A Tale of Two Trekkers on Twitter: William Shatner vs. George Takei

When it comes to social media, Captain Kirk takes a back seat to Lt. Sulu.

Sure, the 86-year-old William Shatner is more active on Twitter than most senior citizens. He’s still not as aggressive, and news-making, as his former co-star George Takei on Twitter. That’s what counts on social media today, sadly.

Their Twitter flocks are neck and neck, though. Shatner boasts 2.54 million while Takei is no slouch with 2.48 million.

Advantage: Kirk.

The two also differ dramatically when it comes to their political missives. Takei is obsessed with the 24/7 news cycle, sharing any news bit with a progressive bent. The outspoken gay rights activist genuinely cares for LGBT issues. And it shows.

Yet he also can be vicious. Witness his attack on Rep. Steve Scalise days after he was severely wounded by a Bernie Sanders devotee. The media mostly ignored the comments, but tweets have a long shelf life.

Shatner is far more diplomatic, like his iconic character entering uncharted sectors of space. Even his Twitter bio warns visitors he’s not an ideologue. “Not political so be warned.”

That changed this week.

Tweet Hello. Have SJWs get offended by figuring some obtuse way to define it. Spend my day telling them off. You know, just a typical day. https://t.co/5Bm1FzJaP6

— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 26, 2017

The erstwhile James T. Kirk seemed surprised his announcement drew so much attention.

Slow news day? https://t.co/flqG21aAfx

— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 26, 2017

What Shatner may not realize is that a celebrity denouncing Social Justice Warriors is a “man bites dog” moment in 2017. You certainly won’t read Takei taking a similar stance. He’s too busy slamming every move made by the Trump administration.

Mocking SJWs shouldn’t be a political act. That’s exactly what it’s become for many. The vast majority of liberals refuse to call them out or actively embrace their actions.

The duo also differ on their sense of social media selves. Takei takes his work, and tweets, rather seriously. Some topics are indeed serious. That approach is justified. Other times, you’d wish he’d lighten up.

Shatner seems to type his 140 characters with tongue firmly in cheek. Here’s just one example.