-Ju9JBVlqWkXprXRlz0dSkPZc4VKhlo8zVvjbj4QvQSFy48px6fUKT0GnGvfj2nG38/s1600/1959-12-02-wed_variety_p28CU.jpg" /></a></div>
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By 1959, this toup was one the actor was, we believe, wearing full-time for TV broadcasts. The first hitherto identified usage is back in May 1958's <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/10/suspicion-protege-toupological-analysis.html" target="_blank"><i>Suspicion</i>: "The Protégé"</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1TgcMh8g_ceQyzkTIWKiezlfwG3258OCVBzJ5fEApmdCjmbpNwB6Yh3ys5IOqz6KiY2WNTeHoR-HRIaXEi96pypJk9fpTrvaVmSKNubBV6GayhT9lywkMliBZlDZ6IvaKH63e6Ppuq8/s1600/Prot_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1TgcMh8g_ceQyzkTIWKiezlfwG3258OCVBzJ5fEApmdCjmbpNwB6Yh3ys5IOqz6KiY2WNTeHoR-HRIaXEi96pypJk9fpTrvaVmSKNubBV6GayhT9lywkMliBZlDZ6IvaKH63e6Ppuq8/s1600/Prot_14.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>William Shatner in "The Protégé" (1958)</i></div>
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But as we noted in our analysis of <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2011/02/kraft-mystery-theater-man-who-didnt-fly.html" target="_blank"><i>Kraft Mystery Theater</i>: "The Man Who Didn't Fly"</a>, which aired <i>later</i> in July 1958, lengthening, clever combing and heavy spraying could still at this point yield a viable (from the standpoint of concealing thinning hair) toupless performance.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBamlKWEp0A3JlQtLCfO_zxnn7TnIsTaZZN3b6H1I3k-WHK5bNTFj8IB7OlKJ-KXOGPou5cuaaeQPV35iwGJZ5eXpct8DfhtA7sd3pg4TZHk34G4ZglS00Gcb5ltDc5rUzhbhNd5ciuY/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBamlKWEp0A3JlQtLCfO_zxnn7TnIsTaZZN3b6H1I3k-WHK5bNTFj8IB7OlKJ-KXOGPou5cuaaeQPV35iwGJZ5eXpct8DfhtA7sd3pg4TZHk34G4ZglS00Gcb5ltDc5rUzhbhNd5ciuY/s1600/21.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
But to the keen observer, the clues that Bill Shatner's hair was rapidly thinning, in particular in the crown area and moving up towards the front of the head, were evident <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/12/goodyear-television-playhouse-all.html" target="_blank">as far back as 1956</a>:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoY71lsytmaVguvxJk58ab-HK6lhLeeh3m1W5xB4Vym_QbuA5xHJ57a0c2OxyiM9AXtJIOuRgHPN3Q2gOqhl4nmOjOfZI9Fh4gZQlo3B8uiyVeWmOxzGJB6n3lPY-RRWQVY0sCuqyTvEM/s1600/004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoY71lsytmaVguvxJk58ab-HK6lhLeeh3m1W5xB4Vym_QbuA5xHJ57a0c2OxyiM9AXtJIOuRgHPN3Q2gOqhl4nmOjOfZI9Fh4gZQlo3B8uiyVeWmOxzGJB6n3lPY-RRWQVY0sCuqyTvEM/s1600/004.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Goodyear Television Playhouse:<i>"All Summer Long" (1956)</i></div>
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And even <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/05/alfred-hitchcock-presents-glass-eye.html" target="_blank">more so by 1957</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWzc8rzJ2wf6UibrAL7Ts6RAu_vp4k71VEQDfXfbNjjJlWfcOD-_9_vR2AlAfp2KYLlVI8ApfIWkTsj8L_QIfvNXNVuVOTwdehv8YTuFOBx4BW9OfswzS6sl66TD1x27_cyjB2K6cPql8/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWzc8rzJ2wf6UibrAL7Ts6RAu_vp4k71VEQDfXfbNjjJlWfcOD-_9_vR2AlAfp2KYLlVI8ApfIWkTsj8L_QIfvNXNVuVOTwdehv8YTuFOBx4BW9OfswzS6sl66TD1x27_cyjB2K6cPql8/s1600/007.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Alfred Hitchcock Presents<i>:"The Glass Eye" (1957)</i></div>
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All of which brings us to the second available photo of "The Indestructible Mr. Gore". We spotted a low resolution version on the rjbuffalo site, taken from a 1994 book written by Gore Vidal entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Screening-History-Gore-Vidal/dp/0674795873/" target="_blank"><i>Screening History</i></a>. Our staff immediately set about locating a copy of the book and subjecting the photograph in question to the full range of our latest touposcopical equipment. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvY0xi900Rt0jEIU-gzdhJ1beaGMToBMZA3znkte0yG1UFoLL80GVIEfmzomhau_rBOEZOSQDjGHH-0JLd61v8olQuKLksKlDER8RuQI3Ti8UK-tH4XOyT5EYxgrlh2ohHtTCO0SF2Rs/s1600/ShatGore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvY0xi900Rt0jEIU-gzdhJ1beaGMToBMZA3znkte0yG1UFoLL80GVIEfmzomhau_rBOEZOSQDjGHH-0JLd61v8olQuKLksKlDER8RuQI3Ti8UK-tH4XOyT5EYxgrlh2ohHtTCO0SF2Rs/s1600/ShatGore.jpg" height="320" width="231" /></a></div>
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The conclusion reached by the Department of Toupological Determinations, and subsequently affirmed by the Toupological Review Board, was a startling one: this was Bill Shatner in 1959 <i>without</i> his toupee. That would date this picture as the last toupless image we have come across thus far. Previously, the last likely toupless picture we had was a mid-1959 rehearsal image from a TV series called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312220/" target="_blank"><i>Tactic</i></a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomiASq4Eyhwfr24GDbut4jIRi_-cv518_bF2XOYDwltIfTm3LPh3vR5NxD57UTgOBy07PKL4iP46QOcss4Nc36LZN7X-7tTArhyphenhyphen8NwuykPTLlskEkghmMtOOT6ysHbM0AztBEEntJ3tpz/s1600/ShatHitch_cu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomiASq4Eyhwfr24GDbut4jIRi_-cv518_bF2XOYDwltIfTm3LPh3vR5NxD57UTgOBy07PKL4iP46QOcss4Nc36LZN7X-7tTArhyphenhyphen8NwuykPTLlskEkghmMtOOT6ysHbM0AztBEEntJ3tpz/s1600/ShatHitch_cu.jpg" height="302" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(Bill Shatner rehearses </i>Tactic. <i>See <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/07/toupee-or-not-toupee.html" target="_blank">here</a> for more)</i></div>
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Before we get into the details of how the call was made, there is the question of why this photo differs from the first one, which is most certainly one in which Bill Shatner is touped-up. Obviously, we can't say for sure. Is it possible that Bill Shatner went toupless for the actual broadcast? It's possible (though given the actor's thinning hair, we suspect only external circumstances, like a damaged lace, would have forced such a decision upon Bill Shatner). The other, perhaps more viable option is that this is some kind of unofficial rehearsal picture. Unlike the first image, it is not necessarily intended for public release. We can only speculate...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5SmA5KxT_rRoEHPlJXeLnDzo0vSFaHhk7Q5M3nz5hC8N7AiVbk41XVlaPdVU3L-54wtOGcYBcIzgVmY4TniCCO8NrCFiY9cRSbaqjcjkjoBmJ6pTuj_gbGl_vZunmjTNHYtiYeK8TQk/s1600/ShatGore_CU4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5SmA5KxT_rRoEHPlJXeLnDzo0vSFaHhk7Q5M3nz5hC8N7AiVbk41XVlaPdVU3L-54wtOGcYBcIzgVmY4TniCCO8NrCFiY9cRSbaqjcjkjoBmJ6pTuj_gbGl_vZunmjTNHYtiYeK8TQk/s1600/ShatGore_CU4.jpg" height="269" width="320" /></a></div>
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But what is evident is that Bill Shatner's hair is very different between the two pictures. In the second image, the characteristic curve that follows the upper sides of the hairline is absent. Instead, we have not only a normal v-shaped recession, but also a line indicating a parting of the hair. Along the parting line, we see an area of Bill Shatner's scalp that is usually fully concealed (and certainly not visible if wearing a "Jim Kirk lace").<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YzFumCik0lfhpjdGJ-LHcXOHcwIXqLIcHw85PQ0Mj9N4xcThtWVMGI_9Pb76MM-RsbY_xv_f1nr6wpsBm2Rlyb-N-Q2JAkFkIYWwUW37J8nxCD3FZEhIJgoAWPDRG8KOP5dvsguLbhM/s1600/ShatGore_CU3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YzFumCik0lfhpjdGJ-LHcXOHcwIXqLIcHw85PQ0Mj9N4xcThtWVMGI_9Pb76MM-RsbY_xv_f1nr6wpsBm2Rlyb-N-Q2JAkFkIYWwUW37J8nxCD3FZEhIJgoAWPDRG8KOP5dvsguLbhM/s1600/ShatGore_CU3.jpg" height="269" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Overall, our team divided the image into four specific Areas of
Toupological Interest (ATI). This yielded ATI 01, ATI 02,
ATI 03, and ATI 04.These areas were then studied and compared with available images of Bill Shatner both touped-up and toupless. Staff recorded the following observations:<br />
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<b>ATI 01</b> - this suggests long, thinning hair.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oScksTUTKoV4sEs1rBCn9Vm5BpiVTe5NUKv3isJwcvN3tnXMG9DmfKzQVy9SrIooZ2S04rWGT3tc2tX6Yu0F7Y_Np6sMPsEIcFkj0PHJAOqhN_M77y1qUQeLZH6He_KJNwOwSctq7sw/s1600/ati1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oScksTUTKoV4sEs1rBCn9Vm5BpiVTe5NUKv3isJwcvN3tnXMG9DmfKzQVy9SrIooZ2S04rWGT3tc2tX6Yu0F7Y_Np6sMPsEIcFkj0PHJAOqhN_M77y1qUQeLZH6He_KJNwOwSctq7sw/s1600/ati1.jpg" height="83" width="200" /></a></div>
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Side-parted and quite compressed - perhaps as a result of wearing a toupee on top or hair treated with hair oil or other product.<br />
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<b>ATI 02</b> - (the area we discussed a little earlier).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH87Yj5WDU5tQkRNKT9nXoleOHbGzzean2AwCGys6TGkjypuGl-WDskoyiZRJYr2p8EkyC6Tg5ksd_yC3X1xyabGPm2jDkkpdSBuHGHkxF7GV5pU1nALXcWfYuE-QgyQu8H-KJwJaOM40/s1600/ati2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH87Yj5WDU5tQkRNKT9nXoleOHbGzzean2AwCGys6TGkjypuGl-WDskoyiZRJYr2p8EkyC6Tg5ksd_yC3X1xyabGPm2jDkkpdSBuHGHkxF7GV5pU1nALXcWfYuE-QgyQu8H-KJwJaOM40/s1600/ati2.jpg" height="128" width="200" /></a></div>
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Side-parting. V-shape. No rounded strands of "Jim Kirk lace" sprouting up from this area. Scalp visible, extending towards mid-section of head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUkdlKDq8XgY-Am4iAnyD-L8RONojsuG8MxNNoekmjd7aWCVIxtvcC8d_BD_0wbTo09eyiP4ct2naVeTw8dN5_JA9kk6Rbf894WEI8Trq5CbCHOp8SbF9ZVNS3DtbcuRP6NrIxGIgpnE/s1600/byanyothernamehd0186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUkdlKDq8XgY-Am4iAnyD-L8RONojsuG8MxNNoekmjd7aWCVIxtvcC8d_BD_0wbTo09eyiP4ct2naVeTw8dN5_JA9kk6Rbf894WEI8Trq5CbCHOp8SbF9ZVNS3DtbcuRP6NrIxGIgpnE/s1600/byanyothernamehd0186.jpg" height="320" width="316" /></a></div>
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(Jim Kirk lace "rounded" side of hairline. <a href="http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x22hd/byanyothernamehd0186.jpg" target="_blank">Source: Trekcore.</a>)</div>
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<b>ATI 03</b> - observable thinning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCkrCfJVXoD5mb8-cCk5SHltZrZvc7YAE7_HYPIukczz_WNfrtuQvl-eXQgV4HPDVsx6MuXyXI_rtYgqlgB8o0AYhTb8f755Uey6J-QXDmP3KkAaXqWEAEw4Yf_XBGvkoc2kTxyQzJAk/s1600/ati3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCkrCfJVXoD5mb8-cCk5SHltZrZvc7YAE7_HYPIukczz_WNfrtuQvl-eXQgV4HPDVsx6MuXyXI_rtYgqlgB8o0AYhTb8f755Uey6J-QXDmP3KkAaXqWEAEw4Yf_XBGvkoc2kTxyQzJAk/s1600/ati3.jpg" height="98" width="200" /></a></div>
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Hair of notably different density than that visible at the sides of Bill Shatner's head. Shortening effect at rear, thinning "comb-back" clump. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ90yE39DgYAVG6LeLF16WmP5qWJ9Cerds0Qgze9cNRl4166qtjDXAw2ztRyd03rf5mbe7J_0i11gxECVgyzMhEl94eFgL03tIuDzXT9knQEV9v_P1JqRqgX5INcJjdltaMLUgm3HYR8Y/s1600/004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ90yE39DgYAVG6LeLF16WmP5qWJ9Cerds0Qgze9cNRl4166qtjDXAw2ztRyd03rf5mbe7J_0i11gxECVgyzMhEl94eFgL03tIuDzXT9knQEV9v_P1JqRqgX5INcJjdltaMLUgm3HYR8Y/s1600/004.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>("All Summer Long". Note lightened, thinning "comb-back" at rear. Beyond is "missing" section - see ATI 04)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXCeQH7ydUScaKzS26_SQQirhzW237Zb9w1LcxTWcDClWKOLsL36M4zK7VvFejomrJCBOdn35CMh-fWMxFipWFJRHPXJFG7flBeCbQuzwzQBB9NN-rsyk6K-uFhiMbW6enTlHMkltmTM/s1600/ShatGore_CU2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXCeQH7ydUScaKzS26_SQQirhzW237Zb9w1LcxTWcDClWKOLsL36M4zK7VvFejomrJCBOdn35CMh-fWMxFipWFJRHPXJFG7flBeCbQuzwzQBB9NN-rsyk6K-uFhiMbW6enTlHMkltmTM/s1600/ShatGore_CU2.jpg" height="269" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>ATI 04</b> - characteristic "Jim Kirk lace" smooth curve of hair arching around back/crown of head absent. Something "missing".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyJwvMcEFHbNyWGhZ5QmJwKLYMWk7Mmkj1uIuM9v6-FuVqLpwizLrtIoxHRU_Sj5Ffhpi5R3_dDvczrruIZXpdapIk3L5U2gD67PcQfW-S9e2msttLAFokUwqdgvDZl2XDhTirSK6h6U/s1600/ati4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyJwvMcEFHbNyWGhZ5QmJwKLYMWk7Mmkj1uIuM9v6-FuVqLpwizLrtIoxHRU_Sj5Ffhpi5R3_dDvczrruIZXpdapIk3L5U2gD67PcQfW-S9e2msttLAFokUwqdgvDZl2XDhTirSK6h6U/s1600/ati4.jpg" height="200" width="161" /></a></div>
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The "Jim Kirk lace" creates a very particular smooth, curved look to the back of the head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejsM8oWqZS7AfLcN6yJzTY4C9MOuZZARaWlyTsItRM75ZTfzQPG2Azyl3RgRtioM_bptfRcDSKDZQ4NDpoMBb5a1Zwo3tqDP6zdzbvPZNYhrcR48RIX3-E8mAyhzj5TuqnLDrasuR-vo/s1600/019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejsM8oWqZS7AfLcN6yJzTY4C9MOuZZARaWlyTsItRM75ZTfzQPG2Azyl3RgRtioM_bptfRcDSKDZQ4NDpoMBb5a1Zwo3tqDP6zdzbvPZNYhrcR48RIX3-E8mAyhzj5TuqnLDrasuR-vo/s1600/019.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5BX4LCTqh9aNey-cZBqQbMyr4_rAML2bajM7XKbg_ayDUiP9YBmHldSftCTeQ_R9LqzYi-mqtPuM_jwDEBdmY3exYkhlP4VjWSHjqjrVxvZ7mbUKYJoQ8MFS7nRjBJ3z8mwO_q34E2M/s1600/013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5BX4LCTqh9aNey-cZBqQbMyr4_rAML2bajM7XKbg_ayDUiP9YBmHldSftCTeQ_R9LqzYi-mqtPuM_jwDEBdmY3exYkhlP4VjWSHjqjrVxvZ7mbUKYJoQ8MFS7nRjBJ3z8mwO_q34E2M/s1600/013.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>(images from </i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2011/04/judgment-at-nuremberg-toupological.html" target="_blank">Judgment at Nuremberg</a><i>, 1961)</i></div>
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Conversely, later-stage toupless performances show this curve to have the "missing" area, in which the combed-down hair was not sufficient to maintain the fluidity of this arch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNG7VSByjOqDv7yulsgbSooKEX8WsNtRH4JB-bkzgoDgkUQxfL7g89NHfkHl_aUewacgznBxciyFzgdD3eR9A69-5KjcoIQ9MWJaFQGpJ5E6pS8NbSbfJ8XZplTobn_3z3hEU1uob9WRo/s1600/009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNG7VSByjOqDv7yulsgbSooKEX8WsNtRH4JB-bkzgoDgkUQxfL7g89NHfkHl_aUewacgznBxciyFzgdD3eR9A69-5KjcoIQ9MWJaFQGpJ5E6pS8NbSbfJ8XZplTobn_3z3hEU1uob9WRo/s1600/009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzss_SRmcHCbmygMFl8-LdSneAzU0R3Sy2HYBaHKm7Gbxf77k66M2NKgGpsCkGgLwvXsGJVF0_eZaKKdrX_tQse5A9-5-5mmwdiRr9g1grwD-06qP-ECY7795ynNxnLOCLME-V7SioM-v/s1600/d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzss_SRmcHCbmygMFl8-LdSneAzU0R3Sy2HYBaHKm7Gbxf77k66M2NKgGpsCkGgLwvXsGJVF0_eZaKKdrX_tQse5A9-5-5mmwdiRr9g1grwD-06qP-ECY7795ynNxnLOCLME-V7SioM-v/s1600/d.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>(top: </i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/12/studio-one-defender-toupological.html" target="_blank">Studio One: <i>"The Defender"</i></a><i>, 1957; bottom </i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/05/alfred-hitchcock-presents-glass-eye.html" target="_blank">Alfred Hitchcock Presents:</a><i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/05/alfred-hitchcock-presents-glass-eye.html" target="_blank">"The Glass Eye"</a>, 1957): </i></div>
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It's a sort of "hen peck" effect. Something has been "gnawing" at the back, leaving an area of disruption.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfp2d9Mvc8HMFAZVMVn0WvPoU6j2LgAG6xJPdvvhcpRZSLzOua4KN5UB8R1NZYcik_Z-2tTtFiQvfWeqSsXrYIj7C3SYmx4TNILvVQw9Wu2Gpzy0rSvUP0zux0_-3LJi9I5LcQilNoQQ/s1600/ShatGore_CU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfp2d9Mvc8HMFAZVMVn0WvPoU6j2LgAG6xJPdvvhcpRZSLzOua4KN5UB8R1NZYcik_Z-2tTtFiQvfWeqSsXrYIj7C3SYmx4TNILvVQw9Wu2Gpzy0rSvUP0zux0_-3LJi9I5LcQilNoQQ/s1600/ShatGore_CU.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a></div>
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A similar effect was observed in the "The Indestructible Mr. Gore" image. The rear area does not appear to follow the smooth, thick curve indicative of a "Jim Kirk lace". Something at the back is noticeably missing.<br />
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Thus, for the above reasons, as well as due to some more detailed sub-toupular readings detected by our touposcopes...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5AYGoDJC5y7FPObhdh7RjD3lpgmGXLs8fDsSh2V7DhT5T-ewxeYBbcpTyHxopfmbEsZIIHLV781TRTs8FG3wn3ed1q4NNflMDqke04_YQ_OQXpqVbpJTyhXIcKJm9UTHssWKfGKym_I/s1600/touposcope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5AYGoDJC5y7FPObhdh7RjD3lpgmGXLs8fDsSh2V7DhT5T-ewxeYBbcpTyHxopfmbEsZIIHLV781TRTs8FG3wn3ed1q4NNflMDqke04_YQ_OQXpqVbpJTyhXIcKJm9UTHssWKfGKym_I/s1600/touposcope.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
...the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies (WSSTS) "felt that enough evidence exists to conclude that the image in question is very likely one in which William Shatner is not wearing a toupee, or in the modern vernacular, is 'toupless'". The full 567-page report can be obtained by writing to the WSSTS.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YzFumCik0lfhpjdGJ-LHcXOHcwIXqLIcHw85PQ0Mj9N4xcThtWVMGI_9Pb76MM-RsbY_xv_f1nr6wpsBm2Rlyb-N-Q2JAkFkIYWwUW37J8nxCD3FZEhIJgoAWPDRG8KOP5dvsguLbhM/s1600/ShatGore_CU3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-d1kpsUX4Od5omyuNTbDHRApXHCl-8akQPi7-q-D7ofmBPBYG_2t0smBF-c4Nc93Hz8szcO5r4bdCpYw2gKualCGaIBNLTleJJ-ZrHEjboCUtg0EJ8WTD4kIhyphenhyphena2QOwD-88zWmFujUM/s1600/B10VpZpCcAAnbNN.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-d1kpsUX4Od5omyuNTbDHRApXHCl-8akQPi7-q-D7ofmBPBYG_2t0smBF-c4Nc93Hz8szcO5r4bdCpYw2gKualCGaIBNLTleJJ-ZrHEjboCUtg0EJ8WTD4kIhyphenhyphena2QOwD-88zWmFujUM/s1600/B10VpZpCcAAnbNN.jpg+large.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Toupee delivery delight? <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/530604138564833280/photo/1" target="_blank">Via Twitter</a>.</i></div>
ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-24277618731428633102014-10-26T10:09:00.001+01:002014-10-27T15:16:37.221+01:00Allusions or illusions?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt60L-3Jx5Zo_czcfDGm226Xby_w5G_PB4D-7bp75xvRLfL_2rKgf8JBCivyx77bgf4SeDSHnTQ5WBrhqDbsSXUyXu869BIQVSiC8SaEuhHGApC3lSUmeOfUpW75hUz-gMDCtDSGnviIY/s1600/shat01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt60L-3Jx5Zo_czcfDGm226Xby_w5G_PB4D-7bp75xvRLfL_2rKgf8JBCivyx77bgf4SeDSHnTQ5WBrhqDbsSXUyXu869BIQVSiC8SaEuhHGApC3lSUmeOfUpW75hUz-gMDCtDSGnviIY/s1600/shat01.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Yes, <i>allusions</i>. Not <i>ill</i>usions. <i>All</i>usions..." the character of Dale Harding insisted during a tense therapy session in the iconic movie <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Flew_Over_the_Cuckoo%27s_Nest_(film)" target="_blank"><i>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest </i></a>(1975). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBo7FOm2URHqdA6qLexLRGjJw0tooWcB7BxquceKUHWda_se-VEV3EQrK5h4LXeNeKtpEeWJ8JXLBhRWbG6L6mqZYlT-2JFcUlsNm4Bpt_JGcfcckJEXRnyQwPK0TqMVGEXHg1KHEgVPI/s1600/OneFlewOver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBo7FOm2URHqdA6qLexLRGjJw0tooWcB7BxquceKUHWda_se-VEV3EQrK5h4LXeNeKtpEeWJ8JXLBhRWbG6L6mqZYlT-2JFcUlsNm4Bpt_JGcfcckJEXRnyQwPK0TqMVGEXHg1KHEgVPI/s1600/OneFlewOver.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Of course, students of Bill Shatner's toupee-wearing will know that these two easily confused words can actually mean one and the same. And with this in mind, we bring you two such allusions (via our readers' tips) about the illusion that is the actor's lush, plentiful hair.<br />
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In the first, <a href="http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/07/william-shatner-doing-this-interview-is-scaring-me-4446178/" target="_blank">a March 2014 interview</a> with the UK tabloid <i>Metro</i>, Bill Shatner is asked about his role as General Shanker in the star-studded 2013 Canadian computer-animated film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765446/" target="_blank"><i>Escape From Planet Earth</i></a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgZAB8RZXuEgRIC_y62Id4JPXlThOjXjxgHv0UkZZshJKXu4tBoJ7CyweuWBZOOBtpkQOQxqXXEITWsqQaTOxhtKndY5g10yVu2WfxRlrfKN59YGP9SpqRj17Eih0qYO9C_Ilb9kkn3k/s1600/General_Shanker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgZAB8RZXuEgRIC_y62Id4JPXlThOjXjxgHv0UkZZshJKXu4tBoJ7CyweuWBZOOBtpkQOQxqXXEITWsqQaTOxhtKndY5g10yVu2WfxRlrfKN59YGP9SpqRj17Eih0qYO9C_Ilb9kkn3k/s1600/General_Shanker.jpg" height="171" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>General Shanker - is this the first time that Bill Shatner has portrayed a truly bald character?</i></div>
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"It’s all for my grandkids," he replies. "And they loved it. I was trying to do something with my voice. I disguised it a little but they recognised me immediately, so it was a waste of time. <b>I can put on a nose, a beard,</b> <b>a wig</b> <b>but that doesn’t do any good. It all fails and they’ve just got good ol’ me</b> [emphasis ours]."</div>
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An interesting statement for a number of reasons. If the "they" is expanded to also mean us, namely the general public, then the inference appears to be that any kind of artifice or pretense presented in our direction by this actor is futile. Why bother? What's the point? The audience is smart enough to see through all that. Instead, what we really have is the real thing - "good ol’ me". No pretense. Nothing false...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjQ1B-o-FAa17WQRWEDLyOQ0YBdNjq95t1WxT0ddbWhwdQEK4Eh0afxsC5TNvoAO5alg_KYVhpoOahqa_bJeeuuIwCL10CrCvXbab5-pSVdFH2FO7-eOrkkFRLIBre12Nmx6K6FLyFrc/s1600/800px-Apple_pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjQ1B-o-FAa17WQRWEDLyOQ0YBdNjq95t1WxT0ddbWhwdQEK4Eh0afxsC5TNvoAO5alg_KYVhpoOahqa_bJeeuuIwCL10CrCvXbab5-pSVdFH2FO7-eOrkkFRLIBre12Nmx6K6FLyFrc/s1600/800px-Apple_pie.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Some good ol' apple pie.</i></div>
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Finally, the statement also carries a curious tone of almost whimsical resignation. "It all fails," Bill Shatner notes. It is as if he is suggesting that: "<i>Oh, I tried the toupee for a while back in '73. But what's the point? It all fails, so why bother? It is better to be real..." </i>Some powerful lessons there from the master of illusion - or is that allusions?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfzSIIzGMktQt1o2-XLREubiAbspBpm5lWOPlEy1NEt33Pco-L3Ek5-p7JsFkeewP1TJv9PsUkfySpVZ0crzi4bhThHQuNBEE6sCN7rp39NYm4olhz32iOVmFxUtjgbfxqxhXNHcaT7I/s1600/Sequence+01.Still003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfzSIIzGMktQt1o2-XLREubiAbspBpm5lWOPlEy1NEt33Pco-L3Ek5-p7JsFkeewP1TJv9PsUkfySpVZ0crzi4bhThHQuNBEE6sCN7rp39NYm4olhz32iOVmFxUtjgbfxqxhXNHcaT7I/s1600/Sequence+01.Still003.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Secondly, we have a piece of audio to analyze - one in much the same spirit as the above item. Back in December 2012, Bill Shatner posted "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgMf3TZ3BTM" target="_blank">A Holiday Message to You from Shanta</a>" on his YouTube account:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzPwzKMvBYOVlHIqS9fgvVLj_-mNVl2ocK0MXFeoJ5h8KTzngp4V62-4AHCSSInQxa4NcENWTB_OXb9SHRkxg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<i></i> <br />
<i>"Hi, I'd like to wish you all a Happy Holiday [sic]. I want you to let the hair grow as part of the celebration. You know...I mean...let the hair grow, wherever hair grows. Let it grow. And worship it. And...and...and...cultivate it. And admire it. This </i>[points to beard]<i> is not me. This is applied. But it still means Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and Season's Greeting to all of you."</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJAr1Lx5RgThaVu5civZVwyoJ9-PB_v10TJxMLdpj7XqyOxPW5lgn4OF1vqpZUNMGWtCG_BOeWDWDWJeQMYxVbrLm23y8zN5oJ6-NypsNorQn-ZPzVv4N0GguHuV_N2sLQv-Ztma_Lms/s1600/LetItBeNaked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJAr1Lx5RgThaVu5civZVwyoJ9-PB_v10TJxMLdpj7XqyOxPW5lgn4OF1vqpZUNMGWtCG_BOeWDWDWJeQMYxVbrLm23y8zN5oJ6-NypsNorQn-ZPzVv4N0GguHuV_N2sLQv-Ztma_Lms/s1600/LetItBeNaked.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>Let it grow...</i></div>
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Some rather stunning, quasi-coded wordplay there, seemingly directed, at
least in part, at students and fans of the toupee. A Christmas nod. A
wink. A brazen one at that. Risky to pull off. Ostensibly, Bill Shatner points and refers to his
beard only - but he knows that we know, and we know that he knows that we know... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgkP5SUTvMouQxQ_SSMFAM382J8WmGvuamO2kmBoznlee1H_cAMbQKYYaY19fDdbzGXEcQJCLl_HAhD7KVrVpT0gkqO0rFsO0jN2bjdg7wuruCDJjwmV9E0yVMfqwlvhAeI0LTwpt7Fs/s1600/Sequence+01.Still002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgkP5SUTvMouQxQ_SSMFAM382J8WmGvuamO2kmBoznlee1H_cAMbQKYYaY19fDdbzGXEcQJCLl_HAhD7KVrVpT0gkqO0rFsO0jN2bjdg7wuruCDJjwmV9E0yVMfqwlvhAeI0LTwpt7Fs/s1600/Sequence+01.Still002.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dare we say this act is also something of a thrill for Bill Shatner, like horse or motorcycle riding, or mountain climbing? Why do it? Because it is there...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxoGMvlTfiFYl3PYLT49Z6NJSCFEuZtwfGAmaFcvuNPYKyG1yJJB2sUO9-4755YnhbxXzbkqDUKNADSfynQz_6QVNXKhwxzmZgAY9J8RWV6CfufL_G0AkS4S0bk-wTamz-WcCUYyjURM/s1600/Sequence+01.Still001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxoGMvlTfiFYl3PYLT49Z6NJSCFEuZtwfGAmaFcvuNPYKyG1yJJB2sUO9-4755YnhbxXzbkqDUKNADSfynQz_6QVNXKhwxzmZgAY9J8RWV6CfufL_G0AkS4S0bk-wTamz-WcCUYyjURM/s1600/Sequence+01.Still001.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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But if we delve a little deeper, there is yet more to uncover. The first part of Bill Shatner's statement is bubbling with confidence. He's in on the joke and wants the audience to know it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FdP2sYMdakiD7TehvO_lsVBh3aBXpP9Di_Vh63T_dZzFcCUTKiF0tlvsuIBzDkheXQomZrHk57wPRq5LqmVgwB-dg-m7X22mn1s-3Liu3FmY3XNQk74Zz6d6qGMit2j2IxwwaTg8aGA/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FdP2sYMdakiD7TehvO_lsVBh3aBXpP9Di_Vh63T_dZzFcCUTKiF0tlvsuIBzDkheXQomZrHk57wPRq5LqmVgwB-dg-m7X22mn1s-3Liu3FmY3XNQk74Zz6d6qGMit2j2IxwwaTg8aGA/s1600/1.jpg" height="73" width="320" /> </a></div>
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But then comes the second part. This is far trickier to say. More personal. More of a gateway into the soul. More of a potentially direct statement. His voice drops considerably. The nerves grow. The waveform representation provides a visual demonstration of this trepidation.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd-jZ3YW_1fffbfPnNgzj5zZNyMfqJqcLm_QY8IEkvPRIJVFlYs8ktgxpe3hu8Bp9LlixH0ZBg9-_dyqBNOrkaGww_S6tSrqJZc4g9R-cjcmI8gcLqGQ1re2Kl3V2kZZlmZQhFK2tWEk/s1600/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd-jZ3YW_1fffbfPnNgzj5zZNyMfqJqcLm_QY8IEkvPRIJVFlYs8ktgxpe3hu8Bp9LlixH0ZBg9-_dyqBNOrkaGww_S6tSrqJZc4g9R-cjcmI8gcLqGQ1re2Kl3V2kZZlmZQhFK2tWEk/s1600/2.jpg" height="65" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Then the unthinkable: "This is not me. This is...applied." He said it! But, of course, being Bill Shatner, he hasn't <i>really</i> said what some of us might think and hope he just said - at least not in the way it could be interpreted. Or has he? Is it an illusion or an allusion? </div>
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With such a complicated individual, one can never really be sure. The subsequent non sequitur "But it still means Merry Christmas," only serves to underscore the potential power of the previous moment. The code and the subtext become as important, if not more, than the overt superficial meaning. And that is why toupology has become such a globally respected science...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCBttjmmrM0cf7Z9XAXq3eoWEROGW7XbJ0C3Czi9YFS4VPqf24obY0bJQ29lNI5HhyphenhyphenGSzcA4RO5Chq0Mdm31jvcm3IwC0GCioctTIW6c85WUxtvFI0ImWf4-4OSTMPlb2QCB1RrnbUzI/s1600/patch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCBttjmmrM0cf7Z9XAXq3eoWEROGW7XbJ0C3Czi9YFS4VPqf24obY0bJQ29lNI5HhyphenhyphenGSzcA4RO5Chq0Mdm31jvcm3IwC0GCioctTIW6c85WUxtvFI0ImWf4-4OSTMPlb2QCB1RrnbUzI/s1600/patch.jpg" height="140" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.cz/2010/12/goodyear-television-playhouse-all.html" target="_blank">Technology developed</a> by the WSSTS [pictured right] <a href="http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Titans_Swirling_Polar_Cloud_Is_Cold_And_Toxic_999.html" target="_blank">helps NASA scientists study</a> [pictured left] a curious patch on Saturn's moon Titan. </i></div>
ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-84187998724980496182014-09-21T18:28:00.000+02:002015-09-20T10:11:29.647+02:00But is it Jim...?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4rq5xlgE3brffl6bkrOLTY7oM_83VzenBwWPnznjeyrUCORoQxRODOgHWHftvyrPDrpYe1Q4T5k1Bs7BvI9G-qcObEUlDEmVe2IhJ8izkKlHsJ-G4eytbVREPpCEMdpQpbYYLt5VdkY/s1600/ShatKirk04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4rq5xlgE3brffl6bkrOLTY7oM_83VzenBwWPnznjeyrUCORoQxRODOgHWHftvyrPDrpYe1Q4T5k1Bs7BvI9G-qcObEUlDEmVe2IhJ8izkKlHsJ-G4eytbVREPpCEMdpQpbYYLt5VdkY/s1600/ShatKirk04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Back in 1980, music legend Paul McCartney released a song on his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCartney_II" target="_blank"><i>McCartney II</i></a> album called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coming_Up_%28song%29" target="_blank">Coming Up</a>". <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnHu-WLvY5U" target="_blank">The video</a> featured the singer dressing up as a variety of characters, one of whom was a kind of "Beatlemania Paul" throwback.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACSpA0CQ0Bt2p9PEa4J0lN9XAe5nviyz6K6WO8CCLsRCMS-v6-Qx4XdJFy9qfIwzegveFJd5SkjQbyGjrhPh6AodBjj82DOuJ9fH8uIUFG8SyTnrtGx7getxm3Ni2xbIXQw4z8n7mzn8/s1600/MaccaComingUp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACSpA0CQ0Bt2p9PEa4J0lN9XAe5nviyz6K6WO8CCLsRCMS-v6-Qx4XdJFy9qfIwzegveFJd5SkjQbyGjrhPh6AodBjj82DOuJ9fH8uIUFG8SyTnrtGx7getxm3Ni2xbIXQw4z8n7mzn8/s1600/MaccaComingUp.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i> Paul McCartney in 1980, dressed up as his 1964 Beatles self</i>.</div>
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McCartney adopted the <a href="http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/exhibitions/sutcliffe/suit.aspx" target="_blank">suit</a>, mannerisms (lots of laughing and smiling), and also the hairstyle of his younger self, circa 1964.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gO6B-mcIEhzyqutBpXln20cDah2h-oiUy0pGf7KrICIZNzBw8_NerXvMT6nUvdtLuT_ffKwHAytFKv7PnYpHwV483mDnyLvrBX6NELU3COsl01vccXHHvknPSpW8cOY2zTHQgAh0WYo/s1600/macca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gO6B-mcIEhzyqutBpXln20cDah2h-oiUy0pGf7KrICIZNzBw8_NerXvMT6nUvdtLuT_ffKwHAytFKv7PnYpHwV483mDnyLvrBX6NELU3COsl01vccXHHvknPSpW8cOY2zTHQgAh0WYo/s1600/macca.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's very rare for celebrities of an iconic caliber to do this kind of thing for a variety of reasons - after all, no-one wants to risk cheapening past achievements, or blurring the lines between what was and what is. But there's probably a big difference between the likes of a McCartney or a Shatner going retro (fun), and some washed-up celebrity doing it because they haven't done anything since (a bit sad).<br />
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And so when Bill Shatner has <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/08/reference-points-and-four-phases-of.html" target="_blank">donned</a> his Captain Kirk costume a number of times outside of official <i>Trek</i> canon, we would say it too is better categorized as fun, rather than sad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuTclH1sq91WdS77ZDLOsJNHJc-Ma9mdwJ1lV4ca9lfTApmu2CZ4zoOSGr5GL0TVAl48du5_wjOGVWu80BnsCVB05j6WCETL7pzD_21t2ZUHiZJSIL6EZHaAYxXVA4uJZyBhq6Z5pHeU/s1600/Shatnertoupphases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuTclH1sq91WdS77ZDLOsJNHJc-Ma9mdwJ1lV4ca9lfTApmu2CZ4zoOSGr5GL0TVAl48du5_wjOGVWu80BnsCVB05j6WCETL7pzD_21t2ZUHiZJSIL6EZHaAYxXVA4uJZyBhq6Z5pHeU/s1600/Shatnertoupphases.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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But unlike McCartney's eerily perfect recreation, something has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIfNv9qLvy4" target="_blank">almost</a> always been amiss with Bill Shatner's retro-<i>Trek</i> moments. A kind of cognitive toupological dissonance stemming from a notable mismatch between the era of the Kirk costume he has worn and the era of the toup.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJmU_Jlz4ebm2Hs_7ys0TUBo-eE5Outk7wLJHBHfwfjFzVTUlpvh8_RIADjVqJ2QrtBYcpA0sabE3gmC0Hr2R-uyrDztQfZEDzHaI3mVDamNaYNI0DMYQ_8IuuFCj8Rz85-kiJnnNZe8/s1600/KirkOscars_zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJmU_Jlz4ebm2Hs_7ys0TUBo-eE5Outk7wLJHBHfwfjFzVTUlpvh8_RIADjVqJ2QrtBYcpA0sabE3gmC0Hr2R-uyrDztQfZEDzHaI3mVDamNaYNI0DMYQ_8IuuFCj8Rz85-kiJnnNZe8/s1600/KirkOscars_zoom.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
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In February 2013, the actor made an appearance, via video (he was also in the audience), for a comedy sketch at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_oscars" target="_blank">85th Academy Awards</a>. Bill Shatner was dressed up as the movie-era Kirk (unmistakably associated with the "TJ Curly" era of toupee), apparently coming from the future to warn host Seth Macfarlane about his "disastrous" upcoming performance.<br />
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Given the Oscars folks <i>ultra</i>-protectiveness of their videos, we present only the very briefest of clips:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyCpA_mm8QJkNCewkL0YWT2Yv1_ofgnrLTpX3DvA9NpFoz5lLPnCJYqMGD4Ha-WY3Q8uV-edKqpq1oHfBh7' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We may be wrong, but we think this is only the second time Bill Shatner has donned his movie-era <i>Star Trek </i>costume since his final performance as Captain Kirk in the 1994 movie <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek_Generations" target="_blank"><i>Star Trek: Generations</i></a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHVAgarT_thQZHGaVu10W4SxzAsN-tuqlnh7PQRVBTwavp8Pupab5-hLyKsPCxdD33KhP84LLrG8WozO3ZHiXaR3gqxT0ymIhvSnwzQ3BUZn3G-kPDK-pCeEal_4sgE9rKPTmxvNZtRQ/s1600/star-trek-generations-chekov-kirk-scotty-shatner-doohan-koeing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHVAgarT_thQZHGaVu10W4SxzAsN-tuqlnh7PQRVBTwavp8Pupab5-hLyKsPCxdD33KhP84LLrG8WozO3ZHiXaR3gqxT0ymIhvSnwzQ3BUZn3G-kPDK-pCeEal_4sgE9rKPTmxvNZtRQ/s1600/star-trek-generations-chekov-kirk-scotty-shatner-doohan-koeing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first, in 2006, was a <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/11/toupee-blt.html" target="_blank">DirecTV commercial</a> that combined new footage with that taken from 1991's <i>Star Trek VI</i>: <i>The Undiscovered Country</i>. Given that in this case footage from past and present was being blended, an attempt <i>had</i> to be made to "TJ-up" the "Denny Katz" - at least as much as modern technology and the actor himself might permit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuO63ClptteFjwGl2OJ1kPssvmR-nA931XRgwnd_C5twbLd3r1Sd0_fr79KlTJ5XZdr3YDF_uL2Td81H3aDz74WAIkZfkf2Xme4oiFH5wn1ER_NFqUaol-07-D0ghSYenhEHedWfNJGqCt/s1600/TouponPlugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuO63ClptteFjwGl2OJ1kPssvmR-nA931XRgwnd_C5twbLd3r1Sd0_fr79KlTJ5XZdr3YDF_uL2Td81H3aDz74WAIkZfkf2Xme4oiFH5wn1ER_NFqUaol-07-D0ghSYenhEHedWfNJGqCt/s1600/TouponPlugs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>A 2006 commercial for DirecTV.</i></div>
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But in 2013, the toup was not changed at all - it was an unabashed, unadulterated "Denny Katz", causing shock-waves to reverberate throughout the audience - and beyond.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZFOSyJfj4x28-91hIgz0sQSUnEoslzFyHDIkg9h5ENmYFZ409PtklfyL_lM0xrrkx1rRZEggTYLKs5jW43virocwMUMyGQT3SaJjKAbbP_5CLkHd-i1ezoFXw9gfDp_pjpHdSH8rn3U/s1600/audience.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZFOSyJfj4x28-91hIgz0sQSUnEoslzFyHDIkg9h5ENmYFZ409PtklfyL_lM0xrrkx1rRZEggTYLKs5jW43virocwMUMyGQT3SaJjKAbbP_5CLkHd-i1ezoFXw9gfDp_pjpHdSH8rn3U/s1600/audience.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i> Stunned - guests left speechless at the 2013 Oscars.</i></div>
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Even "Jimming-up" the toup a little with a slight frontal quiff (or "swoosh") - something the "Denny Katz" could easily accomodate...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-O92RJh1otOUApbk_s0rGVIstNgodOl_59WzlRFZrckUhWwnt1WbAaakMtJ8MYB2nydG-mFWNup1fq-AjNURAb5M_ET9wi16x_HCtfN-YK59agkIV8KN4O9JHYC9M0Xp0vHMdWtrWA4/s1600/william-shatner-levar-burton-brown-bag-wine-tasting-620x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-O92RJh1otOUApbk_s0rGVIstNgodOl_59WzlRFZrckUhWwnt1WbAaakMtJ8MYB2nydG-mFWNup1fq-AjNURAb5M_ET9wi16x_HCtfN-YK59agkIV8KN4O9JHYC9M0Xp0vHMdWtrWA4/s1600/william-shatner-levar-burton-brown-bag-wine-tasting-620x400.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.treknews.net/2014/09/08/william-shatner-levar-burton-brown-bag-wine-tasting/" target="_blank"><i>(source)</i></a></div>
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...was rejected. For many <i>Star Trek</i> fans, it appeared to be a devastating act of "tough love" on the part of their idol.<br />
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The key question regards this latest "Kirk" appearance is: has the long-absent character successfully been brought to life? Or does the fact that there is a toupological mismatch really thwart viewers' ability to experience a complete immersion in this retro-recreation?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojx6Uw2wd8k6jjfWGe8eF6R-ZfGSdW5Hps-oapNc1h4dUpKtzeIcAIL6JMnaDikEuvS4ATw0Bio5lGF5PD-4uFDoG317yq7hBI-Vpo_ZarrlqB1bmU_IXT1WpxDgdkUDVGrGAn8x_fIE/s1600/KirkOscars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojx6Uw2wd8k6jjfWGe8eF6R-ZfGSdW5Hps-oapNc1h4dUpKtzeIcAIL6JMnaDikEuvS4ATw0Bio5lGF5PD-4uFDoG317yq7hBI-Vpo_ZarrlqB1bmU_IXT1WpxDgdkUDVGrGAn8x_fIE/s1600/KirkOscars.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Our resident Professor of Shatnero-Folicular Interpretative Sciences explains:<br />
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"<i>Star Trek</i> fans have always had an uneasy relationship with the 'Denny Katz' toupee [worn since around 2000]. On the one hand, most of them accept that this is the perhaps final major hair choice that Bill Shatner will make - and that it is is not at all a bad one. But they also have no frame of reference for this toupee as regards to it relating to the world of <i>Star Trek</i>. They almost feel a sense of alienation; that this toup represents the definitive ending of an era, and that so long as Bill Shatner wears it, the original Captain Kirk cannot and will not return. Smaller, more militant factions even blame the toupee for preventing a viable Bill Shatner cameo in the new <i>Trek</i> movies."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8uHVMwfPqrxCDc22M3jinsWZzfhrofe3QmcBWd__E54Dmp-tPl2E3UfbNHXIz_CfG-OLCYnr8lXLKE_RVIBb85JS9iDI8ewrNqaZseM0ZRMmxaPMxOElPHQrCQasO9aNgIgOZJz93cM/s1600/shatconvention.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8uHVMwfPqrxCDc22M3jinsWZzfhrofe3QmcBWd__E54Dmp-tPl2E3UfbNHXIz_CfG-OLCYnr8lXLKE_RVIBb85JS9iDI8ewrNqaZseM0ZRMmxaPMxOElPHQrCQasO9aNgIgOZJz93cM/s1600/shatconvention.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Toupological distrust? - Bill Shatner and </i>Star Trek <i>fans.</i></div>
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Is such an assessment fair? Via a very crude "Touposhop", several staff at the <i>William Shatner School of Toupological Studies'</i> "Division of Toupological Approximations" decided to see what would happen if a "TJ Curly" era toup replaced the "Denny Katz" in the 2013 Oscars appearance. Would the real Captain Kirk, absent for twenty years now, suddenly come alive?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwOC3KPpaRNERc12lxpnBpvXgUcs9RNmoidnCIT5ppGP9ANRghxSFWxmlfSgw5NrPRSS5NKtHYiN4ZBzGeyMeng7CVg6B2LPVnq4fnElYxWDEcS-187kYCfN1OPGHm4Tlb0UajsqkpRU/s1600/KirkOscars_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwOC3KPpaRNERc12lxpnBpvXgUcs9RNmoidnCIT5ppGP9ANRghxSFWxmlfSgw5NrPRSS5NKtHYiN4ZBzGeyMeng7CVg6B2LPVnq4fnElYxWDEcS-187kYCfN1OPGHm4Tlb0UajsqkpRU/s1600/KirkOscars_02.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Surprisingly, we would say that the answer is yes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWtU4CO9zUsIeHNZh31rBKqd70huHu780_19FKVzJU5qLlZWjeTzGjD6FGzDAGxN0WJHKFRjo0hCKmukuZ6_wcltxfKdf1UbzrQm9bMrCO0yw3MW67O5KdK2sUiKaN-QD9WjUfZ0jg4s/s1600/KirkOscars_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWtU4CO9zUsIeHNZh31rBKqd70huHu780_19FKVzJU5qLlZWjeTzGjD6FGzDAGxN0WJHKFRjo0hCKmukuZ6_wcltxfKdf1UbzrQm9bMrCO0yw3MW67O5KdK2sUiKaN-QD9WjUfZ0jg4s/s1600/KirkOscars_03.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
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He looks a little more squashed (shorter and wider) than since we last saw him properly - but is this not the Captain Kirk we know and love?<br />
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In the TV series, Kirk was the "Jim Kirk lace" and vice versa. Eventually, fans <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2011/10/star-trek-motion-picture-toupological.html">reluctantly adjusted</a> to the "TJ Curly" for the James T. Kirk of the movies. But perhaps the professor we quoted above is right: the "Denny Katz" and Captain Kirk are simply of different worlds...<br />
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<i>UPDATE:</i> Rather coincidentally, shortly after we published this story, <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/william-shatner-admits-he-was-736316" target="_blank">media reports</a> came out regarding Bill Shatner possibly appearing in the next <i>Star Trek </i>movie. So let's talk toup: just to be clear, <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/514561851519033344" target="_blank">no-one has contacted us</a> regarding what kind of toupee we think Bill Shatner should wear if he does appear in this movie. <br />
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***</div>
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Finally, a sincere thanks for all your very warm welcome back messages (and tips)! We weren't <i>really</i> going to "waste" a post explaining where the hell we've been. But for those of you who are interested: one of the key staff members at <i>Shatner's Toupee</i> (which serves as the public information service of the "William Shatner School of Toupological Studies") apparently seemed to so enjoy writing our <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2011/12/toupee-nightmare-before-christmas.html" target="_blank">two</a> annual <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/12/parable-of-toupee.html" target="_blank">Christmastime </a>stories and much of the other content here at this site, that he decided to disappear and go write a novel. <br />
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For some reason that may not be entirely efficient (we are undertaking an internal review), our overwhelming loyalty to this one staff member, publishing his book under the name "Dominik James" (which we suspect is a pseudonym) led to the thousands of other staff at the <i>WSSTS</i> insisting that we would wait till he was done. No pressure, right?<br />
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Writing and self-publishing a novel is a bit like taking a wee into a lake. You either need a lot of wee or a very small lake. Not convinced that either of these is the case here, but either way, two years later his debut tome <i>Eryll and the Arbutus</i> is now <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/dom-d-james/eryll-and-the-arbutus/ebook/product-21785913.html" target="_blank">avaliable a downloadable e-book</a> and is also available as an e-book at outlets such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eryll-Arbutus-Dom-D-James-ebook/dp/B00MENQN7U/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/eryll-and-the-arbutus/id903462543?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a>. We're told it has nothing at all to do with Bill Shatner and toupees, and in fact is a kind of political-psychological allegorical tale set in modern day America (though there is one mention of <i>Star Trek</i>).</div>
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We thought we would mention this to our readers here just this once (maybe we'll allow the author a small link at the side column of the site), and then leave it at that. If any of you do take the plunge, do let us know (even if it was not liked), and if any of you reviewers/bloggers out there who are into fiction, politics etc. would like a free copy, just <a href="mailto:shattoupblog@gmail.com" target="_blank">email us...</a></div>
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Our next post will <u>not</u> be entitled: "Where the hell have you been?"</div>
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ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-38367939300239682342014-09-05T09:45:00.002+02:002014-09-07T13:30:57.481+02:00Naked City: "Without Stick or Sword" - a toupological analysis.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOMCl-9EstWF7YF7tUoLFnB8OtZLMh1X7ieY8-ekNyu1sN344IeRMaGP9HiKU5uMnAYwWSnEP0pB8MEhwPIeyKZoTM8kwRZCEN5PD4Q_Evrd27mKcNNwDRFh-dZQ9Q2HjYjkflpHQn7w/s1600/Still002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOMCl-9EstWF7YF7tUoLFnB8OtZLMh1X7ieY8-ekNyu1sN344IeRMaGP9HiKU5uMnAYwWSnEP0pB8MEhwPIeyKZoTM8kwRZCEN5PD4Q_Evrd27mKcNNwDRFh-dZQ9Q2HjYjkflpHQn7w/s1600/Still002.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Without Stick or Sword" is a 1962 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_City_%28TV_series%29#Season_3:_1961.E2.80.9362" target="_blank">third season</a> episode of the police drama series <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051297/" target="_blank"><i>Naked City</i></a>, which aired from 1958-63. The series notably placed guest stars front and center of each episode, and in this case Bill Shatner and respected character actor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Balsam" target="_blank">Martin Balsam</a> assume the reigns (both actors having acted together on several <a href="http://www.imdb.com/search/title?roles=nm0000638,nm0000842&title_type=feature,tv_episode,video,tv_movie,tv_special,mini_series,documentary,game,short,unknown" target="_blank">occasions</a>, including a classic <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/12/studio-one-defender-toupological.html" target="_blank">episode</a> of <i>Studio One</i>).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TBiqQ19Wwsn7hA7fXU058hcJVpOlYzGfo57YxpwDRkxC7yzi11qhkUnWzpY6zL-hxWnfGs78wE-75v4BLgbQa4oF6sWsUdwerljCZcMTzWw4Z6j5bkr8Q0_wEk1M2ywIxJvX7lhdDUId/s1600/026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TBiqQ19Wwsn7hA7fXU058hcJVpOlYzGfo57YxpwDRkxC7yzi11qhkUnWzpY6zL-hxWnfGs78wE-75v4BLgbQa4oF6sWsUdwerljCZcMTzWw4Z6j5bkr8Q0_wEk1M2ywIxJvX7lhdDUId/s1600/026.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i> William Shatner and Martin Balsam (center) in "The Defender"</i></div>
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In this story, Bill Shatner plays a devout Burmese Buddhist sailor called Maung Tun. (Yes, a white man playing an Asian - we'll get to our thoughts on that point later on!)<br />
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Anyway, the story begins with a murder. An Asian man (again, it's best to just hold off on this part for now otherwise we'll really never reach the end) knocks on the door of a New York apartment and stabs a person to death as they open the door.<br />
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Only, he doesn't know that the person he killed was actually the wife of his intended target.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgIC2ZrWyR3_ds1xEJDVQUfc_JP8LauunWiH23uf8OKHSHBcsQNXqtQpjT18OJmPbX7T9TiZ6Sn6b8YXoIv366zLERiYPVqZhyek2X9qs2A04TbVi-H_AuwbJt-fyuYEpDwuhWvI58SA/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgIC2ZrWyR3_ds1xEJDVQUfc_JP8LauunWiH23uf8OKHSHBcsQNXqtQpjT18OJmPbX7T9TiZ6Sn6b8YXoIv366zLERiYPVqZhyek2X9qs2A04TbVi-H_AuwbJt-fyuYEpDwuhWvI58SA/s1600/11.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Maung Tun had hoped to kill American ship captain Russel Barris (Balsam), a man he accuses of causing the deaths of his four younger brothers while on a shipping trip to Rangoon years earlier. We learn that the good captain had deliberately chosen not to rescue the boys after they ran into a little trouble while on a small rowboat in the city's harbor. But, crucially, Barris did radio in a warning about the youngsters. Nonetheless, they subsequently capsized and drowned. The captain and his first officer were both dismissed by their shipping company for gross professional discourtesy.<br />
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At first, the police hone in on Barris as the potential killer of his wife. But soon, the web of his troubled past is unraveled by the investigating cops.<br />
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Maung Tun finds temporary solace in the company of a female acquaintance he encountered on a previous visit to the US (possibly a prostitute, though this is only implied), portrayed by Philippine actress <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0786193/?ref_=tt_cl_t5" target="_blank">Pilar Seurat</a>.<br />
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Tun is honor-bound to seek vengeance against the men who killed his brothers, including the first officer of that ship, the next man he goes after.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyIHS6_9e9tdzKLQG0XFH3irK4PETq0gLj06Vd1Oc1ZvcDcFFysQ4WViBS2y_HngNQhd6Zl86tVaDq7QOLPbw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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But the twenty-four-year-old is riddled with guilt when he learns he has killed an innocent woman. Perceived religious-cultural prescripts demanding vengeance directly clash in Maung Tun's consciousness with Buddhist morality. The result: a young man's confusion.<br />
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Meanwhile, the cops launch a sting operation at the funeral of Barris' wife. Maung Tun is guaranteed to turn up.<br />
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But will he seek vengeance or forgiveness? What shape will justice ultimately take?<br />
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<br />
That's where we'll leave the plot. Before we get to our toupological analysis, our overall thoughts on this episode:<br />
<br />
It's a noble piece of drama, for sure. By that we mean that the subject matter - meaning the exploration of the pressures, penalties and oftentimes harsh judgments "prescribed" by traditional cultural and religious values - is certainly not belittled here. In today's world, these tensions are very real for many Christians, Muslims and Jews too.<br />
<br />
Here, the Buddhist aspect of the story is treated with respect (with one notable exception - we'll get to that in a moment).<br />
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"Help me not to do this," Shatner's character asks his god in an almost Shakespearean soliloquy, begging to be absolved of his self-declared role of "just" executioner.<br />
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<br />
He also seeks guidance at a Buddhist temple - fortunately, we have another Asian actor cast as the priest, although in this case the fellow both looks and sounds like he's reading off cue cards.<br />
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<br />
Helping things along is above-average TV direction, and an oddly Star Trek-like haunting music score from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Riddle" target="_blank">Nelson Riddle</a>. We would say that the real weak spot (other than the issue we're about to delve into) is the series regulars.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RZZEYqDyc_fvIvDxsPuhZmpdbCR9evDvgFbWt2yZelFH26eo5kLfdoqo_jvsF6afj86eGAAdvuDIk6HjLsaYe6tyLh7czLPt-mKOJCbwMzA1frMuIvufqk3AA-9bq7suz4Rwmt_cpOs/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RZZEYqDyc_fvIvDxsPuhZmpdbCR9evDvgFbWt2yZelFH26eo5kLfdoqo_jvsF6afj86eGAAdvuDIk6HjLsaYe6tyLh7czLPt-mKOJCbwMzA1frMuIvufqk3AA-9bq7suz4Rwmt_cpOs/s1600/12.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The cop characters, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0656882/" target="_blank">Paul Burke and Horace McMahon</a>, come across as rather soulless automatons. Standing 90 degrees apart, looking out at "the audience", processing plot points almost like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Squad!" target="_blank"><i>Police Squad</i></a> parody. No humor. No characterization. It's during these scenes that we felt this show descended somewhat into the realms of being just another forgettable 60s-era TV show. To be fair, we'd have to see more episodes to gauge how exactly this format works, but in this one episode, it leaves the viewer feeling a little bit alone amidst all the heady life and death themes (rather like watching the cold Captain Pike and "Number One" talking shop in the <i>Star Trek</i> pilot "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cage_%28Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series%29" target="_blank">The Cage</a>").<br />
<br />
So, let's move swiftly to the hair. And by hair, we mean hair and also that other issue, namely what happens when you "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface" target="_blank">black-up</a>" or otherwise make-up a white actor to play an ethnic role. The practice is pretty much taboo these days, and rightfully so (although there are exceptions both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Love_Guru" target="_blank">awful</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Circuit_2" target="_blank">iconic</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://www.petersellersappreciationsociety.com/Pictures/PhotoGallery/FiendishPlotOfDrFuManchu/FiendishPlotOfDrFuManchu01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.petersellersappreciationsociety.com/Pictures/PhotoGallery/FiendishPlotOfDrFuManchu/FiendishPlotOfDrFuManchu01.jpg" height="163" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Peter Sellers as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fiendish_Plot_of_Dr._Fu_Manchu" target="_blank">Dr. Fu Manchu</a>.</i></div>
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Perhaps the most ridiculous "Asian transformation" ever is Sean Connery in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Only_Live_Twice_%28film%29" target="_blank"><i>You Only Live Twice </i></a>(1967):<br />
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Obviously there are cases of ethnic transformation, which can be regarded as harmless fun, while at the other end of the spectrum we have grotesque racism. In this case, we would say the effect is somewhere in-between.<br />
<br />
The real question is why a white actor had to be cast in such a role. Were there no decent Asian actors available? Of course there were (we don't mean George Takei, as we have to confess to not having been wowed by his acting abilities). Sad thing is, that even well into the 1970s, perfectly good Asian actors like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001552/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Pat Morita</a> were still having to accept degrading roles <a href="http://movie-dude.co.uk/%5BTV%5D%20%27Columbo%202.1%20Etude%20in%20Black%27%20%281972%29.htm" target="_blank">as "house boy" butlers</a> with funny Asian accents, when in fact their real accents were as American as any other US actor. The legacy of fighting the "Japs" in World War II certainly plays a role in that. Thank God for <a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/190/1366923418_3.jpg" target="_blank">Sam Fujiyama</a>!<br />
<br />
We suspect that in 1962, an Asian leading man in a role like "Without Stick or Sword" was still considered by producers as not viable. An Asian woman, or an Asian Buddhist mentor - yes. But not leading man.<br />
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However, we're not of the "OTT PC" school that believes retrospective offense should be taken at the portrayal. It is what it is. Certainly not intentionally demeaning to Asians in any way. Yes, Bill Shatner as a Burmese man is ridiculous. No matter his acting abilities, a white man as an Asian is just silly in this context. But it's not his fault he was mis-cast this way. Those were the times.<br />
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Weirdly, he even slips into an <i>Indian</i> accent at one point (please try not to laugh while listening to this):<br />
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Oh, dear...<br />
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<i>"Oh, dear God..."</i><br />
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<i><i>"Oh, dear God..."</i> </i></div>
<br />
And the actor also appears to have slight prosthetic appliances on his eyes to appear more oriental - not the fuller sort often used for
this type of effect, but it is there. Here's a close-up:<br />
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<br />
If we try to set the whole ethnic debate to one side, we can say that Bill Shatner performs a reasonable acting job here. He's less effective when he's being characteristically <i>del-ib-er-ate</i> in his acting (as always), although adding "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enemy_Within_%28Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series%29" target="_blank">The Enemy Within</a>"- style insane characterization into the mix can always turn such ham into a compelling Shatner-esque experience.<br />
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<br />
Indeed, watching the episode, a great deal of familiar Shatner-isms seen in later <i>Star Trek</i> episodes are evident - for example, the bloodied hand, the pause, the extra bit of acting to the camera, etc.<br />
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The actor is more effective in this role when turning up the soft-spoken charm:<br />
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Phew! Now, really, really to the hair! A brief flashback sequence at the start promises merely a variation on the typical-for-the-time "Jim Kirk lace". Nothing to see here, right?<br />
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But shortly thereafter, the audience is given a subtle hint that toupologists should perhaps pay greater attention to this one. Bill Shatner pats down his cap, then walks contemptuously past a man combing his hair. Message?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics" target="_blank">Semiotics</a>, or its sub-branch "toupiotics" - the study of toupological meaning.</i></div>
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What emerges from thereon is a full on black wig, and a long-haired one to boot, as Pilar Seurat points out:<br />
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Hair is mentioned several times, including when, during his soliloquy, the character says "I will cut off hair" (foreigners naturally don't use words like "my"). Oh, Buddha, why didn't you take up Bill Shatner on that promise?<br />
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But most importantly in this episode, Seurat gets to perform a very, very rare act - she gets to repeatedly touch the "hair".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzGBuCIP9UZ-CeAZX0Ze63aSDpzkFwpQF00hNZvhMYaBILL61I9Q6eG6wnhbEGmZrjpbBWB5KRLo_EjrmoCV5cH9vrkJayUgR8WtK_vr4a2I4Pw7IN7Gk5d9RXXqSvKR5bR66PU_WVVk/s1600/Still009a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzGBuCIP9UZ-CeAZX0Ze63aSDpzkFwpQF00hNZvhMYaBILL61I9Q6eG6wnhbEGmZrjpbBWB5KRLo_EjrmoCV5cH9vrkJayUgR8WtK_vr4a2I4Pw7IN7Gk5d9RXXqSvKR5bR66PU_WVVk/s1600/Still009a.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Note the lace line around a centimeter below the hair line.</i></div>
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She strokes it.<br />
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An act, which can lead to some <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.cz/search/label/Yvonne%20Craig" target="_blank">fascinating insights</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFUDluJB30dmWzNBg3-AtF4malLPZP9Rt3CGkH9SINYK46br7uTPF_L1q1bj71XnAGaM8q-FwyGu52XuR-YSLe8E9HzZqyLy3d5RXeR4B2peL_Krojx2TomRHjHdQO3aRmEDhIQLel5tw/s1600/Nd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFUDluJB30dmWzNBg3-AtF4malLPZP9Rt3CGkH9SINYK46br7uTPF_L1q1bj71XnAGaM8q-FwyGu52XuR-YSLe8E9HzZqyLy3d5RXeR4B2peL_Krojx2TomRHjHdQO3aRmEDhIQLel5tw/s1600/Nd.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a></div>
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A slight discomfort is visible in Bill Shatner during such moments:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkktC_x-bsFU4H-Cuk7pARCIcSjRuae9SO5buUTs_-rTpsq9FbbDJdBp-Y6gisJJhNoSRXsAx2l1jtKIam8bgeawvG5yx44Iqui3qnz4lrGG2W5XAnaYryo43noS4X_5k5PU5Ij7JaIzQ/s1600/Still003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkktC_x-bsFU4H-Cuk7pARCIcSjRuae9SO5buUTs_-rTpsq9FbbDJdBp-Y6gisJJhNoSRXsAx2l1jtKIam8bgeawvG5yx44Iqui3qnz4lrGG2W5XAnaYryo43noS4X_5k5PU5Ij7JaIzQ/s1600/Still003.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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There's also a curious wrinkle around the lace line visible at one point. Despite extensive touposcopic analysis, we can't conclusively state at this point whether it is a forehead wrinkle (which does seem less likely given the nature of Bill Shatner's facial expression) or the lace line edge coming undone:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLdq7xRD7owhONqmrchPt_FUZZesXZ1heEQsWT6z8xwy6ngOq_a0_BkYYRP3LfeIZuNfwpFwkpgdaniprnqCvZtCyBBAh_t2N-xfIdUin1ETdECTOFBvke8GH71yJA5SN0NCRaMuLYPI/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLdq7xRD7owhONqmrchPt_FUZZesXZ1heEQsWT6z8xwy6ngOq_a0_BkYYRP3LfeIZuNfwpFwkpgdaniprnqCvZtCyBBAh_t2N-xfIdUin1ETdECTOFBvke8GH71yJA5SN0NCRaMuLYPI/s1600/20.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyway, stepping back a little. We've often spoken of the idea of a grand trial in which all accumulated toupological evidence would be presented to a court attended by Bill Shatner.<br />
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<a href="http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110214014006/memoryalpha/en/images/0/0b/Kirk_on_trial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110214014006/memoryalpha/en/images/0/0b/Kirk_on_trial.jpg" height="198" width="200" /> </a></div>
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Perhaps the idea is best viewed in less confrontational terms - as a way to provide healing and closure for all sides. A kind of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_and_Reconciliation_Commission_%28South_Africa%29" target="_blank">Toup and Reconciliation Commission</a>" in which the believers and the master denier finally present their cases. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6n0OPwjnTRSVPQD7razEq7B8sneFOSY7VdcAahLhBv2aHV3xZF-BYvEEU46trYRGImr0SJnMhhdud2aHP-SIob12BtvvOPkD6CnQoAttFZI8Qyxrej3IyaJY3G5i6dnFCj4RDfanM_0/s1600/WSSTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6n0OPwjnTRSVPQD7razEq7B8sneFOSY7VdcAahLhBv2aHV3xZF-BYvEEU46trYRGImr0SJnMhhdud2aHP-SIob12BtvvOPkD6CnQoAttFZI8Qyxrej3IyaJY3G5i6dnFCj4RDfanM_0/s1600/WSSTS.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The "Toup and Reconciliation Commission" convenes.</i></div>
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Why bring this up? The funny thing is that one could imagine Bill Shatner's high-powered defense team moving to dismiss this entire episode from being presented as evidence. "Yes, it's a wig!" the lawyer could argue. "My client accepts that."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUB3fF_c2qWST3pbZ4BFxKNyNfMXuTDeRF-ay34nOq37kZF2B18b-_3fcppS9vcULfoTNmyehS5Yz8zFfjY05ZsEyBXpz5JK1pMW7RZV54QefzaNFx5O5CdRS-hKhxUhLqphqWsLGzBM/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUB3fF_c2qWST3pbZ4BFxKNyNfMXuTDeRF-ay34nOq37kZF2B18b-_3fcppS9vcULfoTNmyehS5Yz8zFfjY05ZsEyBXpz5JK1pMW7RZV54QefzaNFx5O5CdRS-hKhxUhLqphqWsLGzBM/s1600/19.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGRQ32z6QQo9_yk5_NNRXZL3qvlDt1RbLHheVNLLzy0wzFbwC9cPkkGi3SPbcPLdoPsJHst4_kRjUEMeph_Rc6gFjlnGabQ9EgWVVaionMh2-15Qr63H1UH8Vy6oVkBgWR49S8q04ZEs/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGRQ32z6QQo9_yk5_NNRXZL3qvlDt1RbLHheVNLLzy0wzFbwC9cPkkGi3SPbcPLdoPsJHst4_kRjUEMeph_Rc6gFjlnGabQ9EgWVVaionMh2-15Qr63H1UH8Vy6oVkBgWR49S8q04ZEs/s1600/18.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Stunned murmurs in the audience.</div>
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"My client wore a wig for this role. As many actors do. That in no way proves toupee-wearing. He could hardly have grown his own...lush, absolutely real and extremely plentiful [looks to Bill Shatner for approval - receives a nod] hair long for a TV role of the week."</div>
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This undoubtedly brilliant tactic would leave the prosecution momentarily in tatters. The defense would be absolutely right. The wig here is so blatant that is cannot necessarily be placed in the same toupological category in which we might place more realistic attempts at persuasive hair presentation by Bill Shatner.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DjtZCo_hqgk2eiqfWrVIR-0ZHU18-VwJlh8WVlWns997DGxAmoEXcQj4x7Nw20OIOJCqk_njlxcBTHkgWIJ99ia1DNkxeZVVoGPICHoDvdsywrOacFTA-qOVhWywv8STarpCqh5v0lo/s1600/f_lee_bailey_1994_09_19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DjtZCo_hqgk2eiqfWrVIR-0ZHU18-VwJlh8WVlWns997DGxAmoEXcQj4x7Nw20OIOJCqk_njlxcBTHkgWIJ99ia1DNkxeZVVoGPICHoDvdsywrOacFTA-qOVhWywv8STarpCqh5v0lo/s1600/f_lee_bailey_1994_09_19.jpg" height="141" width="200" /></a></div>
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Yes, this example is better viewed as a wig, rather than a toupee. But as students of toupology will know, that makes it no less fascinating.<br />
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<i>Naked City</i> is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_0?rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Anaked+city" target="_blank">available on DVD</a>. The episode "Without Stick or Sword" can also presently be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDWsFXl0qBg" target="_blank">found on YouTube</a>. Worth a watch for a variety of reasons.<br />
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Our next post will be entitled "Where the hell have you been!?"<br />
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ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-78883216971963608142013-01-01T17:03:00.004+01:002013-01-01T17:06:24.932+01:00Happy New Year! (And Where Have we Gone?)Happy New Year to all our readers - or should we say to those who haven't yet deleted us from their bookmarks list out of understandable frustration at our mysterious absence. Did we receive a cease and desist order from Bill Shatner's <i>vast</i> team of toupological lawyers? Did we run out of things to write about? No (if Bill Shatner knows of us, we're sure he likes the attention and maybe he too is <a href="http://io9.com/5971301/william-shatner-has-a-goatee-and-we-have-entered-the-darkest-timeline" target="_blank">ribbing us</a> to return!) and no.<br />
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What happened is this: One of the key people responsible for writing up the voluminous research conducted by the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies had the crazy idea of traveling half way round the world in search of new opportunities. Though our staff are paid very well for their hard work, mysteriously, they all choose to funnel that money back into the WSTS, refusing to profit in any way from efforts that, in their eyes, are designed to further the cause of humanity. Thus, they take on other outside work in order to pay the bills. It is a curious and noble arrangement, but such is the level of dedication to the cause of Bill Shatner's toupee.<br />
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So this crucial staff member, responsible for much of what we have published in the past number of years, is seeking to gain a new foothold, perhaps offering up some of the skills accrued in Bill Shatner-related writings, and establish a new foundation from whence, once again in relative comfort and security, attentions can rightly return to the singular and crucially important matter of Bill Shatner's toupee, including close analysis of every head scratch, strange patch, mismatch and odd thatch.<br />
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We promised we would return and we will. Thanks for all your patience and we look forward as much as you hopefully still do to said staff member getting their act together very soon!<br />
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-ST ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com116tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-10051682629051121272012-09-25T00:28:00.001+02:002012-09-25T00:45:22.664+02:00Spherical Stew and Furry Bill.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJNrXGbK18tPTPBlX8erydejRbOgQLq0D-n_c5rayNvjMZUwnMxGpD0ZXcptoMsoWAJgb6koXiklhIa4N9HkdWBDr-rSr82BvD1mjlHA8wsVZ7ycCp4C2KQKSm3NCRcEowzvF2lLSPLs/s1600/shatairplane2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJNrXGbK18tPTPBlX8erydejRbOgQLq0D-n_c5rayNvjMZUwnMxGpD0ZXcptoMsoWAJgb6koXiklhIa4N9HkdWBDr-rSr82BvD1mjlHA8wsVZ7ycCp4C2KQKSm3NCRcEowzvF2lLSPLs/s1600/shatairplane2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJNrXGbK18tPTPBlX8erydejRbOgQLq0D-n_c5rayNvjMZUwnMxGpD0ZXcptoMsoWAJgb6koXiklhIa4N9HkdWBDr-rSr82BvD1mjlHA8wsVZ7ycCp4C2KQKSm3NCRcEowzvF2lLSPLs/s200/shatairplane2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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In the midst of our hiatus, something came along and we really couldn't resist (even Blogger's ghastly mandatory new interface - on which we compose our posts - failed to entirely sap our enthusiasm)...<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/sirpatstew" target="_blank">Patrick Stewart's Twitter</a> profile picture:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0cbz6tJ7IT2upHCTlFznjuO0ZykhvBn_87WCAblAYEE75i7jHDPp378OUQCA6dy685LjmzVqc5CfGmWIIZVocM1t5M3HllAUDI4ARTvoEnZBeM3fS72nGHEOQ97THg8Re39haUro88w/s1600/PatStew.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0cbz6tJ7IT2upHCTlFznjuO0ZykhvBn_87WCAblAYEE75i7jHDPp378OUQCA6dy685LjmzVqc5CfGmWIIZVocM1t5M3HllAUDI4ARTvoEnZBeM3fS72nGHEOQ97THg8Re39haUro88w/s320/PatStew.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bill Shatner:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLUqhIjcFkXYA99MKpXBj6N3TjiYKo6igz1DlPxUZjg73Ok2IAmotLr59KiEqiHBE9G40pH5AW6nzVDhLRm2dTz10cbPIQKjhjJoLS94TaWxe2bL2RnTaqk9_HyDnElX4imMv4rCNMFo/s1600/trouble-with-tribbles-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLUqhIjcFkXYA99MKpXBj6N3TjiYKo6igz1DlPxUZjg73Ok2IAmotLr59KiEqiHBE9G40pH5AW6nzVDhLRm2dTz10cbPIQKjhjJoLS94TaWxe2bL2RnTaqk9_HyDnElX4imMv4rCNMFo/s320/trouble-with-tribbles-10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Side by side:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8XnPZ9TUH04gGmcHMswi0FJsHGf_1TSR7PXJigK_aAqogitLgF4h3jq6Mu4sC1oIEbTJpBgOwXbVQ0gaPOAKivaaT7J7vNCrsq5VBK74RsIrIl5O3P7p3MSf9z_9xafW4DSCI5LiA3Q/s1600/ShatStew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8XnPZ9TUH04gGmcHMswi0FJsHGf_1TSR7PXJigK_aAqogitLgF4h3jq6Mu4sC1oIEbTJpBgOwXbVQ0gaPOAKivaaT7J7vNCrsq5VBK74RsIrIl5O3P7p3MSf9z_9xafW4DSCI5LiA3Q/s320/ShatStew.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To quote Bill Shatner himself (in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083530/quotes" target="_blank"><i>Airplane II</i></a>) "Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes..." !ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-59781255097891897052012-08-24T18:57:00.002+02:002012-08-24T19:06:41.216+02:00A brief hiatus...We're in the midst of some behind-the-scenes relocating, upgrading, etc. etc. and thus are <span style="font-style: italic;">forced</span> to take a slight break from posting at "Shatner's Toupee" - for a couple of months, hopefully no more. Rest assured, the work of the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies goes on. We'll be back as soon as our full upgrade and new larger, more effective center of toupologcal operations is completed. Thanks for your patience and stay tuned!<br /><br />-ST<br />ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-63896673044455530002012-08-12T14:23:00.013+02:002012-08-14T17:20:29.996+02:00Jim Thy Image.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhn6xH4cbzdmqWioiBbWGjF4m1flFwPQ1lQQ6esRtb_H8FjclmJXCUy2DsMac8CjKx94Osyl_JCVonkn2EDZNbLpj9vlHSSBooqxqKLjQIkqDSHPwXMdbGuDGmCC3VwVL_YcQKbtSKRY/s1600/shat1.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhn6xH4cbzdmqWioiBbWGjF4m1flFwPQ1lQQ6esRtb_H8FjclmJXCUy2DsMac8CjKx94Osyl_JCVonkn2EDZNbLpj9vlHSSBooqxqKLjQIkqDSHPwXMdbGuDGmCC3VwVL_YcQKbtSKRY/s1600/shat1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhn6xH4cbzdmqWioiBbWGjF4m1flFwPQ1lQQ6esRtb_H8FjclmJXCUy2DsMac8CjKx94Osyl_JCVonkn2EDZNbLpj9vlHSSBooqxqKLjQIkqDSHPwXMdbGuDGmCC3VwVL_YcQKbtSKRY/s320/shat1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775770881881123650" border="0" /></a><br />Our thanks to reader Adam, who recently emailed us an interesting link we wanted to share with you. The email carried the subject heading "Shatner touches his toup", which in toupological parlance we label as a "<a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/search/label/Real%20Hair%20Reflex">Real hair reflex</a>".<br /><br />The moment comes 5m 40s into this video of a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0834389/">December 1974</a> appearance of Bill Shatner in the game show "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattletales">Tattletales</a>". The actor's then wife Marcy Lafferty is the woman in the TV partnering with her husband:<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c9lmnf-zJ2c" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" width="400"></iframe><br /></div><br />Late 1974 and throughout 1975 is the era of the Bill Shatner toupee that is perhaps the least discussed and least understood of all. Not because of its oddness, but rather the opposite - because it looked so good compared to the previous "Lost Years" style.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakLNIYtQIlykIl3nWpWz74L8KekAQcwhs0KkjOHeHXSjidm93t1pcXiQyhyphenhyphen0MO5wvJHz_KsME9aQjdnEPHmI8B0GnPwUnWDQQy8UBdinBlzoovSPQoLTwdrXn-WbUp3JqTeCqEafylNE/s1600/Im20.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakLNIYtQIlykIl3nWpWz74L8KekAQcwhs0KkjOHeHXSjidm93t1pcXiQyhyphenhyphen0MO5wvJHz_KsME9aQjdnEPHmI8B0GnPwUnWDQQy8UBdinBlzoovSPQoLTwdrXn-WbUp3JqTeCqEafylNE/s320/Im20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775768395683652114" border="0" /></a><i>The "Lost Years" style as seen in 1974's </i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/10/matt-stone-toupeed-character.html">Impulse</a>.<br /></div><br />We're not even sure we have an official nomenclature for it other than the not-entirely-satisfactory "Retro Jim" - perhaps "<a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/In_Thy_Image">Jim Thy Image</a>", as around this time, Bill Shatner was likely getting the first strong inklings that his own personal lost years would be coming to an end thanks to incessant talk of the return of Star Trek (Gene Roddenberry was working on a script called "The God Thing", which would later be reworked as "In Thy Image" and ultimately become <i>Star Trek: The Motion Picture</i>).<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwqUUvRNnJTbBRFC0TJbsTDNcLjfvkA7hI6_dy0dYTAKWHAZdObHs_uqu4SYD3vsojaG9zVZZP5OO_1GsyUoVVXYMKa_ALaRE79Cqiy1x6h4K_y-LGRMDQ0GwroUuAgDLg01kIGACdos/s1600/Shatner+1975.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwqUUvRNnJTbBRFC0TJbsTDNcLjfvkA7hI6_dy0dYTAKWHAZdObHs_uqu4SYD3vsojaG9zVZZP5OO_1GsyUoVVXYMKa_ALaRE79Cqiy1x6h4K_y-LGRMDQ0GwroUuAgDLg01kIGACdos/s320/Shatner+1975.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775766833196057314" border="0" /></a><i>The rare and mysterious retro-Jim style as seen in 1975's </i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/01/tenth-level-toupological-analysis.html">The Tenth Level</a>.<br /></div><br />We've <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2011/09/quintessentially-lost.html">speculated here before</a> that this may have led the actor to slim down and get this strongly Jim Kirk-like toup by way of preparing for a return to center stage. A couple years later, when, conversely, it seemed that Trek might remain in development hell, Bill Shatner may have tossed the new toup into a river in an angry rage.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7SYbvofdrewEHWd6przpGnX-MhvVKNyuU6ZhU5rehF6tlAgPzhubwbAVLp9l-zYhNxYOubzEQ_uTUI9xTALmvqsnTky3zm5oMuuAEH0lEXKKu4Kc-f0l22sR-vrYsDbNukHuKog6oWM/s1600/shatdodgers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7SYbvofdrewEHWd6przpGnX-MhvVKNyuU6ZhU5rehF6tlAgPzhubwbAVLp9l-zYhNxYOubzEQ_uTUI9xTALmvqsnTky3zm5oMuuAEH0lEXKKu4Kc-f0l22sR-vrYsDbNukHuKog6oWM/s320/shatdodgers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775769234633707778" border="0" /></a><i>Ditching the toup after learning that Star Trek's return faced more delays?<br /></i></div><br />After that, did Bill Shatner decisively turn to the un-Kirk-like "TJ Curly" by way of distancing himself from the shattered hopes of the past?<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDJcuVT_Ty3hBNM8sx4friAL48vIaJNxf-xq88IPdp061QZmL3Q76M7-2QYerGgHKBtbWv45g6T7LfzYi7zC5jZBZA2Ulu-_9l-XieOld4v8wvtl3sznrxtTtNmMe2dJdpPEDzSadJ7Y/s1600/ShatnerColumbo1976.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDJcuVT_Ty3hBNM8sx4friAL48vIaJNxf-xq88IPdp061QZmL3Q76M7-2QYerGgHKBtbWv45g6T7LfzYi7zC5jZBZA2Ulu-_9l-XieOld4v8wvtl3sznrxtTtNmMe2dJdpPEDzSadJ7Y/s320/ShatnerColumbo1976.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775766840767977138" border="0" /></a><i><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/11/sheepish-shatner.html">I am not Kirk</a>.</i><br /></div><br />Underscoring the abilities of this rare gem of a toup is the particular "Real hair reflex" itself. It's a carefree brush, with no evident restraint or concern visible from Bill Shatner in how he handles this toup. Simply put, if you didn't know it was a toup, you'd never know...<br /><br />Later in the clip, Bill Shatner - ever the tease - asks fellow panelist and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbo_%28TV_series%29"><i>Columbo</i></a> villain alumni <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hamilton_%28actor%29">George Hamilton</a> "How does he get his mustache like that?".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QLYbdhyphenhyphenM_g5Cwc_28UkPVAFwaKyKZHM2VbXom4ONz7K6XCEfMYQuYV_Sl_d6eL4Ru6IiTrU1p7kcV9FavCASrW1DgbXX3RfF7BuEkt-CIYwZTNWmnDH4Dbe_vuiI7xEFax61S5Qlnf8/s1600/shat2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QLYbdhyphenhyphenM_g5Cwc_28UkPVAFwaKyKZHM2VbXom4ONz7K6XCEfMYQuYV_Sl_d6eL4Ru6IiTrU1p7kcV9FavCASrW1DgbXX3RfF7BuEkt-CIYwZTNWmnDH4Dbe_vuiI7xEFax61S5Qlnf8/s320/shat2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775770887654541794" border="0" /></a><br />We should also add that this particular toup is a little longer than the other examples of the "Jim Thy Image" (does that name work?). It's as if it still has 10% of the "Lost Years" in it. Perhaps at this time, Bill Shatner was still unsure about whether he was fully in the right mindset to once again play Captain Kirk - in a very real sense, his hair was serving to express these complex emotions.<br /><br />Anyway, getting a definitive answer on why Bill Shatner parted ways with such a great-looking toup is one of the tougher challenges of toupology. Perhaps one day we will find the answers...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhn6xH4cbzdmqWioiBbWGjF4m1flFwPQ1lQQ6esRtb_H8FjclmJXCUy2DsMac8CjKx94Osyl_JCVonkn2EDZNbLpj9vlHSSBooqxqKLjQIkqDSHPwXMdbGuDGmCC3VwVL_YcQKbtSKRY/s1600/shat1.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhn6xH4cbzdmqWioiBbWGjF4m1flFwPQ1lQQ6esRtb_H8FjclmJXCUy2DsMac8CjKx94Osyl_JCVonkn2EDZNbLpj9vlHSSBooqxqKLjQIkqDSHPwXMdbGuDGmCC3VwVL_YcQKbtSKRY/s1600/shat1.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVizNHaAZIdxELCQQajRwB_tW_cGACAkZFNzSv-3tlXE5Jpnh_DYL_9MmdC0UVgR_ie2j19tbzqkFpOOAMvxCOfXKgHqtruEvWmsCKINLIQTzs3x-4tLSzCrZkh3hb0KX7nXj9DRMLTM/s1600/Shatnercirca1974.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVizNHaAZIdxELCQQajRwB_tW_cGACAkZFNzSv-3tlXE5Jpnh_DYL_9MmdC0UVgR_ie2j19tbzqkFpOOAMvxCOfXKgHqtruEvWmsCKINLIQTzs3x-4tLSzCrZkh3hb0KX7nXj9DRMLTM/s320/Shatnercirca1974.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775766823975883618" border="0" /></a>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-43982585188234335362012-07-22T15:24:00.009+02:002012-07-22T15:27:01.878+02:00Double poll result and a double-sized toup-less video shocker.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtVn-gFFAOUs8WvKwul1dQ_V-B7QpRjdBB8GH6xxq0S84FyiqEV3T8GK9xfmBwAsIsWP1fVkeRtKOUmUjRDZbwlPaNXtbOn8fTh41ni2PXdxc28pNNzcfKi96r291NppoCkbeGAvxzaE/s1600/Pollresult.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtVn-gFFAOUs8WvKwul1dQ_V-B7QpRjdBB8GH6xxq0S84FyiqEV3T8GK9xfmBwAsIsWP1fVkeRtKOUmUjRDZbwlPaNXtbOn8fTh41ni2PXdxc28pNNzcfKi96r291NppoCkbeGAvxzaE/s1600/Pollresult.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtVn-gFFAOUs8WvKwul1dQ_V-B7QpRjdBB8GH6xxq0S84FyiqEV3T8GK9xfmBwAsIsWP1fVkeRtKOUmUjRDZbwlPaNXtbOn8fTh41ni2PXdxc28pNNzcfKi96r291NppoCkbeGAvxzaE/s320/Pollresult.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5760152828676413346" border="0" /> </a><br />Two poll results? Where the hell have we been? Summer slumbers - not quite. A few months ago, our team received a desperate and urgent call. The equipment used by the scientists at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN">CERN</a> looking for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson">Higgs boson</a> was just not powerful enough - they were stumped:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquYTxIklGU-exijGHECN_W8bP9Hs_7RTZYzQACaGGE9uLHE1zEszz_HwSmsZ4k2G9qzwbmwRe-Bsuj6hjt6KwM27mSGz7zbtU31hjaomXabeHt8TifBy56K58_5nmdEHgMWGXdjunva4/s1600/BosonPreTouposcope.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquYTxIklGU-exijGHECN_W8bP9Hs_7RTZYzQACaGGE9uLHE1zEszz_HwSmsZ4k2G9qzwbmwRe-Bsuj6hjt6KwM27mSGz7zbtU31hjaomXabeHt8TifBy56K58_5nmdEHgMWGXdjunva4/s320/BosonPreTouposcope.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767958643796159122" border="0" /></a><br />Could our touposcopes help?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96kZmqnAsdetcgfmAg1kxThvo3k1pnjCOGPjTLBWYitmtzia3xjuvOnVgo5ReVatimY49wojOYDe1gtq8y0iUtY6ZQJTPIGFdVAqzb9OFGFE0Q5ZU2YJ7PTOjzUagLOQt4kaIv43P5Fk/s1600/BosonPostTouposcope.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96kZmqnAsdetcgfmAg1kxThvo3k1pnjCOGPjTLBWYitmtzia3xjuvOnVgo5ReVatimY49wojOYDe1gtq8y0iUtY6ZQJTPIGFdVAqzb9OFGFE0Q5ZU2YJ7PTOjzUagLOQt4kaIv43P5Fk/s320/BosonPostTouposcope.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767958637159567906" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, they did! It was an <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18702455">electrifying moment</a>, all the more so as the boson so closely appeared to resemble strands of Bill Shatner's "TJ Curly" toupee. What are the cosmological implications?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYj2czl_B4VXVHsv2hgszMW5hSjxFRMq70yGz6vQHZ0esdfmRBQyEA4UJEqJmU526RV23FtHFOoZbSbktmrkXiyNN0l8LSimJBDzhHUtNrfYU9opWBgc_A7hppF0G7wAkGKz8IM5Kko8I/s1600/Shatnerboson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYj2czl_B4VXVHsv2hgszMW5hSjxFRMq70yGz6vQHZ0esdfmRBQyEA4UJEqJmU526RV23FtHFOoZbSbktmrkXiyNN0l8LSimJBDzhHUtNrfYU9opWBgc_A7hppF0G7wAkGKz8IM5Kko8I/s320/Shatnerboson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767976058377510290" border="0" /></a><br />In our second most recent poll, we asked readers whether Bill Shatner was actively trying to morph his "Denny Katz" into a retro "Jim Kirk lace". 43% said yes, he wants to go full circle; 56% said no, he's just having fin with the versatility of his current toup. The remaining 1% (also in the poll below) was, alas, lost in toupospace!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9g0sJ0dVAasj7HxiXEkrcKE12MbGe83Q7ExXQJq__aJhQsnnIQ-2Kcm8C-gpNmmq9B1ZkPvEqTtk9qYs8jePn03caoGun9PIJ-3dIICteX4AzbH5HP-l0z_OIybCYz8qT82tkeF6huo/s1600/pollresult.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9g0sJ0dVAasj7HxiXEkrcKE12MbGe83Q7ExXQJq__aJhQsnnIQ-2Kcm8C-gpNmmq9B1ZkPvEqTtk9qYs8jePn03caoGun9PIJ-3dIICteX4AzbH5HP-l0z_OIybCYz8qT82tkeF6huo/s320/pollresult.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767956694620354770" border="0" /></a><br />And in our most recent poll, we asked readers whether they thought Bill Shatner had ever turned down a role that required on-screen baldness. Another close one: 46% said no, but only because such roles had never been offered to him; 53% said yes, he simply was not prepared to appear on-screen without hair!<br /><br />Thanks for voting! We couldn't help but bring you this random <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blofeld">Blofeld</a>-esque Touposhop that recently <a href="http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/2/9/9/5/0/0/3/Bald-Shatner-77313872600.jpeg#Bald%20Shatner">appeared</a> on the Internet:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJTTpd0fmZYilgpKxu9NBeU7vW41X7FzQpLY9OUi7pVnpR-183xRa0zdBqywLcVbeFh8j1v1W5bglP2FOrxTTwc4v5nQDQSY9RdPHh-4RIrtBcdBVsxRD7jfVhuSXAYdls0LBjGoCH8M/s1600/Bald-Shatner-77313872600.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJTTpd0fmZYilgpKxu9NBeU7vW41X7FzQpLY9OUi7pVnpR-183xRa0zdBqywLcVbeFh8j1v1W5bglP2FOrxTTwc4v5nQDQSY9RdPHh-4RIrtBcdBVsxRD7jfVhuSXAYdls0LBjGoCH8M/s320/Bald-Shatner-77313872600.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767960912201815618" border="0" /></a><br />And speaking of Touposhop, reader Paul recently sent us some ongoing "Jimifications" of Bill Shatner. Here's a selection of what he kindly sent us:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YBwg7UoMUINgrC6sqB6myBc8BzssBJMaRF_g8TdsyUTbmuyiuA2n_CTeeQZH8hgFNmtewKne36-_jtGVCHe4mOqtfL0PZzB37VSwu6GF9AXqzVVjUhn6cZ6JwK4BL1FX-Bl2M0ptiFc/s1600/II-TUC+%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YBwg7UoMUINgrC6sqB6myBc8BzssBJMaRF_g8TdsyUTbmuyiuA2n_CTeeQZH8hgFNmtewKne36-_jtGVCHe4mOqtfL0PZzB37VSwu6GF9AXqzVVjUhn6cZ6JwK4BL1FX-Bl2M0ptiFc/s320/II-TUC+%25281%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767962126175941234" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-tOqR__s_8n7CnQIUyJgicY-f7ZaVQHo16dXoLovHETitBLHFbqtiVXdB_6xdls1w8bVbbzUdHVvxNXc4taTFtHIm7cg5fuULRa0n16-KbTCQUY7fsd1ztpMo59srv4yD_maDtqdMtM/s1600/IIII-Denny+Kirk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-tOqR__s_8n7CnQIUyJgicY-f7ZaVQHo16dXoLovHETitBLHFbqtiVXdB_6xdls1w8bVbbzUdHVvxNXc4taTFtHIm7cg5fuULRa0n16-KbTCQUY7fsd1ztpMo59srv4yD_maDtqdMtM/s320/IIII-Denny+Kirk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767962123850333410" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMScCsQqhil_9-mXtPiWRgBJer9kXd-697oE-zmUKRU_EjNrJYjA0V0frjFYa3zsUVqoG86R1Jvn1Jw4gyob-vCA0BfLF8nzwyHXZQfscIPEy8AWUcVB_7a52FbIHpeSTirOeXI8aqxIk/s1600/II-TUC-Comparison.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMScCsQqhil_9-mXtPiWRgBJer9kXd-697oE-zmUKRU_EjNrJYjA0V0frjFYa3zsUVqoG86R1Jvn1Jw4gyob-vCA0BfLF8nzwyHXZQfscIPEy8AWUcVB_7a52FbIHpeSTirOeXI8aqxIk/s320/II-TUC-Comparison.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767962138870069186" border="0" /></a><br />Recently, a 1998 Biography Channel documentary about Bill Shatner <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc0bVxfQ2xY">appeared</a> on YouTube (we think that brings the number of biographical docs on Bill Shatner to three). It featured numerous pictures of the actor, which are, of course, of interest to any toupologist...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBei41LbJYlGOY7Vx86UsIUYLrWO93QCg2pNFRoz_OOMI-XXjCgmk-rRPJGe-swnqLo2vlERB99OjzRaDbYY3UvIavUhZo07kN8yypaUNeI3wsa23lbC1LVEwAOqln0hzeZGAt0NxoMI/s1600/00.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBei41LbJYlGOY7Vx86UsIUYLrWO93QCg2pNFRoz_OOMI-XXjCgmk-rRPJGe-swnqLo2vlERB99OjzRaDbYY3UvIavUhZo07kN8yypaUNeI3wsa23lbC1LVEwAOqln0hzeZGAt0NxoMI/s320/00.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767980040320837074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Before the "TJ Curly - Phase One" and "Phase Two", there was the "Phase, this is real!"</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRoiwgdPu1m6-EkIBqCxZ8iqW9jKL4ktOhKVrLpYTv8J_0VvCqErb4_jsCbMBY6SdprH48jcO5HyBkMZhogpMXADkwudvIymsuR6R1vt-RGmBSSrUZ1ZSnt2rAsORsA4PDtHJIA5ZoXQ/s1600/04.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRoiwgdPu1m6-EkIBqCxZ8iqW9jKL4ktOhKVrLpYTv8J_0VvCqErb4_jsCbMBY6SdprH48jcO5HyBkMZhogpMXADkwudvIymsuR6R1vt-RGmBSSrUZ1ZSnt2rAsORsA4PDtHJIA5ZoXQ/s320/04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767980066287638322" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Fek4PhsXsbDbu4voJ3u6r1nnIaLgUUfrh4Xz3mWt8dEMxFNkl6Vlg5X8IpAGxUR13p6sGMAcHAD2JFUj2SkfDwbmfuaQK7OxJmMysFIedn2toDfi6qQho2Rj3I9bGCQolp0nj_FhNtA/s1600/03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Fek4PhsXsbDbu4voJ3u6r1nnIaLgUUfrh4Xz3mWt8dEMxFNkl6Vlg5X8IpAGxUR13p6sGMAcHAD2JFUj2SkfDwbmfuaQK7OxJmMysFIedn2toDfi6qQho2Rj3I9bGCQolp0nj_FhNtA/s320/03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767980060066076098" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Late-era toup-lessness in </span><a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/01/world-of-suzie-wong-toupological.html">The World of Suzie Wong</a>.<br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisLMUv9u4apvhKoc6BsPVFRDLtPcrzfWHN4WRupx2yMC40vkjWTPCRbfAosdcKeS41lHwtyeDDmAJEELKDy8itPn5oZQGd3eQJKVdz1xSGzp3hK7ZYrUFx8TiL_xEtddXW9HEqz9KiOE/s1600/02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisLMUv9u4apvhKoc6BsPVFRDLtPcrzfWHN4WRupx2yMC40vkjWTPCRbfAosdcKeS41lHwtyeDDmAJEELKDy8itPn5oZQGd3eQJKVdz1xSGzp3hK7ZYrUFx8TiL_xEtddXW9HEqz9KiOE/s320/02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767980054146207170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bill Shatner and <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/search/label/Christopher%20Plummer">Christopher Plummer</a></span>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-4pBUxz2T3sDhpXq2JyqHhjI3d3OctSH0LTWtkX6Z86tcryMjuddVO7Grp4UjRfr1PuGVzbrljuUH-LYyBVRSvZBWWr4_tNsWHmsefJY9__-DeaArDzScuNg_Nb2C4POiYsRoml1Z-s/s1600/01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-4pBUxz2T3sDhpXq2JyqHhjI3d3OctSH0LTWtkX6Z86tcryMjuddVO7Grp4UjRfr1PuGVzbrljuUH-LYyBVRSvZBWWr4_tNsWHmsefJY9__-DeaArDzScuNg_Nb2C4POiYsRoml1Z-s/s320/01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767980046711224034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">What exactly is going on here?</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2Q3Qi80jR_dEIfoWxDQbAPCYKp8Db551JeMsbYQZJh3mqMelA5RbRIPSZybyECVwBKerUkcVyB9OxBlzD9tdNlJtMimcC8D2cm5KQuWpsLymtxEpu9WZ-W68WgzceJuKKq4OEw5N3x0/s1600/05.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2Q3Qi80jR_dEIfoWxDQbAPCYKp8Db551JeMsbYQZJh3mqMelA5RbRIPSZybyECVwBKerUkcVyB9OxBlzD9tdNlJtMimcC8D2cm5KQuWpsLymtxEpu9WZ-W68WgzceJuKKq4OEw5N3x0/s320/05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767980143756017218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Richard">Little Richard</a>? William Shatner in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Coast_%28TV_series%29">Barbary Coast</a>.<br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />But it also featured something else - something that we had never seen before. Detailed motion pictures of Bill Shatner's father Joseph. We've previously <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/07/it-was-in-genes.html">brought you</a> some stills of Bill's bald dad. But here, for the first time, we are offered a tantalizing longer glimpse of the son through the father. If you squint a little, it is just possible to imagine...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxGxS_XHmoA-hvvgmQD65TjHu6U8JnsLz0vdrNR1CfxQRyAkzTctvUMSjaBZpoi0ETrVv0PNMhs3d1ATkks4w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-76098733726693297512012-06-30T23:30:00.016+02:002012-07-07T21:03:12.690+02:00Splendid deceptions: William Shatner and Franklin D. Roosevelt.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s1600/fdr4.jpg"> </a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s1600/fdr4.jpg"> </a><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/amSwyoM50v0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" width="360"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">On March 1st, 1945 something quite extraordinary happened. But you wouldn't have known it from watching the contemporary newsreels, including the one above. US President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt">Franklin Delano Roosevelt</a>, looking frail and gaunt and with just over a month left before he would pass away, had just returned from what would be his final overseas trip.<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s1600/fdr4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s320/fdr4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759331005084432322" border="0" /> </a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">At the start of FDR's Address to the US Congress on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yalta_conference">Yalta Conference</a> (WWII was coming to an end and the Allies were attempting to chart a way forward), FDR said something so unexpected that one could almost forgive the newsreels for not mentioning it as it would have invariably overshadowed the story they wished to report on. So what happened? This extract from a <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/fdr/">PBS documentary </a>about America's 32nd president shows the start of the Address:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzYXJjevRGkWXY546KuY7yLg_aN8T-S9fI340WVeeRuUMRJa0n1GuA3lfAIt_LLPoKiryBAqi849jnsoCH6Lw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">"<span class="displaytext"><span style="font-style: italic;">I hope that you will pardon me for this unusual posture of sitting down during the presentation of what I want to say, but I know that you will realize that it makes it a lot easier for me not to have to carry about ten pounds of steel around on the bottom of my legs; and also because of the fact that I have just completed a fourteen-thousand-mile trip</span>."</span><br /></div><span class="displaytext"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="displaytext">As the documentary notes, FDR had never openly and publicly spoken of his disability before </span><span class="displaytext"> (even privately, he rarely spoke of it)</span><span class="displaytext">, and especially not in such a major public setting as a Presidential Address to Congress. Rather, Roosevelt's entire professional life after being crippled by (what was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt%27s_paralytic_illness">likely but not certainly</a>) polio in 1921 at the age of thirty-nine, was based upon a complex and extraordinary campaign of splendid deception. And that, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/FDRs-Splendid-Deception-Roosevelts-Disability-And/dp/0918339502/"><span style="font-style: italic;">FDR's Splendid Deception</span></a> (required reading at the WSSTS), is the name of a fascinating book on this very subject by author Hugh Gregory Gallagher, which details the determined efforts made by Roosevelt to appear to be able to walk normally in public.</span><br /></div><span class="displaytext"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuSszLGONBTD52EwgzWRfX1s9RvkTaNUlGq2EeMiokoPBWTAhyphenhyphenXxLWs5jDd8pCAkmOWM1r2iYcwlOQarHj6rq103FK460wz0s8PLVjsd9vRmS7s-hXz0dO96B91mzhWOp_LUDE28IoNQ/s1600/FDRDeception.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuSszLGONBTD52EwgzWRfX1s9RvkTaNUlGq2EeMiokoPBWTAhyphenhyphenXxLWs5jDd8pCAkmOWM1r2iYcwlOQarHj6rq103FK460wz0s8PLVjsd9vRmS7s-hXz0dO96B91mzhWOp_LUDE28IoNQ/s320/FDRDeception.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759811730632072210" border="0" /></a><span class="displaytext"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="displaytext">For those of us interested in Bill Shatner's toupological deceptions, FDR's story provides several profound, moving and even inspiring insights. Of course - and we stress this as strongly as we possibly can - Bill Shatner's baldness and FDR's paraplegia cannot be compared in terms of their seriousness and any attempt to do so would be utterly callous and deeply insensitive to the disabled. But what we can compare is the decision by these two men to conceal, with considerable effort, their inadequacies as measured against the human norm. They both believed firmly that such deceptions were necessary in order to prevent them from being marginalized or even shunned by society.</span><br /></div><span class="displaytext"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z0FUTefFkhT1oYLA9aj0widG8ssJzKs8eNd5taetAUqxRIPvcm0F5bjzo-7BSWsVFfPYeN8yt_RBGBnwDa_TiiuwrfFr6ZxiK-KBp8i10h5IK92Olm_wYsXltGaXsBoMl3bshYrYCoo/s1600/ShatFDR.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z0FUTefFkhT1oYLA9aj0widG8ssJzKs8eNd5taetAUqxRIPvcm0F5bjzo-7BSWsVFfPYeN8yt_RBGBnwDa_TiiuwrfFr6ZxiK-KBp8i10h5IK92Olm_wYsXltGaXsBoMl3bshYrYCoo/s320/ShatFDR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759772365805505778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Necessary (and risky) illusions - FDR and William Shatner. </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><span class="displaytext"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="displaytext">Here is an extract from a <span style="font-style: italic;">History Channel</span> documentary on FDR, which details some of his splendid deceptions:</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwabDKKRXGmC2J_1wUCLAqcxVLu5pbZcmwl1MD0QL_8wdgW4IOVg4_uD2FG_2so4YaOvKqZr4IbRNK5beR3WQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The young Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted to be president as much as the young William Shatner wanted to be an actor. Growing up in an aristocratic New England household and sharing the surname of the much beloved former president <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_roosevelt">Teddy Roosevelt</a>, he sought to emulate the iconic path chosen by his famous distant cousin: New York legislature, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York, vice-President and then President.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ls7MLr00nUp65s24pGNVZ5kaTRdYytqXS-CgRPU8ez2hb2HoYuOncXCYou_UH249Xy2rwPzRtAnEpef8AjhOQyDKXTJnt4SvPFol6CS8HfLGw5SeopBmK7jc1c25QQCIdrxzcwIznvY/s1600/YoungFDR.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ls7MLr00nUp65s24pGNVZ5kaTRdYytqXS-CgRPU8ez2hb2HoYuOncXCYou_UH249Xy2rwPzRtAnEpef8AjhOQyDKXTJnt4SvPFol6CS8HfLGw5SeopBmK7jc1c25QQCIdrxzcwIznvY/s320/YoungFDR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759867951799115410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A young and able-bodied Franklin Roosevelt, before illness struck. </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />But part way through this journey, while vacationing at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campobello_Island">Campobello Island</a> in Canada, just off the coast of Maine, FDR got sick after a physically exerting vacation day of swimming and hiking (and even putting out a fire) with his children. He went upstairs to bed, his body seized up, and FDR never walked again. Seemingly, his whole career and life in any meaningful sense was over.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdt7LP3iYz6CnHEOIVGk0jxkILYeS-KEeQsFoJ73VIqrHl25zhBaUCgCaJEJ3o1_n6sBRvp_BzVyr3lLEKnxAxsH0Hs6TmwWiBouuwnVoZDIrfkF8vo1h1UEAf8hPT2vCbNAOI1NkwcKk/s1600/smiling_fdr_sailing_1916_jpg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdt7LP3iYz6CnHEOIVGk0jxkILYeS-KEeQsFoJ73VIqrHl25zhBaUCgCaJEJ3o1_n6sBRvp_BzVyr3lLEKnxAxsH0Hs6TmwWiBouuwnVoZDIrfkF8vo1h1UEAf8hPT2vCbNAOI1NkwcKk/s320/smiling_fdr_sailing_1916_jpg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759924292806923810" border="0" /></a><br />But that's not what happened. Privilege and the Roosevelt name counted for much (at this time, "cripples" or "invalids" were often viewed as less than human and sent to sanatoriums), but tenacity and savvy would play a far greater role. At first, FDR dedicated a number of years to the futile hope of walking again. He spent much time at a spa called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warm_Springs,_Georgia">Warm Springs</a> in Georgia, and eventually even turned the place into a fully-fledged resort for treating polio victims (polio was at the time more commonly known as the far more derogatory-sounding "infantile paralysis").<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJMsxQdUyHpp6BiskKjA6asu973Q0wLvU0MMMxLQ_1UU0E2E2zc9oMZ_SjgEAubDeRRIC42UKgCbmZ5bOxeBZf4cyxtVNXoQ-c_XDhFSARYW39eaRL0cYo2Z0EjCiGqAvCn7m6U37Gec/s1600/FDR001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJMsxQdUyHpp6BiskKjA6asu973Q0wLvU0MMMxLQ_1UU0E2E2zc9oMZ_SjgEAubDeRRIC42UKgCbmZ5bOxeBZf4cyxtVNXoQ-c_XDhFSARYW39eaRL0cYo2Z0EjCiGqAvCn7m6U37Gec/s320/FDR001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759807049628213634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">FDR helps other "polios" at Warm Springs.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />It is through this struggle and burgeoning compassion for others, even wife <a href="http://www.blogger.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt">Eleanor</a> later conceded, that led FDR to gain the real mettle and character required to be president.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnho-PkQMWlMu-xnGf2p_4N1F6JhYn_2PtybhX-J_HhCs11CV-KwjAetZhUbd24KJr6vrD8-wtCVCbLpSmVZWDOX_8w2-sP5VRVj3PpGvoTS_Ld4V2uCtZOpZQsuzIQTPSnUvaMKn4Ao8/s1600/FDR002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnho-PkQMWlMu-xnGf2p_4N1F6JhYn_2PtybhX-J_HhCs11CV-KwjAetZhUbd24KJr6vrD8-wtCVCbLpSmVZWDOX_8w2-sP5VRVj3PpGvoTS_Ld4V2uCtZOpZQsuzIQTPSnUvaMKn4Ao8/s320/FDR002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759807053792246274" border="0" /></a><br />In the ensuing years, an entirely untrue myth was born, carefully nurtured by FDR, his wife and his political assistant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_McHenry_Howe">Louis Howe</a>: FDR had been terribly afflicted by polio, but he was "recovering", "improving"; the effects of the disease were being reversed - he was getting better and would certainly walk again.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDx6k91CALC6leAerhyphenhyphenqiFdgE9LG-FXpHH-n8sdDLc6xiliRGl_R_iMX-L3QCdi51ZSuwLxJkRAkhmcYgu29gi4S7kra0t-vE1AVNyXyt_DJlurU-cVDfcxWClsBDX3E_kx2K6ay3wIDE/s1600/FDR1924.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDx6k91CALC6leAerhyphenhyphenqiFdgE9LG-FXpHH-n8sdDLc6xiliRGl_R_iMX-L3QCdi51ZSuwLxJkRAkhmcYgu29gi4S7kra0t-vE1AVNyXyt_DJlurU-cVDfcxWClsBDX3E_kx2K6ay3wIDE/s320/FDR1924.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759870360407053714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">FDR in 1924 "getting better". </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />In 1924, FDR appeared at his first major comeback event, the Democratic presidential convention to make a speech nominating candidate Al Smith. In <span style="font-style: italic;">Splendid Deception</span>, author Gallagher notes:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">From the very first, Roosevelt was determined not to be seen in a wheelchair unless absolutely necessary, and not be lifted up stairs in full view of the public [...] He and [son] James arrived early each day in order to get to their seats before the arrival of the other delegates [...] At the door, Roosevelt's braces would be locked, and he would be pulled up to a standing position. With James on one arm and a crutch on another, he would slowly make his way down the aisle. </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkusuefRhC9fvASa3ZIN5Ex6_quTRTAjdsnC25FZYHuZo8WaYyYm7eSHt02CJ2ePxeAtQx30IdXEr60IBiboELE36whWXvMEoOAZG_1-IDC2BISrN6FzOSfn9SnTsNQS6xMH6_M-rT6A/s1600/FDRBraces.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkusuefRhC9fvASa3ZIN5Ex6_quTRTAjdsnC25FZYHuZo8WaYyYm7eSHt02CJ2ePxeAtQx30IdXEr60IBiboELE36whWXvMEoOAZG_1-IDC2BISrN6FzOSfn9SnTsNQS6xMH6_M-rT6A/s320/FDRBraces.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759861849533685506" border="0" /></a><br />It was risky. One slip, trip and subsequent fall and FDR's comeback would come to a crushing and humiliating end. But he pulled it off...<br style="font-style: italic;"><br />Four years later, he visited the Democratic convention again (Smith didn't win the nomination in '24; he did in '28 but lost the general election), but by this time he had mastered - after considerable training - the illusion of appearing to walk without the need for crutches.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0L_C6nNHG9FPo4lgxuhoDnDQzIJDU_SITPuVCHfQnz0V-EU2RqDqOy1CZMT2Djpn_QiSDUi9nAm-0-aMTvm2NZ0thC4EVSZ-wB-J3WifTeRJjqTPndWGKBE5kgQnW3jTNui6WR0u63Y/s1600/FDRwalk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0L_C6nNHG9FPo4lgxuhoDnDQzIJDU_SITPuVCHfQnz0V-EU2RqDqOy1CZMT2Djpn_QiSDUi9nAm-0-aMTvm2NZ0thC4EVSZ-wB-J3WifTeRJjqTPndWGKBE5kgQnW3jTNui6WR0u63Y/s320/FDRwalk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759926424938255714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The illusion of a careless stroll was in fact a well-rehearsed and extraordinarily demanding affair. </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />He would hold onto the the arm of his son with one hand and hold a simple cane in the other. Once again, heavy metal braces were locked in place on his legs. The son would be advised to smile and look relaxed at all times, and FDR presented the same facade of relaxed abandon. As far as the assembled crowds were concerned, FDR was back!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1hJYhGuS7vOYn6q3ufleNQdC6eCBELN4H2fkcTFdY-eW3gESWNktb2wnDEGEEER8R1Bmr9-W2HcPHOhLnSQdoBh8qxSdkp1HxKFFq3GAtHLpDT0W2Rtrczzb6KvQ0DoQITGZViSKP3E/s1600/FDR1928Convention.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1hJYhGuS7vOYn6q3ufleNQdC6eCBELN4H2fkcTFdY-eW3gESWNktb2wnDEGEEER8R1Bmr9-W2HcPHOhLnSQdoBh8qxSdkp1HxKFFq3GAtHLpDT0W2Rtrczzb6KvQ0DoQITGZViSKP3E/s320/FDR1928Convention.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759865357426354098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">FDR in 1928. He would soon become governor of New York and, four years later, President of the United States.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Splendid Deception</span> again:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In this posture he could "walk" although in a curious toddling manner, hitching up first one leg with the aid of muscles along the side of his trunk, then placing his weight upon that leg, then using the muscles along his other side, and hitching the other leg forward - first one side and then the other, and so on and so on. He was able to do this because his arms served him in precisely the same way as crutches. His right arm transmitted the weight of his body through the index finger along the full length of the cane to the floor. His left arm, leaning on his son's arm, similarly took the weight off his body. </span><br /><br />In the crowded commotion of events such as the Democratic convention, and with FDR partially surrounded by an entourage, all but the closest-standing people would have any idea that something was not quite as it appeared to be.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcSOlXuaam1u4v_FzpK8mNq97O5b0vxsjzmaqsNIFHcg38BDuP0L05VCHSsd7_4UKVTzAU-z0_5KOg4ATd3ehz-u2mlxaZ4fFJqRJ-n3wmMn99QV7IA9y9vdJYO68Op8hEWk6tO6REfU/s1600/FDRCar.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcSOlXuaam1u4v_FzpK8mNq97O5b0vxsjzmaqsNIFHcg38BDuP0L05VCHSsd7_4UKVTzAU-z0_5KOg4ATd3ehz-u2mlxaZ4fFJqRJ-n3wmMn99QV7IA9y9vdJYO68Op8hEWk6tO6REfU/s320/FDRCar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759861828740186770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Note the onlookers to the right. So close, yet do even they know what is going on to the left?</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />Here are two clips from the PBS documentary showing this extraordinary feat - the second section showing the walk at FDR's famous inauguration in early 1933, the single greatest test of the illusion that he would ever face:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwBe6tNEcDDeKHFj5nl4QGI05K0nK-TI9CKMFW7ArHTqVZnO8kV_kpyoWad_OQnNJOPP_nmQqI_f-eNXbR6GA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><br />In 1932, as the Great Depression swept across America, a crippled man was elected to repair a crippled nation. A man whose regimen of endless experimentation (mostly involving swimming exercises at Warm Springs) to at first beat and then at least overcome the effects of a debilitating tragedy then took the <span style="font-style: italic;">very same</span> approach of action, action and more action in his efforts to fight the Depression. This analogy could not be more striking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CthNXKDJUW7R7YfR5ZQbl-AsTWrR7JW8NXmukz-unTXBMcldq5QUIgxfyzKpTCpCtEGYiGxXehujKqf3PGgw23JTFGdXc8xQV-SFkIm8OUHMCCYpdcV37XtXE1QV9kX9Z9K0xTY45gQ/s1600/Inauguration3_1240893c.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CthNXKDJUW7R7YfR5ZQbl-AsTWrR7JW8NXmukz-unTXBMcldq5QUIgxfyzKpTCpCtEGYiGxXehujKqf3PGgw23JTFGdXc8xQV-SFkIm8OUHMCCYpdcV37XtXE1QV9kX9Z9K0xTY45gQ/s320/Inauguration3_1240893c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759871694294288674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">FDR "stands" as he takes the presidential oath before promising "action, and action now". He also famously notes that "...The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." Note the use of the word "paralyzing". </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />As president, FDR benefited in the illusion of mobility with help from the Secret Service (much as Bill Shatner would benefit from being a professional actor surrounded by hair and makeup people). <span style="font-style: italic;">Splendid Deception</span> again:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOrRuKzgot0wM0pQ6-F8gyEGtDDgan6HH9T55VcOwLuLPhVAZlNEPJQt4C9dFiiDztoAALsqTLTYL9Cv6h_rGk-eXez8dYlBZ6irKKsGD3sP20h5O70RxUFkzKoFAcwvWFgvDGgeCTTI/s1600/FDRPodium.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOrRuKzgot0wM0pQ6-F8gyEGtDDgan6HH9T55VcOwLuLPhVAZlNEPJQt4C9dFiiDztoAALsqTLTYL9Cv6h_rGk-eXez8dYlBZ6irKKsGD3sP20h5O70RxUFkzKoFAcwvWFgvDGgeCTTI/s320/FDRPodium.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759929257766125154" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">FDR speaking at a podium carefully and firmly bolted to the ground.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When Roosevelt left the White House, his excursions were very carefully planned by the Secret Service. The White House imposed certain rules, which were always obeyed. For example, the president was never lifted in public. If it was necessary to lift him out of the car, this was done in the privacy of a garage or behind a temporary plywood screen constructed for the purpose. He was never seen in public seated in a wheelchair. Either he appeared standing, leaning on the arm of an aide, or he was seated in an ordinary chair </span><span>[or in a car]</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. He required that the chair be solid enough to support his full weight as he pushed himself up to a standing position. Speakers' podiums had to be solid and bolted to the floor. Once, in the 1932 campaign, this was not done, and the podium and the candidate crashed to the floor. Although reporters were present, the incident was not mentioned in the press nor were pictures taken of his fall, although it was seen by photographers. </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWm8DUxkHdLqaiCHmA1H7psPtdH_oWb3UtVCKRexdMKSZ6ItUdLoyIE-VIRAgJ5WOwd8JpGPkxcYE5q8ipjupQ_BvKreocX-a1uL0YpjQ8zFDtWg3gje2RBd17J85aNPAQbi27WHCs0Y0/s1600/FDRRamp.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWm8DUxkHdLqaiCHmA1H7psPtdH_oWb3UtVCKRexdMKSZ6ItUdLoyIE-VIRAgJ5WOwd8JpGPkxcYE5q8ipjupQ_BvKreocX-a1uL0YpjQ8zFDtWg3gje2RBd17J85aNPAQbi27WHCs0Y0/s320/FDRRamp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759861834260311458" border="0" /></a><br />"No movies of me getting out of the machine, boys," are FDR's once-spoken gentle-sounding words to reporters in 1928. From then on, remarkably, the press observed this "unspoken code followed by the White House photography corps," as Gallagher writes, adding:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If, as happened once or twice, one of its members tried to sneak a picture of the President in his [wheel]chair, one or another of the older photographers would "accidentally" knock the camera to the ground or otherwise block the picture. Should the President himself notice someone in the crowd violating the interdiction, he would point the offender out and the Secret Service would move in, seize the camera, and expose the film.</span><br /><br />And, as Gallagher also writes, if FDR did fall in public, the Secret Service were trained to instantly encircle him. To all but the closest onlookers, it would merely appear that the President had been momentarily surrounded by a crowd of over-enthusiastic well-wishers before emerging upright as before.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1c-b7TLt6JQpykKVWW1lfWICmQVGlCV9_s7-wrVEUgtOAHJP8qjUY-Ikiqk7SGOLcW6wzGXvrYMKU5pP_cv07bIbhBBnu6U1cpTjhsvVxLcV7ONGwoNSAc9f9fUPY5j8pGj5whFAHS8/s1600/FDRBraces2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1c-b7TLt6JQpykKVWW1lfWICmQVGlCV9_s7-wrVEUgtOAHJP8qjUY-Ikiqk7SGOLcW6wzGXvrYMKU5pP_cv07bIbhBBnu6U1cpTjhsvVxLcV7ONGwoNSAc9f9fUPY5j8pGj5whFAHS8/s320/FDRBraces2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759861845328333794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A rare photograph of FDR with his leg braces easily visible around his shoes. </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />None of this would be remotely possible by any stretch of the imagination today. But the nature of the times is partially what made it so. FDR had assumed the presidency with America not only on the brink economically, but with many (witnessing events in Europe) wondering if even democracy itself was a failed idea. Were they really going to call the guy tasked with the unenviable job of reversing this nightmare an invalid? For a great majority of poor Americans, FDR was a heroic and deeply beloved figure. Many - as crazy as it seems - would just choose not to see that awkward stumble or hobble as he visited their town. And even if they did, it simply wasn't considered good manners to discuss it with anyone else. So just how many people knew that their president was in fact unable to walk? Here is a segment from the aforementioned PBS documentary, which looks at this very question:<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyjR1ZqaemBn1C35Se52x-EtuHhf6QWK7bHb7ePWovkzUAXL7gIWVvQOIEwVuxLGL9skTFe_bWveVobeQdn7A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, in today's television and Internet age, such splendid deception would not have stood a chance at working. And yet, how many people <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> know that Bill Shatner wears a toupee versus those that have no idea, or just suspect? Even with today's instant inter-connectivity and access to information, illusions can still be maintained...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuc5_QW1q_hlcsdeM9ef4AAFwJqYVLWD2pbJZ5Dn9x5zLA1m5bZkjTw1hy5OpIMOHZboUevd0BP9DaQ5uNmBDwKT0G_WeTi64VeNpgxCt1d0tJxYmqZPzWXdCAzMtE-AbqwKpbmD-QPk/s1600/FDR_1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuc5_QW1q_hlcsdeM9ef4AAFwJqYVLWD2pbJZ5Dn9x5zLA1m5bZkjTw1hy5OpIMOHZboUevd0BP9DaQ5uNmBDwKT0G_WeTi64VeNpgxCt1d0tJxYmqZPzWXdCAzMtE-AbqwKpbmD-QPk/s320/FDR_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759867869692442914" border="0" /></a><br />What might a simple YouTube clip of Roosevelt stumbling somewhere (given the precarious nature of the endeavor, considerably more likely than Bill Shatner's toupee falling off in public) have done to his political image? What about a clip shot by someone on a cellphone of FDR in his braces struggling to get into his car even without the drama of a fall or a trip? A million views? Ten? The president is a cripple. Huge scoop. He's lying, deceiving us, maybe he even has a deep-seated hatred of able-bodied people! How might today's political discourse have handled this issue? Likely, and sadly, we probably wouldn't have even gotten to that point.<br /><br />Cartoons of the time always depicted a strong a man who could walk, and fight to bring America back from the brink economically (and later defeat the Nazis and the Japanese).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6nglW1k-sPYqnvKjVFoo8x7J8pAsTVU5tBJYvnZazlLo1ZkiUC7cU4a9rVFTKJJGQ5mjv2VYkyTxnMwAHiSpiHGeXg-IOz7QCQ703ieUhLR7K_kyZnLL6uFfS5BdIZ4hYgvDpncnge4/s1600/Duncan-FDR-cast-5-34-small.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 245px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6nglW1k-sPYqnvKjVFoo8x7J8pAsTVU5tBJYvnZazlLo1ZkiUC7cU4a9rVFTKJJGQ5mjv2VYkyTxnMwAHiSpiHGeXg-IOz7QCQ703ieUhLR7K_kyZnLL6uFfS5BdIZ4hYgvDpncnge4/s320/Duncan-FDR-cast-5-34-small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759776854333674658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZqrTiv4dG-jJVt-SKLZo8DxXJ6FV-3l3_MteGAobjQiSzuFIxD72HLfjwz9fJA411c7qvisnD6LbmMbZurB70H_K_3HM_394FlThy0svpRcSdCjGuLZrqovAKuGDAQWqLKdIu-ra09w/s1600/TAS1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZqrTiv4dG-jJVt-SKLZo8DxXJ6FV-3l3_MteGAobjQiSzuFIxD72HLfjwz9fJA411c7qvisnD6LbmMbZurB70H_K_3HM_394FlThy0svpRcSdCjGuLZrqovAKuGDAQWqLKdIu-ra09w/s320/TAS1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759777731189132130" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Neither of these scenarios were entirely truthful, but the societies of the time evidently wanted them to be...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Political opponents and enemies mostly did not dare try to make FDR's disability an issue either, at least not too overtly (note the cane):<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cWFOpLIbs5ly7K_OtiuRIQ5_K-lA2Xt7iopThhifRzs-NR1Ub-dSZXQqFzONKPKo_SOTlKWMdZvItxVkfbpydPY6PQJsp9m69dzT07qtcV0ByGbYS1xhXq9F1BP-kYt5AF5Wz4m9Ihc/s1600/court3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cWFOpLIbs5ly7K_OtiuRIQ5_K-lA2Xt7iopThhifRzs-NR1Ub-dSZXQqFzONKPKo_SOTlKWMdZvItxVkfbpydPY6PQJsp9m69dzT07qtcV0ByGbYS1xhXq9F1BP-kYt5AF5Wz4m9Ihc/s320/court3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759778841721802514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Anti-FDR cartoon.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />And even the Nazis (likely because their view of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_eugenics">eugenics</a> would have been undermined by acknowledging a less-than-perfect human could become US president) mostly dared not go there as noted by <a href="http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?cc=mqr;c=mqr;c=mqrarchive;idno=act2080.0037.207;rgn=main;view=text;xc=1;g=mqrg">this</a> interesting article examining this very issue:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE-mfriL4PUJynuLrACw4hnBWSzJKte9s32ME_fQNts8z3WT_54klhbyYtDsULO2yu-Siy7U95hxlfBudv8o5fsPUnFCRgkxnJNY7sb5NzCYADeXnmM_KwJsBjDjSN22zAwfb7X6Fzjk/s1600/FDRNaziCartoon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE-mfriL4PUJynuLrACw4hnBWSzJKte9s32ME_fQNts8z3WT_54klhbyYtDsULO2yu-Siy7U95hxlfBudv8o5fsPUnFCRgkxnJNY7sb5NzCYADeXnmM_KwJsBjDjSN22zAwfb7X6Fzjk/s320/FDRNaziCartoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759780414585265554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nazi cartoon of FDR - imperialist, yes; cripple, no...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">But the article notes that there were exceptions:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">One graphic statement was made by</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Mussolini on the occasion of a speech by Roosevelt that Italy's fascist leader especially disliked: "Never in the course of history has a nation been guided by a paralytic. There have been bald kings, fat kings, handsome and even stupid kings, but never kings who, in order to go to the bathroom and the dinner table, had to be supported by other men."</span><br /><br />And, as has been noted by numerous books and documentaries alike, only two photographs of FDR in a wheelchair have ever been located - and neither was published during the president's lifetime.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7bmaJQzeplWDoWuHeL6jlxvWs7tredSYojM4vW3gvd6Vn7Qri_qbgbMUklG4NbjrWjMEGweHIkFLaPWc9K28_9WsxXvCkW34T0CkhZQq0NYdruuRojvF5JhAqhu08wVOOYkzeTaIcLM/s1600/fdr1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7bmaJQzeplWDoWuHeL6jlxvWs7tredSYojM4vW3gvd6Vn7Qri_qbgbMUklG4NbjrWjMEGweHIkFLaPWc9K28_9WsxXvCkW34T0CkhZQq0NYdruuRojvF5JhAqhu08wVOOYkzeTaIcLM/s320/fdr1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759794912113980306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">FDR in 1941 - one of only two photos of the US president photographed in a wheelchair.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Thus the illusion was maintained throughout Roosevelt's life just as he wanted. He died while in office on April 12th, 1945 at the beginning of his fourth term (this was before US presidents were limited to two four year terms). After his death, those close to Roosevelt spoke openly of FDR's disability in a way which was simply not done during his life. Would FDR have been happy to see photos of him in a wheelchair released? Or does our interest in an iconic public figure; our need as humans to learn the stories of those whom we revere, trump such considerations? We think the latter has and always will be true. No complete picture of FDR is possible without fully understanding his disability.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EQfPWBcS2eX0dv0zjAIMt7JUF574jbSM0e8WAHZVrT96ZIYfMSNSLuc2ETnY7IzQI8OUGz1zNRTS3_BdanGwWMEoDkpR6IUAbxws5EmQa8_ixpJoKv_FnGAPMptubgpM7APxc93DdVc/s1600/roosevelt-fdr-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EQfPWBcS2eX0dv0zjAIMt7JUF574jbSM0e8WAHZVrT96ZIYfMSNSLuc2ETnY7IzQI8OUGz1zNRTS3_BdanGwWMEoDkpR6IUAbxws5EmQa8_ixpJoKv_FnGAPMptubgpM7APxc93DdVc/s320/roosevelt-fdr-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759919159319407122" border="0" /></a><br />We would suggest that FDR and Bill Shatner share much in common in terms of their complex personalities. For those of us accustomed to Bill Shatner's occasional clever toupological <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/11/poll-result-and-some-toupee-wordplay.html">wordplay</a>, FDR's response to a reporter's question as chronicled in <span style="font-style: italic;">Splendid Deception</span> will have a very familiar ring:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">...FDR did not want the public to be aware that he was still confined to a wheelchair. Sometimes he was really quite deceptive in reply to direct questions. For example, in answer to a newspaper editor who had charged that Roosevelt was still wheelchair bound, FDR said, "As a matter of fact, I don't use a wheelchair at all except a little kitchen chair on wheels to get about my room while dressing...and solely for the purpose of saving time."<br /></span><br />That kitchen chair was actually his custom-built wheelchair.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuMECIjksRkE2caPifMpiowyuxks1vcgEUCnF29zZTsIyp-LjH7UvO_ytRy9Fu8BHaj0thPCl6GMnNt0aELzP8zZ778dMewTR0a3idpLhJFb3P4yXyqeBW7ZYREW8JZqAe3PmNA18Eu8/s1600/FDR-Eleanor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuMECIjksRkE2caPifMpiowyuxks1vcgEUCnF29zZTsIyp-LjH7UvO_ytRy9Fu8BHaj0thPCl6GMnNt0aELzP8zZ778dMewTR0a3idpLhJFb3P4yXyqeBW7ZYREW8JZqAe3PmNA18Eu8/s320/FDR-Eleanor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759919601473193698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt. </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />In spite of their mutually outwardly optimistic and highly energetic natures, both FDR and Bill Shatner also share that somewhat impenetrable exterior. Descriptions of FDR are remarkably similar in this sense. Even those closest to him found it almost impossible to get below that Victorian upbringing in which troubles were simply not discussed, lest someone create an unnecessary "fuss". There was cheeriness, jocularity and warmth, and Americans across the country truly felt as if the President was talking to them with his reassuring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireside_chats">fireside chats</a>. As noted by <a href="http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2010/08/kennedy_on_the.html">this</a> article:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">At Roosevelt's funeral in 1945, as the funeral cortege was making its way through the streets of Washington, D.C., there was an old man weeping. Someone asked: Did you know the President? Old man replied: No, I didn't know him; but he knew me. </span><br /><br />But just who was the real FDR? What made him tick? He never truly spoke or wrote about himself in this way. And thus to this day, no-one really knows.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZLp_AfgpoOpiHxw2zgIem-yEBiREMSG0dHzrWLNyC2r7HI5ZwPsRTO34XVDbabNc8VPfaV4kzXUq56Dd3vb__OWRvAM4HP135J6teIXMX44GtPtEVRP5o0_yR2m6dl3Pgu460TsBY1g/s1600/FDRsmile.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZLp_AfgpoOpiHxw2zgIem-yEBiREMSG0dHzrWLNyC2r7HI5ZwPsRTO34XVDbabNc8VPfaV4kzXUq56Dd3vb__OWRvAM4HP135J6teIXMX44GtPtEVRP5o0_yR2m6dl3Pgu460TsBY1g/s320/FDRsmile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759926420614946514" border="0" /></a><br />The same is surely true of Bill Shatner too. We read his books, watch his jokey talk show appearances, listen to that same story about Leonard Nimoy's bike and yet still are left to wonder: who is he really?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9kNSzVn7ag6khdrmbGkVaH4nKWYP9XA5hIZIpSpMYX2SBDW5Me3uBX0REpEQ5DA3bYUUFZh3skVCxgGmT5AEIpZhqKeni4lT_e3XoYeoOe5Ub7KlQq1tz4yG6tWZZ2DgyPb4fVCLqI8/s1600/ShatnerHairLucas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9kNSzVn7ag6khdrmbGkVaH4nKWYP9XA5hIZIpSpMYX2SBDW5Me3uBX0REpEQ5DA3bYUUFZh3skVCxgGmT5AEIpZhqKeni4lT_e3XoYeoOe5Ub7KlQq1tz4yG6tWZZ2DgyPb4fVCLqI8/s320/ShatnerHairLucas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759920743568898498" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bill Shatner's Yalta Address to Congress-style moment: "</span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/08/shatner-admits-to-hair-loss-in-oblique.html">I just envy the hair</a><span style="font-style: italic;">..."</span><br /></div><br />In <span style="font-style: italic;">Splendid Deception</span>, the author writes of FDR's personality:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">FDR had been a withdrawn child, fairly shy with strangers, personable and charming but always somehow distant. He had no great friends in whom he confided, no bosom buddies, no intimates. [...] If Roosevelt ever spoke to anyone of his illness and the resulting paralysis, it would have been [to Eleanor or assistant Howe] but according to Eleanor he did not do so. There is no record of his ever having discussed it with </span><span>anyone</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><br />The word "anyone" is emphasized in the book.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; font-style: italic;">According to his mother he never spoke of it to her [...] This illustrates how total and resolute were FDR's defences. [...] FDR refused to acknowledge unpleasant facts. They were simply avoided, dismissed or denied. They were certainly not discussed either in public or in private. [...] FDR insisted on good cheer at all times, no matter how difficult. There would be no complaints no matter how great the pain.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWcFfPSLLWjChjFjNhbhj6k6iKC8Bpx2s9Ih0c6rUzcTeLX0_JQGY_ZQTD8v-HQNktYL6hVB_4YWwHm6fugGZzC1ZOx3dgVU8w6QzBaR6FPI5CMs9oM7y4ePGsSddwSw2foUVEtSg1OY/s1600/220px-Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt_with_his_mother_Sara%252C_1887.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWcFfPSLLWjChjFjNhbhj6k6iKC8Bpx2s9Ih0c6rUzcTeLX0_JQGY_ZQTD8v-HQNktYL6hVB_4YWwHm6fugGZzC1ZOx3dgVU8w6QzBaR6FPI5CMs9oM7y4ePGsSddwSw2foUVEtSg1OY/s320/220px-Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt_with_his_mother_Sara%252C_1887.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759920182757133074" border="0" /></a>Young Franklin with his mother Sara.<br /></div></div><br />And crucially, Gallagher also quotes FDR's wife Eleanor as saying after his death: "You know that he has never said that he could not walk."<br /><br />Perhaps in some of this we can find the roots (no pun intended) of why Bill Shatner will never truly say that he has no hair. In his world, such things are simply not done.<br /><br />Years after Roosevelt's death a controversy related to his disability erupted over a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FDR_Memorial">memorial</a> to the president built in Washington, D.C. and opened in 1997. A bronze statue of a sitting FDR covered in a cape obscured any sense that Roosevelt was disabled. In response to protests by disabled groups, the statue was altered to add barely visible casters (wheels) to the back. Then in 2001, disability activists raised the money to have another statue installed at the site - this time overtly showing FDR in a wheelchair.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzTQcSFVOpZtrDroy5G6qEiaJI0uP9BC4hKR-opaSQR1umThDd0FURd_O5ALy-JQYOCLDORhKMLl-Lvk8E8BpRNXu0-Sdyc5fQLMtEiI9keg61AxWDR0bIaCp2o-PRrfGKobOehlfL3s/s1600/800px-FDR_memorial.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzTQcSFVOpZtrDroy5G6qEiaJI0uP9BC4hKR-opaSQR1umThDd0FURd_O5ALy-JQYOCLDORhKMLl-Lvk8E8BpRNXu0-Sdyc5fQLMtEiI9keg61AxWDR0bIaCp2o-PRrfGKobOehlfL3s/s320/800px-FDR_memorial.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759802947608177266" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SxQ-pDI2i7uMBxmRClyGNeI0M1ZXInldRyv_veDUJMIT6QTFCu3wIJcxFadUAK869FNBU62A6-xDINoUEKTzn63P4V8h0-q0RgPvG96IJ_Kct-VfD_kvXFQUfX7s_9SkSJxuB83RYW8/s1600/wheelchair.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SxQ-pDI2i7uMBxmRClyGNeI0M1ZXInldRyv_veDUJMIT6QTFCu3wIJcxFadUAK869FNBU62A6-xDINoUEKTzn63P4V8h0-q0RgPvG96IJ_Kct-VfD_kvXFQUfX7s_9SkSJxuB83RYW8/s320/wheelchair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759802942511431538" border="0" /></a><br />With the latter, FDR was now permanently visible to the public in a manner in which the late president never wished to be seen. There is obviously room for debate on the merits of that decision. Would a statue of a bald Bill Shatner be the right or wrong way to remember and honor him?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxBTN9DTLFM762tnMRH3xYvdYmt4T7g3zygEuqEiJcUTa0h3rbAh6qJixP0zd90iX7R70GXWlLSZUpjfDrtQs_zCcom4OO_tzGhhYbsbid-3PNgkYwbVxdFGNCzr_3BNyhOBBWrrUfmg/s1600/0402williamshatner630x420.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxBTN9DTLFM762tnMRH3xYvdYmt4T7g3zygEuqEiJcUTa0h3rbAh6qJixP0zd90iX7R70GXWlLSZUpjfDrtQs_zCcom4OO_tzGhhYbsbid-3PNgkYwbVxdFGNCzr_3BNyhOBBWrrUfmg/s320/0402williamshatner630x420.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759803678747223650" border="0" /></a><br />Just what <span style="font-style: italic;">would </span>be fitting?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuup-BKAxCF8luecUceXTD9hQvHcooMWA7jMR_iQZxkjgsim1-OcXhOjgYjZ2fsGtKGU5s5H3FHNkmUtgXHCibEYKpp6Y39UpJ64pFq4QDu3oT0_fW_LZcAFsCHYOIHsBn8ww5VtgK6_c/s1600/Tribbles.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuup-BKAxCF8luecUceXTD9hQvHcooMWA7jMR_iQZxkjgsim1-OcXhOjgYjZ2fsGtKGU5s5H3FHNkmUtgXHCibEYKpp6Y39UpJ64pFq4QDu3oT0_fW_LZcAFsCHYOIHsBn8ww5VtgK6_c/s320/Tribbles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759804116035720514" border="0" /></a><br />Like FDR, Bill Shatner came to prominence at an extraordinary time. His portrayal of Captain Kirk during the 1960s served to fill a crucial and critical gap between the assassinated president John F. Kennedy's challenge to put a man on the Moon in May 1961 and the event itself on July 20th, 1969 (by which time <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> had already been cancelled).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT48h0loNmPruYK35z5mbHJIwZKOeBh6z_mGfil_9zARjedruiBmL_MrFjHiRFeN6weHFJr5KGV743_Jnte1uxkE3D7TKq5EpgShLtxQh_lutFklDdIpiiGDlnz7LJlQ5kjd1ETvWFIZM/s1600/daffyduck13.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT48h0loNmPruYK35z5mbHJIwZKOeBh6z_mGfil_9zARjedruiBmL_MrFjHiRFeN6weHFJr5KGV743_Jnte1uxkE3D7TKq5EpgShLtxQh_lutFklDdIpiiGDlnz7LJlQ5kjd1ETvWFIZM/s320/daffyduck13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759797090263600578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Propping up a crucial gap during the 1960s...</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />The fact that Bill Shatner's Captain Kirk wore a toupee, similarly to the fact that FDR could not walk, was necessarily overlooked by the public; as far as they were concerned, their heroes were to remain flawless.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OgRgB1-SSR895-bIwA_a8rhCc8jcxU2pxKf2N2qyk7P0bECkp4iWn9r_JbI_WquzmOIXCRGV3g_24jH55-F9a8FbpXOP2V6p5cN4LqUnQC1yccF4WFT23aDFowYLvzbxhrLrXrGYdLo/s1600/ShatC2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OgRgB1-SSR895-bIwA_a8rhCc8jcxU2pxKf2N2qyk7P0bECkp4iWn9r_JbI_WquzmOIXCRGV3g_24jH55-F9a8FbpXOP2V6p5cN4LqUnQC1yccF4WFT23aDFowYLvzbxhrLrXrGYdLo/s320/ShatC2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759868052535320674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Great risks were taken in maintaining the illusion of hair. </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />Since January 30th, 1882, we in this world of ours have lived continuously and without interruption alongside either FDR or Bill Shatner (and briefly, from 1931-1945, both). The vision, willful self-deception or not, that one could walk and the other has hair has given us remarkable strength as human beings to try to tackle some of the world's most pressing problems. But conversely, the incessant need of a few to look behind the curtains has also given humanity crucial wisdom. Maybe one day the FDR-Shatner era will be defined as the birth of the age in which we could both know and still believe at the same time. In movies, that is called suspension of disbelief...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuQRXGFx6_2_9TN-w0dlCvNp3cAbZVQVU-_fdi-aHNlWueFynH4akJ5OQgWX5Xw94W0oePFipZkdJr4ccqax7YybPUqh_vhwsKB0lp_9j5Xnk6LNh4Dl_MmmPuFZyGud1tRr3DCLQWBo/s1600/JFKShatnerMoonLanding.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuQRXGFx6_2_9TN-w0dlCvNp3cAbZVQVU-_fdi-aHNlWueFynH4akJ5OQgWX5Xw94W0oePFipZkdJr4ccqax7YybPUqh_vhwsKB0lp_9j5Xnk6LNh4Dl_MmmPuFZyGud1tRr3DCLQWBo/s320/JFKShatnerMoonLanding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759861819819787890" border="0" /></a><br />Perhaps several years after his death (which hopefully won't be for many years yet) the full story of Bill Shatner will fully be told, too. Friends and family will openly discuss the toupee and its significance, toupless pictures will finally be released and the full enigma of this inspiring, energetic and complex individual will begin to be explained.<br /><br />The book <span style="font-style: italic;">Shatner's Splendid Deception</span> has yet to be written, but maybe one day it will be. Until then, perhaps you have a very elderly grandparent of great-grandparent who remembers FDR. If you can, ask them what they knew or did not know about the American president's disability back in the day. And in so doing, help keep the links that form the chain of our continuing human experience alive. One day, many years from now, you may be asked the same kind of questions about William Shatner's toupee...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s1600/fdr4.jpg"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s1600/fdr4.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s1600/fdr4.jpg"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s1600/fdr4.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59HmjLKDQjL9xkK7EnNC1DbWDsbVEVyIodnjWkYpmhP3IsHSwftjcctz0Eidj2wrgBmyT7fgWBlDAXtrQwXDxlRvotc8LsE2fTNGL6R8IH7fxO5tiVjU45Wdkhr-fYz-sdrOJ2ERvLkU/s1600/fdr4.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCa5LkUE8dSny4TwmQoesZVkZUpkIwbglZKhGVKz2YBCKs3ibF8V4fNt_DPZ9ZsF4weJqbKed8Z6S1kgd2havBCRAPr2MxBNfZnvwsph1hPh2KrVLN43Y-_AWFXYZCXhTBJy7-5oeI_uk/s1600/a5901V-cr.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCa5LkUE8dSny4TwmQoesZVkZUpkIwbglZKhGVKz2YBCKs3ibF8V4fNt_DPZ9ZsF4weJqbKed8Z6S1kgd2havBCRAPr2MxBNfZnvwsph1hPh2KrVLN43Y-_AWFXYZCXhTBJy7-5oeI_uk/s320/a5901V-cr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759913073161873250" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-17908294906765859562012-06-18T12:00:00.007+02:002012-06-19T20:09:14.127+02:00Visiting Hours - a toupological analysis.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSA1xuAepflLm9GcKRteSsKtAOpfJ7r4MeDbM8rvaHl061TBPHxFOU69fxs9YdYoAUjb_80IH06C3_hThy3scWF9wyz-lmets_KzKhish8pJnLhyLc6N8zpJrnbY-cuH6uGVFgKbimuk/s1600/visitinghours.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSA1xuAepflLm9GcKRteSsKtAOpfJ7r4MeDbM8rvaHl061TBPHxFOU69fxs9YdYoAUjb_80IH06C3_hThy3scWF9wyz-lmets_KzKhish8pJnLhyLc6N8zpJrnbY-cuH6uGVFgKbimuk/s1600/visitinghours.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 205px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSA1xuAepflLm9GcKRteSsKtAOpfJ7r4MeDbM8rvaHl061TBPHxFOU69fxs9YdYoAUjb_80IH06C3_hThy3scWF9wyz-lmets_KzKhish8pJnLhyLc6N8zpJrnbY-cuH6uGVFgKbimuk/s320/visitinghours.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754901502915305266" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083296/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Visiting Hours</span></a> is a 1982 Canadian feature film starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000461/">Michael Ironside</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0335519/">Lee Grant</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0700909/">Linda Purl</a> and William Shatner. Numbers two and four in that list are reunited on screen for the second time, having both starred together in 1968's <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/12/perilous-voyage-toupological-analysis.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Perilous Voyage</span></a> and subsequently also an episode of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0657018/">this</a> TV show.<br /><br />The (thin) plot begins with reporter Deborah Ballin (Grant) in trouble for crossing a line between reporting and editorializing over the story of a battered wife facing prosecution for taking the law into her own hands against her husband.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwEjRZUGyPw3YLINlhyQOoGWNIyjt6AiAhfhsbaez4Jt94bQHog4ux49K0OobxU85fcxveoVvE1LmA5jwMqoTp3KLB5fe6RptBSsN-Qx3du3awJb3V0O-ygRxiULPiVi-aAZ8cdc6gLU/s1600/0003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwEjRZUGyPw3YLINlhyQOoGWNIyjt6AiAhfhsbaez4Jt94bQHog4ux49K0OobxU85fcxveoVvE1LmA5jwMqoTp3KLB5fe6RptBSsN-Qx3du3awJb3V0O-ygRxiULPiVi-aAZ8cdc6gLU/s320/0003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754923742081606642" border="0" /></a><br />Her boss, producer Gary Baylor (Shatner), is furious at Ballin's apparent on-screen feminist campaigning.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBv29YEB52NaCr-TiMNiV0cAdnAWt09y8gCAEz1UNfW1gMOenqPx2Wnw4FiUPPOpIcH-P6-VNv_Y67ooKcyXXnJIgjaqN22b0TSneLWuojxe0F7UPewCboC40T32UGK0bnEqB3A_o9p-0/s1600/0002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBv29YEB52NaCr-TiMNiV0cAdnAWt09y8gCAEz1UNfW1gMOenqPx2Wnw4FiUPPOpIcH-P6-VNv_Y67ooKcyXXnJIgjaqN22b0TSneLWuojxe0F7UPewCboC40T32UGK0bnEqB3A_o9p-0/s320/0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754923760205838098" border="0" /></a><br />It seems the segment will be pulled.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy7XezZfz2OsE39FJK8PmDNMuSTVxZu1yFJnL7-w76xFWLMvskY71UFmH7Xl1lB44UDAzCwzafulht2EkiI9Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><br />But that's not the anger she should be concerned with. A member of the studio's cleaning crew, Colt Hawker (Ironside), is watching...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7RhadnBAZq5o5mGQUizVQCRjZtlccHWT3FCF3b6sJsGJj9MYfHEI6VNbD8SwV489KTs3bjCMY6jpwiJnZi3fGYvZ4GTck7v9lsErw_noRQ25mqNt6ujEQuVdL3HSoMTu4lHswP4enqY/s1600/0008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7RhadnBAZq5o5mGQUizVQCRjZtlccHWT3FCF3b6sJsGJj9MYfHEI6VNbD8SwV489KTs3bjCMY6jpwiJnZi3fGYvZ4GTck7v9lsErw_noRQ25mqNt6ujEQuVdL3HSoMTu4lHswP4enqY/s320/0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754950230275213794" border="0" /></a><br />...and is haunted by <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2009/10/matt-stone-toupeed-character.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Impulse</span></a>-esque traumatic childhood memories of his father abusing his mother.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRH7t3BtqVTuMfNa8Q17FRrSAJa5m7nBR6OXutWC5kSt_RcMB0xycx31d93Gx4-4XbPQWylaMj9zqBQ1z4OJcq8wDH2UB1E2Sxzj8zTmq1jOdc5rIhKVTQOYx0eL2CpV-3LQiOfqayyU/s1600/shat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRH7t3BtqVTuMfNa8Q17FRrSAJa5m7nBR6OXutWC5kSt_RcMB0xycx31d93Gx4-4XbPQWylaMj9zqBQ1z4OJcq8wDH2UB1E2Sxzj8zTmq1jOdc5rIhKVTQOYx0eL2CpV-3LQiOfqayyU/s320/shat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755282964439467314" border="0" /></a><br />It's all made him into a psycho misogynist and now this journalist is speaking up for women's rights. So it's time for a killing spree, he decides. The serial killer goes after Ballin, turning up at her home.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7irHWJaswxYyS_D4MKA_SLEtGsq1-gMKKuLJp8IBWrIDfva03XBjO9iFckG1OCHcnmObjvCUZxHlqWLf6LA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><br />Will Hawker get to Ballin, now recovering in hospital from her attack?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOiIRPw-10L2qT7FWARxjxcgBysuQOePdQ1RiCyKV0wYlOXI10y-ygNNEelfwMJ8WO9ZkbsDMBm-YteK0kPBg0ji3uP4nj1astjmmKpJRTPXUxaIpijPCWNQ45gpDtZH4VS8pyd4k2xM/s1600/0014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOiIRPw-10L2qT7FWARxjxcgBysuQOePdQ1RiCyKV0wYlOXI10y-ygNNEelfwMJ8WO9ZkbsDMBm-YteK0kPBg0ji3uP4nj1astjmmKpJRTPXUxaIpijPCWNQ45gpDtZH4VS8pyd4k2xM/s320/0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755305311205941522" border="0" /></a><br />Who else will the madman go after?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnt_XvhGrUtVdrCEjeCSL9fNfsB3XQgvk13rSND1iiEItyzeDNbrdVjcb4Y2651P2YmvAgtFB__1RDo3933w6sCcdTqiDf3TmmF6GBLTKOJlHaSH48QKpruqsJvUoG3x_Li2GacFxXlA/s1600/0023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnt_XvhGrUtVdrCEjeCSL9fNfsB3XQgvk13rSND1iiEItyzeDNbrdVjcb4Y2651P2YmvAgtFB__1RDo3933w6sCcdTqiDf3TmmF6GBLTKOJlHaSH48QKpruqsJvUoG3x_Li2GacFxXlA/s320/0023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755304468845960834" border="0" /></a><br />How long will it take for someone to tip off the police about the killer's identity?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aEIMOr17DZ6mSt51lM8nTEwIOJj_LXFIAkpTAG_1IA5jUcn2k5nb4A7TluqdTrKS6SovpN_qY_2-C37aM93Dijw6iMqxUY5eMcuVxZesm2nS1VOFYn2LgyP82rG-k6P2MxnU_WUbFBs/s1600/0016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aEIMOr17DZ6mSt51lM8nTEwIOJj_LXFIAkpTAG_1IA5jUcn2k5nb4A7TluqdTrKS6SovpN_qY_2-C37aM93Dijw6iMqxUY5eMcuVxZesm2nS1VOFYn2LgyP82rG-k6P2MxnU_WUbFBs/s320/0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755304862069923074" border="0" /></a><br />And how long until Gary Baylor (that's Shatner's character!) reappears and does something in this movie?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkI5jHaIMGWBqsV2xksSaa49eUmpH4RwKBGZW_TQ1OEkLIrLjUNSqo6s1wyiXmn9AV5etge4D4_U-eBwCnVgPbdrCPQUBeVLtr1eHCXpcYZIioZTNBdFlDn8E3OBAI1pXL5z0BSJzneU/s1600/0020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkI5jHaIMGWBqsV2xksSaa49eUmpH4RwKBGZW_TQ1OEkLIrLjUNSqo6s1wyiXmn9AV5etge4D4_U-eBwCnVgPbdrCPQUBeVLtr1eHCXpcYZIioZTNBdFlDn8E3OBAI1pXL5z0BSJzneU/s320/0020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755304487372781426" border="0" /></a><br />So many questions? Will they all be answered by the movie's climax?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8EmGHcSgYsaSBbbSy0iIjnxAf4Hr3IR6uZ97suOo1BTWfaKRnMHM2Nxfs9_TAHScypEQmGwHD_aD6EZ-LIIBh9AoSTJpxeqR7ufOTIqwJV6XkhO4WmXN4HFo76jr1bOVspI2u5klmiw/s1600/0015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8EmGHcSgYsaSBbbSy0iIjnxAf4Hr3IR6uZ97suOo1BTWfaKRnMHM2Nxfs9_TAHScypEQmGwHD_aD6EZ-LIIBh9AoSTJpxeqR7ufOTIqwJV6XkhO4WmXN4HFo76jr1bOVspI2u5klmiw/s320/0015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755304872794790450" border="0" /></a><br />So what to make of all this? Glad when it was over - relieved at the prospect of never having to voluntarily sit through this movie again! Not encouraging emotions at all... Frankly, we found <span style="font-style: italic;">Visiting Hours</span> to be a thoroughly mediocre experience. The direction is so flat that one never really feels privy to a cinematic experience of any kind. The ruthlessness of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Terminator</span></a>; the medical goings on of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077355/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Coma</span></a> (which also has a female lead); the claustrophobia of John Carpenter's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074156/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Assault on Precinct 13</span></a> - to paraphrase a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27re_no_Jack_Kennedy">famous debate statement</a> in American politics: director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0520440/">Jean-Claude Lord</a> sure ain't no <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carpenter">John Carpenter</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzgvOXkxbiajKMB1Jdhjhn8Ki-WV54dW7il8dJeZPcehRxIV45UMWqAVk6Q3l7yBKcLcbFyJ4ckUWo88_v-ZIKzxuNKeMFOiINjsfSC390cX3z_-nC4uO4nmkM_kQujoV5rzT_lqzYpA/s1600/0010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzgvOXkxbiajKMB1Jdhjhn8Ki-WV54dW7il8dJeZPcehRxIV45UMWqAVk6Q3l7yBKcLcbFyJ4ckUWo88_v-ZIKzxuNKeMFOiINjsfSC390cX3z_-nC4uO4nmkM_kQujoV5rzT_lqzYpA/s320/0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754950244128766146" border="0" /></a><br />Indeed, no matter how hard it tries with its almost mechanically and formulaically constructed array of horror contrivances and clichés, it all feels far more like a TV movie than a feature film. Among other things, TV movies need great scripts to work and that is certainly not the case here. Unbelievably crass dialogue (including endless examples of characters describing the character traits of other characters, such as "So shy" and enough dramatic pauses throughout to put even Bill Shatner to shame)...<br /><br />GRANT: I'm not going home, I want to walk. [Exits]<br /><br />SHATNER: Now, wait a minute! Alright, walk! [Long pause - end of scene]<br /><br />...little characterization or plot, poor pacing, and head-scratching flaws in logic. Illustrating the latter: the psycho-killer Colt Hawker spends the entire movie slipping in and out of the hospital and homes that he is laying siege to. After a while, one can't help but think: are the police in this movie completely stupid or something? Is it really so hard to secure a hospital and protect a few specific people? What's with all the empty hospital corridors? Why is there no police chief character on the case?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gnWdR15mGywfeqQfABWyDJOmwtye6U8GWEx_p1dl0MzKT5TvLHi163iuHqmHgK7FIvehP063Nb-qXzG8K3jZpwQ8h-XcVzmAUGWo0PuWDI8uPomm1FhRNcwg2UlK54rG85QnTNNZ7-s/s1600/0021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gnWdR15mGywfeqQfABWyDJOmwtye6U8GWEx_p1dl0MzKT5TvLHi163iuHqmHgK7FIvehP063Nb-qXzG8K3jZpwQ8h-XcVzmAUGWo0PuWDI8uPomm1FhRNcwg2UlK54rG85QnTNNZ7-s/s320/0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755304481683359122" border="0" /></a><br />The movie isn't entirely without merits, including decent, rich early 80s cinematography. And around 5% of the "scary" scenes genuinely do evoke a sense of some terror. Particularly the early scene in which Lee Grant finds herself pursued in her own home by the faceless intruder.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNf6n_XhyphenhyphennCkXJ3wUUnHT9fEueSll8HDDszBJfWohdzDhcfzpNoGaNKVcIP8eZLdc70YJ0qz1sA4QngZQjY0aCvIqv7f7rbcwnmF37tbkDA1hhKhE6h1pj5-Ttaos9hC3qERpAYYR_D44/s1600/0013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNf6n_XhyphenhyphennCkXJ3wUUnHT9fEueSll8HDDszBJfWohdzDhcfzpNoGaNKVcIP8eZLdc70YJ0qz1sA4QngZQjY0aCvIqv7f7rbcwnmF37tbkDA1hhKhE6h1pj5-Ttaos9hC3qERpAYYR_D44/s320/0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755305316966628498" border="0" /></a><br />Others, like a scene in which Hawker - not only a psychopath, but also a voyeur and sadist - brings home a girl he has picked up only to brutally assault her, border on salacious and disturbing.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXAAD69Cg-vmYg5zwZqWLRG2H1dSiAAvX3adw0G_I8ZDHJazuLLyQ1J8B8Mx-bkxKWhDkbIcKfVDZnEg2JlsEyvSeP3fxlKZwGm5qw93m7vlm7WZXNHoICrwkWKxJmsm5DXZV8MsphCA/s1600/0004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXAAD69Cg-vmYg5zwZqWLRG2H1dSiAAvX3adw0G_I8ZDHJazuLLyQ1J8B8Mx-bkxKWhDkbIcKfVDZnEg2JlsEyvSeP3fxlKZwGm5qw93m7vlm7WZXNHoICrwkWKxJmsm5DXZV8MsphCA/s320/0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754923737488877858" border="0" /></a><br />Lee Grant (still amazing-looking here despite being in her fifties at the time) gives a typically strong performance as does Michael Ironside as the creepy killer. As for Bill Shatner, his role is so <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikaru_Sulu">Sulu</a>-esque as to be almost perfunctory. He has a few scenes in <span style="font-style: italic;">Visiting Hours,</span> playing the concerned TV producer but there's just no real meat there to chew on. As shocking as this is to say - William Shatner is in a film in which he doesn't really leave that typical Shatneresque stamp of "I'm here, look at me!". It's all very understated and insubstantial.<br /><br />Why on earth did the actor take this role? Perhaps it's because as a man who has always believed in the power of "yes!!", Bill Shatner is hardly going to change that to "no" when presented with another opportunity to work with (the almost eternally and mysteriously bewigged) Lee Grant!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD8muhkTgE_YM2PNwqcb7YZZJ9ibRfJnh7lXMkt_hIXMOwfj0jueN_aWGA-NSPf-HDPYgHZKfBbB1JTgxvakCXwp-MKO_9EU8rhE0lnTpQHHS4FaItJoQ7HrAO8V7WLVWOF9mAp3PDMo/s1600/0006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD8muhkTgE_YM2PNwqcb7YZZJ9ibRfJnh7lXMkt_hIXMOwfj0jueN_aWGA-NSPf-HDPYgHZKfBbB1JTgxvakCXwp-MKO_9EU8rhE0lnTpQHHS4FaItJoQ7HrAO8V7WLVWOF9mAp3PDMo/s320/0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754923722631151330" border="0" /></a><br />Let's move swiftly to the hair!<br /><br />Bill Shatner's relatively brief screen time, coupled with his rather thankless role, sadly don't leave much in the way of MTOs (Moments of Toupological Opportunity) or MTIs (Moments of Toupological Interest). In the scene pictured above, the actor looks wistfully at a fresh flower - alas, the petals shall soon whither and ultimately detach themselves from the plant stem, leaving a raw bud - nature can be so cruel. It's a subtle moment, but in a movie otherwise lacking in such emotional complexities, Bill Shatner uses his unique ability to present toupological subtext to at least partially lift the scene and the movie.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8xcamoaTcjjZLl9n9FNjSL9VV4_4EjhXp0qflibt3O3Xz-9g3l1TGTfNUu9n9Tj8KD_VQsPffAze1jYlfqgYRI6y25XoGjMeTs8hpqd43Py6Cd8S8KUN4ODYEWpq_JKIl161dC80yQI/s1600/0024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8xcamoaTcjjZLl9n9FNjSL9VV4_4EjhXp0qflibt3O3Xz-9g3l1TGTfNUu9n9Tj8KD_VQsPffAze1jYlfqgYRI6y25XoGjMeTs8hpqd43Py6Cd8S8KUN4ODYEWpq_JKIl161dC80yQI/s320/0024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755304461528405650" border="0" /></a><br />In this early scene, we also have an interesting over-the-shoulder shot enabling us to see the back of Bill Shatner's head, an area often far more unpredictable than the toupee above.<br /><br />Overall, what we have here is a typical-for the times "TJ Curly" phase one, meaning a "top hat" weaved on to the head. By the time of <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek III</span>, this had been replaced by a phase two toup, which was also secured down the front sides (more <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2011/01/tj-furry-and-side-hairline.html">here</a>).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBEBqjXbhoKeGXLXRP3z7Mkxxe3qNVnHQKaVF7K-re5bE_tLUvoTP7RCD5mZbuynEoHR8896WySgis1OAJyqu52lM04dwH_BdkKHYFLE3Gl79Tf60_3Eoubb7juh0UGMowC-F2s5YTa4/s1600/0009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBEBqjXbhoKeGXLXRP3z7Mkxxe3qNVnHQKaVF7K-re5bE_tLUvoTP7RCD5mZbuynEoHR8896WySgis1OAJyqu52lM04dwH_BdkKHYFLE3Gl79Tf60_3Eoubb7juh0UGMowC-F2s5YTa4/s320/0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754950235738130146" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMcCVeSB5j8mWmFGoGU92IA3u-EBtoVzpfrl8lnDe43d9AK2RRJ7nZy7vdw0EBYVq8L_JqFy7mTqe4yQf8LsTalcwEembNXpbF7HB5vUZ4zR8U0_B2jQqt4asUG8MdMXg-baGagJgcr8/s1600/0011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMcCVeSB5j8mWmFGoGU92IA3u-EBtoVzpfrl8lnDe43d9AK2RRJ7nZy7vdw0EBYVq8L_JqFy7mTqe4yQf8LsTalcwEembNXpbF7HB5vUZ4zR8U0_B2jQqt4asUG8MdMXg-baGagJgcr8/s320/0011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754950247543147714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Visiting Hours</span> is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Visiting-Hours-Michael-Ironside/dp/B000EDWLW8/">available on DVD</a> (it's also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFrAkdt7H_E">currently up</a> on YouTube, but who knows for how long...). A pretty lame experience. Let's close with a few more pictures of Lee Grant.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlqlFMnh2cY_Gkfkt5dP3l0LltwTOGkLrCqxYu2JDrTLWSBsF8NtWi4j8qd1tpE5nbJv7o1cnagPPUFXdnneQyjEIS_hblx1mk9aXj0utiHmxZZ6Yh3jJfpcBe3gvzK9MEL1v3CffZV4/s1600/0005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlqlFMnh2cY_Gkfkt5dP3l0LltwTOGkLrCqxYu2JDrTLWSBsF8NtWi4j8qd1tpE5nbJv7o1cnagPPUFXdnneQyjEIS_hblx1mk9aXj0utiHmxZZ6Yh3jJfpcBe3gvzK9MEL1v3CffZV4/s320/0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5754923727355846738" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSZji1ILLl1CdSZwerSapl6skBUeiuazlL7DC9o0zZI9rSgVvm9A_N1LwWU7YvGQmrFyCq6FdpZuJsVB9mF94AhM1kgbFVsw2q2b6Y366e13dJKa3eb7nCsbHmx0aMLZGlPq13hDOmKc/s1600/0018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSZji1ILLl1CdSZwerSapl6skBUeiuazlL7DC9o0zZI9rSgVvm9A_N1LwWU7YvGQmrFyCq6FdpZuJsVB9mF94AhM1kgbFVsw2q2b6Y366e13dJKa3eb7nCsbHmx0aMLZGlPq13hDOmKc/s320/0018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5755304847248866114" border="0" /></a>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-71931837121602919472012-06-10T11:22:00.001+02:002012-06-12T03:00:11.683+02:00Poll result and a major new Bill Shatner project...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW1KxhSVemz6np3CCnTvKqDt0k_2Z9WgGxi4KM5E7tejGxaL2qmGJIbqvIsJXq_33nbOYnT43VY5aFz6kI8a0uTgDWt_yK2TP884shcig8CDCQlV8az884wFzqIVZFBE8_qSK8kloUnE/s1600/pollresult.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW1KxhSVemz6np3CCnTvKqDt0k_2Z9WgGxi4KM5E7tejGxaL2qmGJIbqvIsJXq_33nbOYnT43VY5aFz6kI8a0uTgDWt_yK2TP884shcig8CDCQlV8az884wFzqIVZFBE8_qSK8kloUnE/s1600/pollresult.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW1KxhSVemz6np3CCnTvKqDt0k_2Z9WgGxi4KM5E7tejGxaL2qmGJIbqvIsJXq_33nbOYnT43VY5aFz6kI8a0uTgDWt_yK2TP884shcig8CDCQlV8az884wFzqIVZFBE8_qSK8kloUnE/s320/pollresult.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752078769062794242" border="0" /></a><br />In our last poll before we took a break, we asked our readers for their thoughts on when other actors and production staff were restricted from easily seeing Bill Shatner toup-less in the makeup rooms of his film and TV show appearances. 4% said that the 24/7 permanence of the "Denny Katz" is what ended such scenarios; 6% said that Bill Shatner has always been happy to be openly bald behind-the-scenes, so long at it isn't a public occasion; 8% said during the 1970s as Bill Shatner struggled with his "Lost Years"; 27% said during the 1980s as Bill Shatner's career was revived and a narrow majority, 52%, said that 1960s <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> was the last era of such free access. Thanks for voting!<br /><br />Our current poll examines this issue:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoh7ii12ZKF7vDHsfM1cOM8H_sz9sBtCxxH0wMDw-iC5o7eTqmhcyO95EaWZ0_jeW181zuT4BHS_vqrK2-GXOR36taKr-ib3fp4W0WbMkESdnGwwURBiFHDAh2nXtnMCahjg6Mz_Sgxo/s1600/Shatner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoh7ii12ZKF7vDHsfM1cOM8H_sz9sBtCxxH0wMDw-iC5o7eTqmhcyO95EaWZ0_jeW181zuT4BHS_vqrK2-GXOR36taKr-ib3fp4W0WbMkESdnGwwURBiFHDAh2nXtnMCahjg6Mz_Sgxo/s320/Shatner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752308409197775938" border="0" /></a><br />Considerable buzz recently surrounded Bill Shatner's rather epic guest hosting stint on the British topical satire show <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_I_Got_News_for_You">Have I Got News for You</a>. The 81-year-old "pensioneer" served as the swing vote between two bald and two non-bald panelists, including regular captains "Paul Morton" and "Ian Hilsop". Must see TV, with Bill Shatner's toup evidently sprayed a little browner than normal for the event - the episode be seen <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btFb26AkbH8">here</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DdM0pXk0JA">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRqPIiwkWITp6s5sBMEnc3j2eOsW8AfZL-VNvfa5JfpR4xUgupKAy98sTwqVUbV2eGbvLDTxS_BM3EJOixDoyolNuuJhZJkb3nPV6_Rwcs7ZfFs-6bVdv6zLFAg4aZYXW3pz7ZUrp71c/s1600/ShatHIGNFY.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRqPIiwkWITp6s5sBMEnc3j2eOsW8AfZL-VNvfa5JfpR4xUgupKAy98sTwqVUbV2eGbvLDTxS_BM3EJOixDoyolNuuJhZJkb3nPV6_Rwcs7ZfFs-6bVdv6zLFAg4aZYXW3pz7ZUrp71c/s320/ShatHIGNFY.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752312934838581810" border="0" /></a><br />And on the subject of Touposhopping, during our break, reader "Touposhopper Wannabe" submitted this Jim-ification of the TJ:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLF1EtgBeTbOOgmdM116vi2a7YlB0GC3Lw6p7mp5P2-af2ac8lghoLaqstZugfXRHE2MkwmvWqxdDEnpTvTBx43Lul_caJ_fZLQoc2xztyCJBc9i5fffjsbLb7YZbq_rtIgZibAWoHyrs/s1600/stomtouposhopped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLF1EtgBeTbOOgmdM116vi2a7YlB0GC3Lw6p7mp5P2-af2ac8lghoLaqstZugfXRHE2MkwmvWqxdDEnpTvTBx43Lul_caJ_fZLQoc2xztyCJBc9i5fffjsbLb7YZbq_rtIgZibAWoHyrs/s320/stomtouposhopped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752309323296182562" border="0" /></a><br />While reader Paul sent us this transition...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEUfvvfa-o54Vqxkxaw80q8UykYI1RWa3RkIhZ5JmIopDP7olePBMe9ZM7zsNAU_amPm9cdttBF3Ds-EZwtOKJ_y3praOejcEelEBPctI7_pSi_qpr3-cPkmEgYgKFA9JYEvQ-b6kH6U/s1600/TJtoLace.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEUfvvfa-o54Vqxkxaw80q8UykYI1RWa3RkIhZ5JmIopDP7olePBMe9ZM7zsNAU_amPm9cdttBF3Ds-EZwtOKJ_y3praOejcEelEBPctI7_pSi_qpr3-cPkmEgYgKFA9JYEvQ-b6kH6U/s320/TJtoLace.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752315765177273970" border="0" /></a><br />...which for some reason reminded us of this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-7Gx06uxWDh4EiwfUIvpT_4NPApeM2x3HGWOTKrsvraime_9A-1oBtX3JUCM_DsMpoaIjT8gOqSuahUZ3EoK9B3g7UmfBl1ppg6_-y-RlCXoFfuNkCLWoAj1BQ1Xd-Sj9yhq5O9jcwo/s1600/Superman-III.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-7Gx06uxWDh4EiwfUIvpT_4NPApeM2x3HGWOTKrsvraime_9A-1oBtX3JUCM_DsMpoaIjT8gOqSuahUZ3EoK9B3g7UmfBl1ppg6_-y-RlCXoFfuNkCLWoAj1BQ1Xd-Sj9yhq5O9jcwo/s320/Superman-III.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752317838011552978" border="0" /></a><br />Come to think of it, there could have been - and still could be - an awesome TV series based on Bill Shatner's toupee. It would have an intro similar to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macgyver"><span style="font-style: italic;">MacGyver</span></a>...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bu1XNzPTqO0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="240" width="320"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">William Shatner: an ordinary man with an extraordinary toupee that can get him out of many a tight spot.<br /><br />It can defeat any enemy...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOs45hu2slHrBrs89_oSMk7V04NpWIN15G-5Ff3ibCvZevRbSBkqwB2yl3esHrTj7oOWakujn5HvAkkVSXfGshyphenhyphen7ETgdiPqzp9mcib9YaUuIBUTvTn1ZkRKmc1S6DWO_j-jFFmjj5tUw/s1600/harold_sakata_oddjob.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOs45hu2slHrBrs89_oSMk7V04NpWIN15G-5Ff3ibCvZevRbSBkqwB2yl3esHrTj7oOWakujn5HvAkkVSXfGshyphenhyphen7ETgdiPqzp9mcib9YaUuIBUTvTn1ZkRKmc1S6DWO_j-jFFmjj5tUw/s320/harold_sakata_oddjob.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752319459280479826" border="0" /></a><br />...in any situation<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_4bu4DF7ewo" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="214" width="380"></iframe><br /></div><br /></div></div>It can be used as a toboggan in the snow...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hj4d_sj_BRQAjL8PoK6jHWe_8Bl1iH-FRuUrf0rHp6iZCxkFFMcYV5fHuGfD5yRT2wohQeorW9nPO8DwzZOgXiYSLRusK6OlJ1FMdZvHXpe3fOBPPhpkkzC4g2oldSwhi6NvpYD1gTc/s1600/livingdaylights-abitsilly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hj4d_sj_BRQAjL8PoK6jHWe_8Bl1iH-FRuUrf0rHp6iZCxkFFMcYV5fHuGfD5yRT2wohQeorW9nPO8DwzZOgXiYSLRusK6OlJ1FMdZvHXpe3fOBPPhpkkzC4g2oldSwhi6NvpYD1gTc/s320/livingdaylights-abitsilly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752320664858846274" border="0" /></a><br />...or an individual filament of this amazing toup can trip up bad guys...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eNvG4QCqjZpZyZRjFnnQKP6zGJUiV-B6dq8kEzmEnEbmT5Q0g988DgjOU4FgTkqKAlDbrgK-esjotWqSFCPvkosmi3mrPUeWIuXw34y77k8TzcZXmJVozIpk4vfWLrOc3YxTfx7rHC0/s1600/apieceoftheactionhd0549.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eNvG4QCqjZpZyZRjFnnQKP6zGJUiV-B6dq8kEzmEnEbmT5Q0g988DgjOU4FgTkqKAlDbrgK-esjotWqSFCPvkosmi3mrPUeWIuXw34y77k8TzcZXmJVozIpk4vfWLrOc3YxTfx7rHC0/s320/apieceoftheactionhd0549.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752322217521343634" border="0" /></a><br />Is there anything it <span style="font-style: italic;">can't</span> do?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90uIZHxgnozLIC5f3yhbxg3ozJZ71ThEkfXxULVynsPbisv-e7VU-5TsBEBt0J54LyH99uN7NZb2bW2VlpK3m4U4kff2sHgG8AGW3W4dnOxEmWUavIDe-LHFPDjZeYUu5HEJUTzV0wwo/s1600/inspector-gadget.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90uIZHxgnozLIC5f3yhbxg3ozJZ71ThEkfXxULVynsPbisv-e7VU-5TsBEBt0J54LyH99uN7NZb2bW2VlpK3m4U4kff2sHgG8AGW3W4dnOxEmWUavIDe-LHFPDjZeYUu5HEJUTzV0wwo/s320/inspector-gadget.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752321193231532066" border="0" /></a><br />An ordinary man with an extraordinary secret identity! Touperman?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZrVZ6lS3Gwr-1d8mS_0OBawNtSx-QLtgGcI7rKJEpMNpuhba_4Ayb1G4PFBjsmNXY2FextviGP8M_KO0KRr14GNSOuHKtQgdUbBai2LqxLuycAPptdeMxdT1mggxZt2hu183_CMQrYc/s1600/45868.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZrVZ6lS3Gwr-1d8mS_0OBawNtSx-QLtgGcI7rKJEpMNpuhba_4Ayb1G4PFBjsmNXY2FextviGP8M_KO0KRr14GNSOuHKtQgdUbBai2LqxLuycAPptdeMxdT1mggxZt2hu183_CMQrYc/s320/45868.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752323661644871970" border="0" /></a><br />Imagine this nail-biting scene: Our hero jumps off a cliff, apparently with nothing to break his fall. In a dazzling and spectacular moment, the toupee again comes to the rescue turning into a life saving parachute!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zy0JGKJGZQQ?start=104" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Any other film or TV references that might help further illustrate this potential series, please let us know!<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pw8V_eQZ-k_VFI2aJr9G9P7pKvaUDNjaMnDAB0Q05Hy-fJKwI-GH3JCK6BWhu2HTqpngo3nW8fmdRrhZbb5QbMSK2fxb3JP5cMRS11tevjbfN2xf2i7h8kzS86gAPio-eiaXW_xpYI8/s1600/ShatToupeeParachuteStunt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pw8V_eQZ-k_VFI2aJr9G9P7pKvaUDNjaMnDAB0Q05Hy-fJKwI-GH3JCK6BWhu2HTqpngo3nW8fmdRrhZbb5QbMSK2fxb3JP5cMRS11tevjbfN2xf2i7h8kzS86gAPio-eiaXW_xpYI8/s320/ShatToupeeParachuteStunt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752332681462968546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">One of the greatest stunts involving a toupee ever performed in </span>The Toup Who Loved Me <span style="font-style: italic;">(1977).<br /></span><span><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span>UPDATE:</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UrHzejsV8WDCe1sL5207yt1Mj_yY9qPsQjr1HjOWR5fI5rkwLlwqd6u7PkjUqGVmN5CEdmTL2V1ahhbGnK8z4laDiTUNAwMbmkdqNjRIyYR_-webM_-yBffMFWaMVJvA4_TR9kt_gls/s1600/tomcruiseMIceiling.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UrHzejsV8WDCe1sL5207yt1Mj_yY9qPsQjr1HjOWR5fI5rkwLlwqd6u7PkjUqGVmN5CEdmTL2V1ahhbGnK8z4laDiTUNAwMbmkdqNjRIyYR_-webM_-yBffMFWaMVJvA4_TR9kt_gls/s320/tomcruiseMIceiling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5752948744240488514" border="0" /></a><br />Hanging by toupee filaments?<br /></div></div> </div>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-44925702255620756202012-05-31T14:34:00.020+02:002012-05-31T17:06:26.645+02:00Toupergate and the missing thirty minutes.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIlDf1ere3n2j51dG75mpYETz9EtGpyqSz379BPMbHNbM4FQp8yNoZXsMLVneCXdjt4pokhrMD6Uk-6Bc5bYvmD514dALTtrIpaijXEOv3ULYEduXnYdC6Yf44dBTu1G3FMHwUwPyJUg/s1600/CourtMartial.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIlDf1ere3n2j51dG75mpYETz9EtGpyqSz379BPMbHNbM4FQp8yNoZXsMLVneCXdjt4pokhrMD6Uk-6Bc5bYvmD514dALTtrIpaijXEOv3ULYEduXnYdC6Yf44dBTu1G3FMHwUwPyJUg/s1600/CourtMartial.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 292px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIlDf1ere3n2j51dG75mpYETz9EtGpyqSz379BPMbHNbM4FQp8yNoZXsMLVneCXdjt4pokhrMD6Uk-6Bc5bYvmD514dALTtrIpaijXEOv3ULYEduXnYdC6Yf44dBTu1G3FMHwUwPyJUg/s320/CourtMartial.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5748699912977940002" border="0" /></a><br />We've <a href="http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/2010/11/toup-throat.html">often compared</a> the study of Bill Shatner's toupee-wearing to the 1970s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal">Watergate scandal</a>. Both involve the seeking out of intriguing and seemingly endless threads of information, which ultimately coalesce around a single unmistakable premise. In this post, we'll stretch that analogy a little further. One aspect of the whole Watergate affair was a notorious <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_tapes#The_18.C2.BD_minute_gap">18 1/2 minute gap</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_tapes">Nixon White House tapes</a>. What was on them? Why did Nixon risk his presidency by possibly wiping incriminating evidence, which was being subpoenaed in a criminal investigation? Does not the gap itself add to the picture of intrigue and even guilt?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KbF8jmXxAFItN3iK3-Y8orzgiZG4zQ8XIaHJXg6OMG9Ho7RttuCc-o5cQKNDtJQgfR6YbYylGEF-QC2oe03yQHLGvlISxTF_WVhuWCQGQdP_9i9WKbj6COwAdnOqvWxuVcFT1hpdY0c/s1600/11NIXON1-articleLarge.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KbF8jmXxAFItN3iK3-Y8orzgiZG4zQ8XIaHJXg6OMG9Ho7RttuCc-o5cQKNDtJQgfR6YbYylGEF-QC2oe03yQHLGvlISxTF_WVhuWCQGQdP_9i9WKbj6COwAdnOqvWxuVcFT1hpdY0c/s320/11NIXON1-articleLarge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5748702850677645810" border="0" /></a><br />In the ongoing investigations into Bill Shatner's toupee-wearing, we find something akin to that missing 18 1/2 minutes. But in this case, the gap is even longer - a full <span style="font-style: italic;">thirty</span> minutes of what we believe to be toupologically crucial time for which Bill Shatner has not, and, dare we say, cannot account without conceding the full truth about his toupee usage! We present the case:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQGI-p1wydeiK8WsSNGLuTuSCPnbZBQbjwTTLcmOColOP2_tnDeyIUfPZy06AUIK5QHwL7YUHebrZFgkI7doYuUF6jL_Dfxqf4FsYOmTaJqxgjh5oveuNASmms7kLwg0wW0s7Y0YHQGo/s1600/Star_Trek_Memories_2009_cover.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 121px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQGI-p1wydeiK8WsSNGLuTuSCPnbZBQbjwTTLcmOColOP2_tnDeyIUfPZy06AUIK5QHwL7YUHebrZFgkI7doYuUF6jL_Dfxqf4FsYOmTaJqxgjh5oveuNASmms7kLwg0wW0s7Y0YHQGo/s320/Star_Trek_Memories_2009_cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5748683207225723938" border="0" /></a><br />On page 102 of the 1993 behind-the-scenes book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Memories-William-Shatner/dp/0061664693/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek Memories</span></a>, author Bill Shatner described the makeup process, which fellow actor Leonard Nimoy had to endure in the 1960s <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> TV series in order to transform himself into the Vulcan Mr. Spock:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">By about six A.M., Leonard had already reported for work and could generally be found relaxing in Freddie's </span>[<a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Fred_Phillips">Fred Phillips</a> was the series' makeup artist] <span style="font-style: italic;">barber chair, stinking up the makeup room with his fried-egg sandwiches while Phillips proceeded to turn him into a Vulcan. First Freddie would shave off the tips of Leonard's eyebrows, leaving just the inner third on each side. Then he would whip out his trusty spool of yak hair (yes, I did indeed say "yak hair") and glue the upswept edges of Spock's brows into place. The ears would go on next, followed by a quick dusting of pancake and a final once-over in the mirror. When the look had met with Leonard's approval, Freddie would move on to the rest of us. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpH8-3zvTIDM96FJpdJRbUsfq21TC6O-AcExTXedPXVgxz2kmgGIMRtLQkSqa6esXwlClg9Lz_1LFCKode1FZOd9cD2gupyo36kH_Q5qOWIB2HhwaNobrRzR4vj1bwBLwkddQQ1qDo-3Q/s1600/NimoyPhillips.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpH8-3zvTIDM96FJpdJRbUsfq21TC6O-AcExTXedPXVgxz2kmgGIMRtLQkSqa6esXwlClg9Lz_1LFCKode1FZOd9cD2gupyo36kH_Q5qOWIB2HhwaNobrRzR4vj1bwBLwkddQQ1qDo-3Q/s320/NimoyPhillips.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5748683213851389346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span>'s makeup artist Fred Phillips with Leonard Nimoy. <br style="font-style: italic;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;">Though it generally took about an hour to do Leonard's makeup, the rest of us actors could each be in and out of the chair in about ten minutes. This was of course due to the much more elaborate cosmetological process behind creating Spock...</span><br /><br />Setting aside the implications of Bill Shatner talking about glue and yak hair, let's instead focus on several key points relayed above - Nimoy: one hour; the rest of the cast: in, out, straight to the set...<br /><br />But something here doesn't quite seem right.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Charles_Washburn">Charlie Washburn</a>, who sadly passed away this April, served as assistant director on <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span>. And, as noted by <a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Portal:Main">Memory Alpha</a>, "Washburn [was] the first African-American who applied, and then graduated from the Director [<span style="font-style: italic;">sic</span>] Guild of America." Back in 1986, Washburn penned a (very interesting) article for the sci-fi magazine <span style="font-style: italic;">Starlog</span> proudly and nostalgically reflecting on his work in the legendary series - this article was <a href="http://mystartrekscrapbook.blogspot.com/2012/05/rip-charlie-washburn.html">recently posted</a> by the blog My Star Trek Scrapbook to mark Washburn's passing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSG6sHj_8NmqIwddyvVbWnuzivAwWf8kRZAnCvv00qglJIR7eQf6bIad8mBCWDeb_vcrfxDjjTU5Ezim8oJFqgGDs_SXcScQZ6xj2lcoRnmj5m3sjc3je_SFCCdapTFGrAstpDWSxEt4/s1600/CharlieWashburn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSG6sHj_8NmqIwddyvVbWnuzivAwWf8kRZAnCvv00qglJIR7eQf6bIad8mBCWDeb_vcrfxDjjTU5Ezim8oJFqgGDs_SXcScQZ6xj2lcoRnmj5m3sjc3je_SFCCdapTFGrAstpDWSxEt4/s320/CharlieWashburn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5748699902652459330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Charles Washburn with Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner. </span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />In one section of the article, Washburn manages to walk a very clever, and dare we say classy, tightrope by revealing a crucial nugget of toupological information without actually overtly doing so or dwelling on or expanding upon the inference. As with the segment from <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek Memories</span>, this part also recalls the makeup process involving the cast and Fred Phillips:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The reporting times for our main cast almost never changed. Nichelle Nichols' and Leonard Nimoy's reporting time was 6:30 a.m. to be ready for an 8:00 shoot. Bill Shatner's was 7:00. And DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Jimmy Doohan and Walter Koenig were all expected at 7:30 since their makeup requirements were minimal. </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRH6XaUFNHqVwZobfC35R2p1sew5xsBe8i5CHofWkr1hpKbx35OtbjBTI991aVh0HFaomWVpu-RsNNJ_xp6ue-WWKuO72_Sa-mufu_gBVX-NdrRBWO98T0raPlHpPwym5VbsFMBx50UQ/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 306px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRH6XaUFNHqVwZobfC35R2p1sew5xsBe8i5CHofWkr1hpKbx35OtbjBTI991aVh0HFaomWVpu-RsNNJ_xp6ue-WWKuO72_Sa-mufu_gBVX-NdrRBWO98T0raPlHpPwym5VbsFMBx50UQ/s320/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5748699899739363154" border="0" /></a><br />Let's go over and try to expand upon what Washburn is saying here:<br /><br />-Leonard Nimoy as the pointed-eared Spock: considerable makeup requirements, reports at 6:30 a.m.<br /><br />-Nichelle Nichols as Uhura: heavy female makeup and also wig application, reports at 6:30 a.m.<br /><br />-Kelley, Takei, Doohan and Koenig: minimal makeup requirements, report at 7:30.<br /><br />But Bill Shatner reports at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>7:00, a full <span style="font-style: italic;">thirty minutes</span> before those with "minimal" makeup requirements were needed in the makeup room. This begs a very simple question:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyDoQEKVZW28f8ctu3wKkhi746NxFLusbyeZ_o5zH0JJVzTdNgLheJ67-kJKTPBaIiTf1QlrUsD5OdD28l7NA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Basic math can help us deduce the most obvious possible answer. If prosthetics (1 hour, Nimoy) or heavy makeup (1/2 hour) <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> a wig (another 1/2 hour, Nichols) require a full hour more than "minimal", and if we know that Bill Shatner wore no prosthetics (1 hour) or heavy makeup (1/2 hour), then there is only one logical conclusion - the extra half hour was required for Bill Shatner's toupee to be applied.<br /><br />Thus, the actor did not simply rush in and out of the makeup room, but rather was there for a full thirty minutes each day having his toupee applied (including gluing the lace line at the top of the forehead and then covering it with pancake makeup). Only then would he, along with Kelley, Doohan, Takei and Koenig undergo the relatively quick process of applying makeup to the rest of his face (this is done to prevent harsh lighting from "bleaching" the skin and also to absorb potentially reflective sweat).<br /><br />In his clever use of language (evidently balancing loyalty to those actors he worked with against the importance of the toupological historical record), Washburn essentially suggests the above conclusion without directly saying it. It's circumstantial, but what other possible logical conclusion is there? Bill Shatner might have wanted to arrive on the lot early for a number of reasons, but a makeup call is for one reason only - to apply makeup. Thus, once we have eliminated the impossible...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcKSHfhmCj3nHFi2-yIyEJd20KRdsNvWhjHL0oNefeCve4rMzSZP4qHPujzhlYzIMrkHT-esbzHG5WBxY2_RkYcRjnHKi6IKUVwjBJFB6QEplGqz-Nl1B3d4Pw4_tJOpH4B7jJJj4qlM/s1600/courtmartial2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcKSHfhmCj3nHFi2-yIyEJd20KRdsNvWhjHL0oNefeCve4rMzSZP4qHPujzhlYzIMrkHT-esbzHG5WBxY2_RkYcRjnHKi6IKUVwjBJFB6QEplGqz-Nl1B3d4Pw4_tJOpH4B7jJJj4qlM/s320/courtmartial2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5748706145254663442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deductive_reasoning">Deductive reasoning</a> used in the</span> Star Trek<span style="font-style: italic;"> episode "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_Martial_%28Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series%29">Court Martial</a>".</span><br /></div><br />As many of the behind-the-scenes folks from the original <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> gradually leave us, we can't help but be eternally grateful for any nugget of shared toupological knowledge regarding their historic and historically significant contributions to a television series in which Bill Shatner's toupee-wearing was and continues to be a central, if not <span style="font-style: italic;">the</span> central, component. <span class="st">There's still so much of their work to be done in the galaxy...</span></div></div>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-1320694642659226052012-05-06T16:34:00.006+02:002012-05-07T12:20:36.077+02:00Poll result and toupee art.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGsHUbzkz0jkApiDuYgGhIKv77XKPPR-UPYbdGxevqlbahgNZL4qG86MBreELOj7_sMhtMFlR7rwKDcJMyGJfIFSBd9oN_N5z7ymDbtf3EDKCTOi-nfUWYN-RuPeC1ph4TZZuqlUxUY/s1600/pollresult.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGsHUbzkz0jkApiDuYgGhIKv77XKPPR-UPYbdGxevqlbahgNZL4qG86MBreELOj7_sMhtMFlR7rwKDcJMyGJfIFSBd9oN_N5z7ymDbtf3EDKCTOi-nfUWYN-RuPeC1ph4TZZuqlUxUY/s1600/pollresult.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGsHUbzkz0jkApiDuYgGhIKv77XKPPR-UPYbdGxevqlbahgNZL4qG86MBreELOj7_sMhtMFlR7rwKDcJMyGJfIFSBd9oN_N5z7ymDbtf3EDKCTOi-nfUWYN-RuPeC1ph4TZZuqlUxUY/s320/pollresult.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5739150484036061666" border="0" /></a><br />In our most recent poll, we asked readers how years of toupee-wearing have affected Bill Shatner's personality. 9% said that it hasn't had any notable effect; 13% said that the effect was more chemical (toupee glue) than anything else; 33% said that it has made him more confident and vigorous; the greatest number, 43%, said that it's made Bill Shatner more guarded and defensive.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJTU9wWs87byA7SHUGwvYdmZN8UjOv1e72fihGMr-W1Upko7Zdc-Wz_uhiaZqdpQw9tScNzrfZ9frLSBFiUvNnvpNWJvDXG8n6ZNt9lVXmN1dathDZgElAcNKVOFdpi1xTr8co6w0wIA/s1600/thissideofparadisehd156.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJTU9wWs87byA7SHUGwvYdmZN8UjOv1e72fihGMr-W1Upko7Zdc-Wz_uhiaZqdpQw9tScNzrfZ9frLSBFiUvNnvpNWJvDXG8n6ZNt9lVXmN1dathDZgElAcNKVOFdpi1xTr8co6w0wIA/s320/thissideofparadisehd156.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5739329765028431154" border="0" /></a><br />Thanks for voting!<br /><br />Recently, a member of our relatively small (only a few thousand permanent staff) Department of Toupological Artistry and Abstract Expressionism approached us with a composite image they had created. Our response was one of unanimous excitement (coupled with: "can we get that on a T-shirt?!?!"). Here is what this staff member showed us:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmz989zWz1-oLiF7I6u8zoEyNZkMBFq0cmWD5SW0ofmqZrd_8cXD8JW95rC_uPQX-xO7iYlCkaGsqlqgIm35zKDBQ__9ru5aIgsNJcx32QYIYNkEYPMdKcpd3hLThXz22e_V50CcrM9U/s1600/ShatnerMunchScream_CU.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmz989zWz1-oLiF7I6u8zoEyNZkMBFq0cmWD5SW0ofmqZrd_8cXD8JW95rC_uPQX-xO7iYlCkaGsqlqgIm35zKDBQ__9ru5aIgsNJcx32QYIYNkEYPMdKcpd3hLThXz22e_V50CcrM9U/s320/ShatnerMunchScream_CU.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5739734103437001778" border="0" /></a><br />Is this a lost fifth version of Munch's "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_scream">The Scream</a>"? It perhaps so perfectly captures the ultimate Bill Shatner nightmare scenario - public touplessness! Was Bill Shatner the anonymous $120 million bidder at the recent <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/05/03/edvard-munchs-the-scream-sells-for-a-record-120-million-at-auction/">Sotheby's auction</a>?<br /><br />The duality of the man-toupee that is Bill Shatner has inspired some rather interesting real artworks. One piece we came across (sourced <a href="http://www.andrealam.net/blog/?tag=experiments&paged=2">here</a>) was by artist Andrea Lam:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKum7fCvbErbSpVXyfHudGRO2NuOcWHTaV2hCnou4Wu86DOyfOmZEGq9QnF_62kdjTTuzl68iIect5sqMLh77fN4AAGdt67tKxZGvuCQXlHIZSlmoAvQw5zyezUh7x-cHylHW89Zaqbxw/s1600/shatner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKum7fCvbErbSpVXyfHudGRO2NuOcWHTaV2hCnou4Wu86DOyfOmZEGq9QnF_62kdjTTuzl68iIect5sqMLh77fN4AAGdt67tKxZGvuCQXlHIZSlmoAvQw5zyezUh7x-cHylHW89Zaqbxw/s320/shatner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5739430089902483794" border="0" /></a><br />We don't know the story behind this image, but the younger visage on top of the older head, carefully controlled by Bill Shatner - if this isn't toupological symbolism, then what is?<br /><br />Perhaps it was partially based on this image of another person wearing Bill Shatner's toupee!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkM5f2waNsHa1fcFIuIeGOQraRJK36RcieZx-Cco0StBJDDE3F2f-rYs5SQGCGS9sasvEaBNdv_2CzPIfN2ZfsWfyqPSZTYZEx0XDe_XhnBYwpMYHaS-z7rQoV_BrjMly8k9Un1cWktM/s1600/tumblr_ls0g9mnDdr1r3rloeo1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 303px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkM5f2waNsHa1fcFIuIeGOQraRJK36RcieZx-Cco0StBJDDE3F2f-rYs5SQGCGS9sasvEaBNdv_2CzPIfN2ZfsWfyqPSZTYZEx0XDe_XhnBYwpMYHaS-z7rQoV_BrjMly8k9Un1cWktM/s320/tumblr_ls0g9mnDdr1r3rloeo1_500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5739430539144629474" border="0" /></a><br />We'll have more on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_%281978_film%29"><span style="font-style: italic;">Halloween</span></a> in the future - speaking of which, Shatner's Toupee is undertaking its annual spring cleaning so we're taking a three week break! Thanks, as always to our devoted readers for your continued interest, insights and information...<br /><br />Oh, and if anyone <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> wants to make a T-shirt or print out a Shatner-Munch poster, then click to <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx4RUP-be3_jmdTXB1aNprTeHzN8MukDedLs_h7sgLf56dNxlEIIhVWD16irxZSAkfmU1-jhdxCrHNnvKzJSB79bbqNZnzPQvk4tUDbn40GRGMYV-xvA-KsLxC4YZpzNQjmHzU-ioadE/s1600/ShatnerMunchScream.jpg">here</a> to download this high resolution image:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGsHUbzkz0jkApiDuYgGhIKv77XKPPR-UPYbdGxevqlbahgNZL4qG86MBreELOj7_sMhtMFlR7rwKDcJMyGJfIFSBd9oN_N5z7ymDbtf3EDKCTOi-nfUWYN-RuPeC1ph4TZZuqlUxUY/s1600/pollresult.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGsHUbzkz0jkApiDuYgGhIKv77XKPPR-UPYbdGxevqlbahgNZL4qG86MBreELOj7_sMhtMFlR7rwKDcJMyGJfIFSBd9oN_N5z7ymDbtf3EDKCTOi-nfUWYN-RuPeC1ph4TZZuqlUxUY/s1600/pollresult.jpg"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGsHUbzkz0jkApiDuYgGhIKv77XKPPR-UPYbdGxevqlbahgNZL4qG86MBreELOj7_sMhtMFlR7rwKDcJMyGJfIFSBd9oN_N5z7ymDbtf3EDKCTOi-nfUWYN-RuPeC1ph4TZZuqlUxUY/s1600/pollresult.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGsHUbzkz0jkApiDuYgGhIKv77XKPPR-UPYbdGxevqlbahgNZL4qG86MBreELOj7_sMhtMFlR7rwKDcJMyGJfIFSBd9oN_N5z7ymDbtf3EDKCTOi-nfUWYN-RuPeC1ph4TZZuqlUxUY/s1600/pollresult.jpg"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGsHUbzkz0jkApiDuYgGhIKv77XKPPR-UPYbdGxevqlbahgNZL4qG86MBreELOj7_sMhtMFlR7rwKDcJMyGJfIFSBd9oN_N5z7ymDbtf3EDKCTOi-nfUWYN-RuPeC1ph4TZZuqlUxUY/s1600/pollresult.jpg"> </a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx4RUP-be3_jmdTXB1aNprTeHzN8MukDedLs_h7sgLf56dNxlEIIhVWD16irxZSAkfmU1-jhdxCrHNnvKzJSB79bbqNZnzPQvk4tUDbn40GRGMYV-xvA-KsLxC4YZpzNQjmHzU-ioadE/s1600/ShatnerMunchScream.jpg"><img style="dhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifisplay:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx4RUP-be3_jmdTXB1aNprTeHzN8MukDedLs_h7sgLf56dNxlEIIhVWD16irxZSAkfmU1-jhdxCrHNnvKzJSB79bbqNZnzPQvk4tUDbn40GRGMYV-xvA-KsLxC4YZpzNQjmHzU-ioadE/s320/ShatnerMunchScream.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5739440442983482162" border="0" /></a> </div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1249569588037368037.post-52412943736144554142012-04-25T09:17:00.005+02:002012-04-26T08:15:45.797+02:00Showtime - a toupological analysis.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9-Y_0NKW4wH13HH-1DXtV0sfgieqHTXSJzL8UjLQFhSh408zUf3oC-HfN3QvJrJJgxf0ySdegXOj0seGkTCjccyutKuUi8nJMgJLpROB1IvvVVRLz7IktDOz2tKDtaaHpNvaU4p-7NE/s1600/Showtime_movie_eddie_robert.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9-Y_0NKW4wH13HH-1DXtV0sfgieqHTXSJzL8UjLQFhSh408zUf3oC-HfN3QvJrJJgxf0ySdegXOj0seGkTCjccyutKuUi8nJMgJLpROB1IvvVVRLz7IktDOz2tKDtaaHpNvaU4p-7NE/s1600/Showtime_movie_eddie_robert.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9-Y_0NKW4wH13HH-1DXtV0sfgieqHTXSJzL8UjLQFhSh408zUf3oC-HfN3QvJrJJgxf0ySdegXOj0seGkTCjccyutKuUi8nJMgJLpROB1IvvVVRLz7IktDOz2tKDtaaHpNvaU4p-7NE/s320/Showtime_movie_eddie_robert.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734529963436882338" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284490/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span></a> is a 2002 "<a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_15071_the-10-best-sarcastic-black-white-buddy-cops.html">black-white buddy cop</a>" movie starring Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy. William Shatner makes a notable cameo essentially as himself (he plays an actor who once payed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tj_hooker">T.J. Hooker</a>).<br /><br />The wafer-thin plot involves two very different LAPD officers - the exhibitionist Murphy and the brooding De Niro - who are both forced to partake in a "new" kind of police reality show after a drugs raid goes wrong and becomes a PR disaster.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUjB-DJ2fjzRSYZ6Dlu5XGuJZcBtBVRsE-_JM6aOAO8P5Y8Po8yT8VC91UbL1wDpUfe_jZ6G2lWNeYiK5NcN-jVkO0WrSvEZ2bIgaH1ZlgkvMG8BQmx_cpJwm7rx0jGmtkeyR-QfKIUU/s1600/01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUjB-DJ2fjzRSYZ6Dlu5XGuJZcBtBVRsE-_JM6aOAO8P5Y8Po8yT8VC91UbL1wDpUfe_jZ6G2lWNeYiK5NcN-jVkO0WrSvEZ2bIgaH1ZlgkvMG8BQmx_cpJwm7rx0jGmtkeyR-QfKIUU/s320/01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218819288591858" border="0" /></a><br />Everything they do is being filmed. Murphy's character is delighted.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzQ6rxl9sFBQ2Ekr3G8Dxo1LoJXtrhFcxHxwuektZ36OogmF3BOLpB1H4eit_GtLQj4LIdf_GIl-92G8hZp4qVwe-CVtC5TTEFGGBy8dWAu02f5xM0rRBvVCiNI2cty455SFa_sjLW4g/s1600/15.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzQ6rxl9sFBQ2Ekr3G8Dxo1LoJXtrhFcxHxwuektZ36OogmF3BOLpB1H4eit_GtLQj4LIdf_GIl-92G8hZp4qVwe-CVtC5TTEFGGBy8dWAu02f5xM0rRBvVCiNI2cty455SFa_sjLW4g/s320/15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218076829046898" border="0" /></a><br />De Niro's character isn't.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vPRKBPGCrm-qCkibjKHT6z70kW_NWtOr5Laeu3_dK_uCAjG5kdRSr6Dic2HlygRiWhyg27WnIjutziy6ZW3XbJ0bBEUXMnMoAa8vD8UJ80uKrcw7hT2EyQ-fmZTGh6G0rKB7fDF6A2A/s1600/16.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vPRKBPGCrm-qCkibjKHT6z70kW_NWtOr5Laeu3_dK_uCAjG5kdRSr6Dic2HlygRiWhyg27WnIjutziy6ZW3XbJ0bBEUXMnMoAa8vD8UJ80uKrcw7hT2EyQ-fmZTGh6G0rKB7fDF6A2A/s320/16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218061228241266" border="0" /></a><br />The ambitious producer believes in the project.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVLNOIGdT0PC7JYf_LJDBG3naOvXuE_Tx9Kqo1mekYgcDc3KVO7t9WlEvkqeYhdSlmxEpW318Qo-7bX-vP671JZxlIBjZ8JSLyCm8evK_EExAxLsoHl6hpZQckaMt-97CRtQ7JJYR8qk/s1600/02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVLNOIGdT0PC7JYf_LJDBG3naOvXuE_Tx9Kqo1mekYgcDc3KVO7t9WlEvkqeYhdSlmxEpW318Qo-7bX-vP671JZxlIBjZ8JSLyCm8evK_EExAxLsoHl6hpZQckaMt-97CRtQ7JJYR8qk/s320/02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218814125641714" border="0" /></a><br />In an effort to improve their performing abilities, they meet with an actor who once played T.J. Hooker on TV. He gives the men some tips.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsviD-hjfiDpvOA-aEUCdBypgjgQJe0YH7iw7HHfoAokHY3WL-NullYo3hhq5MZJz3wDbp-YboaiW14h3iLjvFNXkrbRt7vEUjd423cChtaVCNjtBoOCAkrrQCCwLq4ZKgMl39qv6zppo/s1600/05.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsviD-hjfiDpvOA-aEUCdBypgjgQJe0YH7iw7HHfoAokHY3WL-NullYo3hhq5MZJz3wDbp-YboaiW14h3iLjvFNXkrbRt7vEUjd423cChtaVCNjtBoOCAkrrQCCwLq4ZKgMl39qv6zppo/s320/05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218621622619362" border="0" /></a><br />There's also a bad guy who has a special kind of gun and the cops need to catch him.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IXwio6QK4mgzLHwNn05U3_CADEhR7OId15j0IfwyB4FaJ3-UIGCE_xEzRexHPsvikd63npapB0TabzASzb91zEMhZmlRncUVTNTVvwowGpeHFrM3l-Vm2W622AkduQjtxMXm-YIv4Fg/s1600/17.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IXwio6QK4mgzLHwNn05U3_CADEhR7OId15j0IfwyB4FaJ3-UIGCE_xEzRexHPsvikd63npapB0TabzASzb91zEMhZmlRncUVTNTVvwowGpeHFrM3l-Vm2W622AkduQjtxMXm-YIv4Fg/s320/17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218056916825986" border="0" /></a><br />Things take a turn for the worse when he takes their producer hostage. What <span style="font-style: italic;">will </span>happen next?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3fHNxn7b2HCKlHqYCKCpYzPOxQ2CMebRgaveHF3lJD9cU8-mlxWnZSHWwVLLB2_9wCrXYq-ubwsM3C_QSK-7RdciHsYyOxWSBxCfk4hftPBI6ZLODnQXnEpF3skd8BGXLPMJ1sF510k/s1600/18.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3fHNxn7b2HCKlHqYCKCpYzPOxQ2CMebRgaveHF3lJD9cU8-mlxWnZSHWwVLLB2_9wCrXYq-ubwsM3C_QSK-7RdciHsYyOxWSBxCfk4hftPBI6ZLODnQXnEpF3skd8BGXLPMJ1sF510k/s320/18.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218046765121282" border="0" /></a><br />If the above summary sounds like it was written by an eight-year-old, then we ask for forgiveness, but we didn't want to exceed the quality of the on-screen material our staff had to endure.<br /><br />Put bluntly, <span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span> is an unmitigated catastrophe of a movie on just about every level. There's almost no plot to speak of. Really. Countless minutes go by with the movie doing nothing but playing off the one single premise of cops acting silly in front of the cameras. The line soon blurs between the on-screen fakery and the real movie we're all all watching as actors De Niro and Murphy desperately try to conjure up some enthusiasm in front of the cameras for this misjudged monstrosity.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxD_LgTNux436t3M13_KnwMqVUUhNpuQYFe4MejjxL1cEA3BdUCw9G0eNjQJq5puXR2bQW-cvnhR_6guSRE4CmUS1IX-TYx5xRwQClw5DGbjWICHEvKWObLoP2rfQCNv_WPFikt1nw9wo/s1600/04.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxD_LgTNux436t3M13_KnwMqVUUhNpuQYFe4MejjxL1cEA3BdUCw9G0eNjQJq5puXR2bQW-cvnhR_6guSRE4CmUS1IX-TYx5xRwQClw5DGbjWICHEvKWObLoP2rfQCNv_WPFikt1nw9wo/s320/04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218804831332402" border="0" /></a><br />The entire supporting cast have zero screen presence, with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rene_russo">Renne Russo</a> as the producer coming off as particularly annoying.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tSpFvelEO6cn9-cc0033BhP4u-wDsOQIeupCFG2yNYxgNq_h77u859olXU0bcbtbgWT2ctRFag_uyQvN6gxyta-F5E6h0dQP4XG-iM_q1Vp2-MpLWF2PcxzmDQDJITAeH4fMK25eIl8/s1600/20.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tSpFvelEO6cn9-cc0033BhP4u-wDsOQIeupCFG2yNYxgNq_h77u859olXU0bcbtbgWT2ctRFag_uyQvN6gxyta-F5E6h0dQP4XG-iM_q1Vp2-MpLWF2PcxzmDQDJITAeH4fMK25eIl8/s320/20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735220971682603570" border="0" /></a><br />The dialogue feels like it was improvised; the direction is beyond flat, lacking nuance, subtlety or any comic timing whatsoever. Is this being played as real or as a joke, winking to the audience? This is a movie that affords the concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verisimilitude">verisimilitude</a> about as much respect as a dog affords a lamppost. Our staff even struggled to find convincing-looking stills from <span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span> for this review in which the actors didn't look bored or confused.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLQgRO-1TdbGgfFv4SOPIv2sGCVRtHVzHuaUyVTcVe92aZ14d6r_dJC2AN1ILR0lReKJRREj7PJtCZfpAbvtyYHYC2WR8HJU1ZVGYkCN4ULjr4tISCo6NN4pLknX8L6rqkxyzujeEUCk/s1600/19.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLQgRO-1TdbGgfFv4SOPIv2sGCVRtHVzHuaUyVTcVe92aZ14d6r_dJC2AN1ILR0lReKJRREj7PJtCZfpAbvtyYHYC2WR8HJU1ZVGYkCN4ULjr4tISCo6NN4pLknX8L6rqkxyzujeEUCk/s320/19.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218044313184178" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span> is essentially an attempt at an "80s comedy" (an era that started in the late 1970s with movies like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foul_Play"><span style="font-style: italic;">Foul Play</span></a> and continued right up to the 1990s with movies like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_Change"><span style="font-style: italic;">Quick Change </span></a>and even - perhaps the very last of its kind - 1999s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowfinger"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bowfinger</span></a>). Both lead actors in <span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span> are no strangers to this genre, but perhaps the very time in which this movie was made - 2002 - in itself dashed all hopes that this would be a new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Run"><span style="font-style: italic;">Midnight Run</span></a> or <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trading_Places">Trading Places</a> (or more of an 80s-style action-comedy like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_weapon"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lethal Weapon</span></a>). One suspects that a <span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span> (1983) or a <span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime </span>(1994) might have been classics. But something changed about American movies in the new millennium. And that change just wasn't beneficial for so many things that had been good in previous decades. But that's a whole other story...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wqLZDiwcWxeMEljvXBZE3uEzj7bcI9lOgMdfZUJvUh-sRkiOll4rv-4AwhLnEyIwCKGkwwDgvc3Edx10MpGJdg2thCGdruDtUbAk-hLQpvsy8WOF4I-K7zAUpKDnVLe-nQ0ctKjn5tY/s1600/DeNiro+Grodin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wqLZDiwcWxeMEljvXBZE3uEzj7bcI9lOgMdfZUJvUh-sRkiOll4rv-4AwhLnEyIwCKGkwwDgvc3Edx10MpGJdg2thCGdruDtUbAk-hLQpvsy8WOF4I-K7zAUpKDnVLe-nQ0ctKjn5tY/s320/DeNiro+Grodin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735222253758212050" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;">1988's </span>Midnight Run<span style="font-style: italic;"> is everything</span> Showtime<span style="font-style: italic;"> isn't.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></div>Finally, and we're not just saying this because of the person upon whom our work is focused, but Bill Shatner's cameo in <span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span> (there's another, albeit completely pointless cameo in the movie, by O.J. Simpson lawyer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnie_Cochran">Johnnie Cochran</a>) is most definitely the best thing about the film.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbmm7tUDqI-yCXZDblu1RodFFBS99yINLgqhvqc7KLqiq8bj1opfGdkpg9G8Hqu1cPi66Md7LmkRhhBEiHhmzJiiea7miVXL13wAQxShdAe3UNuHFiyo-Qz0BA0jGqdoyaNQ7t6t-hvI/s1600/06.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbmm7tUDqI-yCXZDblu1RodFFBS99yINLgqhvqc7KLqiq8bj1opfGdkpg9G8Hqu1cPi66Md7LmkRhhBEiHhmzJiiea7miVXL13wAQxShdAe3UNuHFiyo-Qz0BA0jGqdoyaNQ7t6t-hvI/s320/06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218612984458722" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, William Shatner manages to upstage both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi_driver">Travis Bickle</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Cop_%28film_series%29">Axel Foley</a>! A lot of reviewers at the time made that point a little snarkily: "When the presence of William Shatner is the best thing about a movie, you know the production is in trouble." (<a href="http://www.reelviews.net/movies/s/showtime.html">source</a>) - but the real point is how much of classic comedy this movie might have been with all three of these actors - and wasn't.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwPMaqLBpyXKfLYL0lU8TUtuhenlILdQWOawoJqp63x3CUi50woe1KzqChj6y5MN8zZqYN7FPdfshIFMYv-ZA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Perhaps the one good thing to come out of this movie was that it began to wipe away Bill Shatner's post <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek_Generations"><span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek:Generations</span></a> lull and re-establish the actor as a hip and happening cult figure. So at least there's that!<br /><br />Let's move swiftly to the hair...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiMqO5y7iEkwWfASVIDkHE14yLVvQIWU2Sy3fzgzDR6d5WN9aJivVkq9bB0Irbx47bSEuA4Kl1LtVOe3d35hQ13B_gKjKp-5eseyuuK4Oxf2ZnK2lrbibhN2w7O4XErxF-8KQDKLKgmc/s1600/09.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiMqO5y7iEkwWfASVIDkHE14yLVvQIWU2Sy3fzgzDR6d5WN9aJivVkq9bB0Irbx47bSEuA4Kl1LtVOe3d35hQ13B_gKjKp-5eseyuuK4Oxf2ZnK2lrbibhN2w7O4XErxF-8KQDKLKgmc/s320/09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218591645120338" border="0" /></a><br />The actor is wearing an early but entirely quintessential "Denny Katz". It's a little thick-looking, suggesting that the base toupee was bulked up a little via some sort of thickener in order to prevent even the slightest bit of scalp showing up on the big screen.<br /><br />Several reverse shots of Bill Shatner enable us to study the well-cropped area of his real hair at the back of his head. Being real, very human flaws and imperfections become visible in a way that would be heretical only a few centimeters higher in the toupological region.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIX8hxV4OdV_le2THQFdWBj0hlTPqYBJf8ZrhS1gCzmZV0mty4qVq7z5hfVs79blxTufG5VCYHTEn10vlskcZkH4QKrRI1UaXWTo7_tHptuwoAGp8b7eeoA4JTgmZ66PxUGSJbWDiRzc/s1600/09b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIX8hxV4OdV_le2THQFdWBj0hlTPqYBJf8ZrhS1gCzmZV0mty4qVq7z5hfVs79blxTufG5VCYHTEn10vlskcZkH4QKrRI1UaXWTo7_tHptuwoAGp8b7eeoA4JTgmZ66PxUGSJbWDiRzc/s320/09b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735224215469954786" border="0" /></a><br />And staying with reverses, we also get a shot of Bill Shatner in the mirror, which somehow tends to make the toupee seem more like a toupee:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB39wa_1SHDSuBTc0YmcZjd7_xzxWRy3lDUVkM1TIzb4bsX2cFSAga8DMWsS9Uc0llAmUgT-dNWf8M1w4BOBeIPkp9gZ6LY9lIeS_Gw5nayHHSBJPPGbvvNA43XhcTJhS_lfLGE7bcFYo/s1600/12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB39wa_1SHDSuBTc0YmcZjd7_xzxWRy3lDUVkM1TIzb4bsX2cFSAga8DMWsS9Uc0llAmUgT-dNWf8M1w4BOBeIPkp9gZ6LY9lIeS_Gw5nayHHSBJPPGbvvNA43XhcTJhS_lfLGE7bcFYo/s320/12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218324872312962" border="0" /></a><br />Also, did Bill Shatner convince Murphy and De Niro to include a subtle piece of "toupee code" in <span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span>? In one scene, Murphy tells Shatner "Show me the thing you do with your eyebrow again." (Bill Shatner's eyebrows are one of the few areas of real hair on his head). A couple of lines later, De Niro says "I've got to wash this shit out of my hair..." gesturing at his hair with Bill Shatner standing knowingly behind him. It's unquestionably a moment that historians have yet to fully appreciate and study.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjfq__TpokmQOkQy3OTXQ8AS41Uqci5pCVi-H-KO5hpAob3m8uvER9K0AHiuf7V2cU8iZO2wPM2dxB2lxuEqjxLwLh8JdCKdFdBFPChakUam7s5LeJrdYOvVOdqLSZNZYn4HvSkuiM1k/s1600/21.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjfq__TpokmQOkQy3OTXQ8AS41Uqci5pCVi-H-KO5hpAob3m8uvER9K0AHiuf7V2cU8iZO2wPM2dxB2lxuEqjxLwLh8JdCKdFdBFPChakUam7s5LeJrdYOvVOdqLSZNZYn4HvSkuiM1k/s320/21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735233705592304338" border="0" /></a><br />What's really incredible is how Bill Shatner's toupee appears to once again cast a subtle critique on the movie in which it is partaking. The toup is a little too constructed, a little too unsubtle in order to come across as real - much like <span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span>. Movie directors beware: study the toupee!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OQpcqyrFT1Czqjrj_sDluOYP_qV1a87Uc77-W-B5YZz2XvnvbPA_kJEOui47-COS7P4kTV6PbBTaQG2Iz2PZXW7HZRz2ucUaZBF9NgbrEg7TEXQq2ePLCRNoe4oMpgZfjJA-zVFTw6U/s1600/13.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OQpcqyrFT1Czqjrj_sDluOYP_qV1a87Uc77-W-B5YZz2XvnvbPA_kJEOui47-COS7P4kTV6PbBTaQG2Iz2PZXW7HZRz2ucUaZBF9NgbrEg7TEXQq2ePLCRNoe4oMpgZfjJA-zVFTw6U/s320/13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218324040415986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Showtime</span> is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Showtime-Widescreen-Edition-Robert-Niro/dp/B000069I1H/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1335336476&sr=1-1">available on DVD</a>. Watch and weep....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9-Y_0NKW4wH13HH-1DXtV0sfgieqHTXSJzL8UjLQFhSh408zUf3oC-HfN3QvJrJJgxf0ySdegXOj0seGkTCjccyutKuUi8nJMgJLpROB1IvvVVRLz7IktDOz2tKDtaaHpNvaU4p-7NE/s1600/Showtime_movie_eddie_robert.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9-Y_0NKW4wH13HH-1DXtV0sfgieqHTXSJzL8UjLQFhSh408zUf3oC-HfN3QvJrJJgxf0ySdegXOj0seGkTCjccyutKuUi8nJMgJLpROB1IvvVVRLz7IktDOz2tKDtaaHpNvaU4p-7NE/s1600/Showtime_movie_eddie_robert.jpg"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9-Y_0NKW4wH13HH-1DXtV0sfgieqHTXSJzL8UjLQFhSh408zUf3oC-HfN3QvJrJJgxf0ySdegXOj0seGkTCjccyutKuUi8nJMgJLpROB1IvvVVRLz7IktDOz2tKDtaaHpNvaU4p-7NE/s1600/Showtime_movie_eddie_robert.jpg"> </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9-Y_0NKW4wH13HH-1DXtV0sfgieqHTXSJzL8UjLQFhSh408zUf3oC-HfN3QvJrJJgxf0ySdegXOj0seGkTCjccyutKuUi8nJMgJLpROB1IvvVVRLz7IktDOz2tKDtaaHpNvaU4p-7NE/s1600/Showtime_movie_eddie_robert.jpg"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9-Y_0NKW4wH13HH-1DXtV0sfgieqHTXSJzL8UjLQFhSh408zUf3oC-HfN3QvJrJJgxf0ySdegXOj0seGkTCjccyutKuUi8nJMgJLpROB1IvvVVRLz7IktDOz2tKDtaaHpNvaU4p-7NE/s1600/Showtime_movie_eddie_robert.jpg"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKILd1gENC0yfMQBfEmU0CfSfe3_hRI6f9h4YPJZpHrt3cYEBNwlXwgerAqX_eyKM53ryLNvbOxHl9xOPdeRbe6_8uUCxWqLeRGbXns0GZeET9lCQgavGIlZ9lNKaLxEuKkwq4sR9Wpo/s1600/11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 361px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKILd1gENC0yfMQBfEmU0CfSfe3_hRI6f9h4YPJZpHrt3cYEBNwlXwgerAqX_eyKM53ryLNvbOxHl9xOPdeRbe6_8uUCxWqLeRGbXns0GZeET9lCQgavGIlZ9lNKaLxEuKkwq4sR9Wpo/s320/11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735218333151172002" border="0" /></a></div></div>ShatToupBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17135455289206032317noreply@blogger.com10