William Shatner criticized the European Union’s plan to address gendered language in the iconic “Star Trek” introduction.
The initiative was reportedly influenced by a document advising against phrases like “to boldly go where no man has gone before,” suggesting they create an environment of invisibility for women.
Shatner expressed frustration, highlighting the importance of understanding historical context and suggesting there are more significant documents to address.
😳👇🏻Presentism at work yet again. Why start at Trek? 🤨Isn’t it better to start at the beginning and redo foundation material such as the Magna Carta, religious writings, works of Shakespeare before worrying about a silly TV show opening that reflects social commentary of the… pic.twitter.com/P0okn5rYca
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) January 29, 2024
“Presentism at work yet again,” Shatner said.
“Isn’t it better to start at the beginning and redo foundation material such as the Magna Carta, religious writings, works of Shakespeare before worrying about a silly TV show opening that reflects social commentary of the time?” he asked.
“If people are offended by 6 seconds of dialogue recorded in 1966 without a modicum of understanding of the social issues at the time there’s bigger issues that they need to deal with first — like educating themselves,” he said.
Others also criticized the move, questioning if it would lead to banning the words of American astronaut Neil Armstrong.
“Neil Armstrong must be spinning in his grave … ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Will he be canceled for leaving out an ‘a’? Is the word ‘mankind’ misogynous? We live in foolish times,” one X user wrote.
