...or should that be All the Shatner's Toupees? During the early 1970s, The Washington Post gained acclaim for its ongoing investigations of the Watergate scandal led by the reporting team of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
Woodward and Bernstein as portrayed by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in the classic 1976 movie All the President's Men.In 1994, the paper finally turned its attentions towards the equally important subject of Bill Shatner's toupee in a review of the movie Star Trek: Generations.
The review, by Rita Kempley, contained the following paragraph:
"A spectacular dogfight between the Enterprise and a Klingon warbird perks things up enormously. Meanwhile, Picard heads off the bad guy on a planet below. Then, at last, comes the moment every viewer is waiting for. Picard meets Kirk, Stewart meets Shatner, baldy meets the super-rug. Toupee or not toupee? By the end, there's no question that Kirk is the captain of captains."
Many critics found Bill Shatner's hair in Star Trek: Generations (1994) to just be too thick. This immediately prompted us to establish a new category within the archives of the WSSTS: "Review Toupee Digs". Indeed, The Post is but one example during the original Star Trek cast's movie years of reviewers poking fun not only at the gang of seven's advancing years, but also at Bill Shatner's suspiciously thick "TJ Curly" hair. We know that there are dozens and dozens of these kind of subtle toupee digs out there within newspaper and magazine reviews spanning The Motion Picture through Generations. So if you, our valued readers out there, track down any more, please let us know!
Update: Reader "RM" points to a review of Star Trek VI in USA Today:
You don’t have to be a Trekkie to savor this timely plot [of Star Trek VI]. Even though Scotty looks like he’s hiding a meteor under his shirt, Kirk looks like a squirrel is napping on his head, and Spock’s ears aren’t quite as perky, this is quite a suitable send-off.
If anyone has a source for this we could link to, please let us know. Thanks!
From the review of Star Trek VI in USA Today:
ReplyDelete"You don’t have to be a Trekkie to savor this timely plot [of Star Trek VI]. Even though Scotty looks like he’s hiding a meteor under his shirt, Kirk looks like a squirrel is napping on his head, and Spock’s ears aren’t quite as perky, this is quite a suitable send-off."
Also, from watching Bill Shatner at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in 2010, would it be possible to have a Shatner-themed Olympics?
ReplyDeleteThe toupee toss (sort of like a discus throw) but with some of the heavier TJ curly models being used as a shot put.
Then there could be a toupee relay race, with toups being used in place of batons.
A timed underwater swimming course that re-creates Kirk's swim from Star Trek 4.
And of course, the shoulder roll competition.
Thanks, as ever, for the tip RM - and a belated welcome back! The Shatner Toupee Olympics - great idea. There are so many possibilities...
ReplyDelete-ST
Man, I have to say: I think this is one of the most original and fun blogs I've ever encountered!
ReplyDeleteI discovered "Shatner's Toupee" a few days ago, read everything in it, and now entering here everyday became quite a routine!
Congratulations for the idea and researh!
Waldomiro Vitorino, from Brazil
Waldomiro, thanks for your very kind words! Our best, -ST
ReplyDeleteHey, Waldomiro, you're from Brazil too! Welcome aboard! As for Generations, I heard that Bill's toupee was severely displaced at the death scene. Truth or urban legend?
ReplyDeleteFrankly I think the good folks at ST should craft and publish a definitive toupological analysis on all the ST films. Below are my assertions on what they could be labeled as -
ReplyDeleteTMP - 'TJ Early'
TWOK - TJ Curly I
TSFS, TVH, TFF - TJ Curly II
TUC, Generations - TJ 90's Alternative
For my money, Shatner's post-STTMP toupage was at its most incredulous in Star Trek IV - so dark, so curly, so thick, so impenetrable. I thought the Trek V toupee was an improvement, and by Generations, I thought the toup was trending back into the realm of ... well, not "believability", but at least "plausable deniability".
ReplyDeleteWhat impressed me the most on previous posts, was the period known as "Dark Years" or whatever. You know, the post-lace era, when The Shat went for different and cheesy toupees that were simply horrible and artificial as hell! I am really impressed about those risible different toupees!
ReplyDeleteOn TUC and Generations, I always thought his "hair" appeared to be a mix of the TJ Curly era with some look of the Star Trek series time.
Paulo: Eu andei divulgando esse blog no Trekbrasilis!
Just watched "Generations" as here in the UK we've been treated to a trek movie every Saturday night for the last few weeks. Having been studying this blog in some obsessive detail, would I be right in thinking that the opening scene of Scotty, Chekov and the indomitable Shat represents the absolute apogee of Trek Toupology?! All three! In one shot! It's almost too much to bear....
ReplyDeleteLoving your work here, guys.