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From the article "Reports in 2013 said he had turned down Sir Richard Branson's offer to fly him into space with Virgin Galactic" and "Shatner has a fear of fl

From the article "Reports in 2013 said he had turned down Sir Richard Branson's offer to fly him into space with Virgin Galactic" and "Shatner has a fear of flying" I just feel the need to point out: Maybe Shatner feels safer on Blue Origin because the Virgin Galactic craft have wings, whereas Blue Origin craft don't? Edit: There can't be "a man! on! the wing!" if there's no wing. ;-) [I'll show myself out...]

TMWNN 5y ago
Given Shatner's prior comments on the subject, it's obvious that Bezos is paying Shatner a lot of money to be able to advertise that Captain Kirk flew on a Blue Origin rocket. Definitely the sort of thing that a competitor that knows that it is behind and is willing to do/pay anything to get ahead would do.
- daveslash 5y ago
  You are, of course, correct. In fact, the article even states that explicitly. My comment was a [too?] subtle snarky reference to a famous 1963 episode of the Twilight Zone starring Shatner, in which there was "a man on the wing!". "Nightmare at 20,000 ft" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXHKDb0CNjA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXHKDb0CNjA
- dehrmann 5y ago
  Shatner does seem to always want to make a buck, but at 90, with all those years of conventions, meet and greets, and sweet TJ Hooker royalty checks, doesn't he have enough money?
  - afavour 5y ago
    He has three kids, presumably a good few grandkids by now. Not sure how morbid his outlook is but if I were 90 I might look at this as an opportunity to make an even bigger pile of cash I can pass down to my descendants... I'm going out soon anyway, so why not?
    - throwaway0a5e 5y ago
      Exactly. Live and you pad your pockets. Die and you pad your heirs pockets. You were already 90 in medium-poor health anyway and not many people get a chance to go to space in any capacity. Having "fabulously wealthy entertainer and space tourist" on your gravestone is better than just "fabulously wealthy entertainer". All the upsides are still there but the risk side of the equation is much lower at 90 than at 80.
    - ikerdanzel 5y ago
      You are thinking as a young person valuing money a lot because you like to spend more money. At 90s, people think differently. He played a spaceship captain. He now can be one. And if he died during the trip he will be immortalized for centuries to come.
  - MisterBastahrd 5y ago
    Shatner probably made more from his Priceline.com endorsement than the entire rest of his career combined.
mytailorisrich 5y ago
> "Shatner has a fear of flying" I immediately thought of the Twilight Zone [1] [1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734600/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734600/

TMWNN 5y ago

Given Shatner's prior comments on the subject, it's obvious that Bezos is paying Shatner a lot of money to be able to advertise that Captain Kirk flew on a Blue Origin rocket. Definitely the sort of thing that a competitor that knows that it is behind and is willing to do/pay anything to get ahead would do.

daveslash 5y ago
You are, of course, correct. In fact, the article even states that explicitly. My comment was a [too?] subtle snarky reference to a famous 1963 episode of the Twilight Zone starring Shatner, in which there was "a man on the wing!". "Nightmare at 20,000 ft" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXHKDb0CNjA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXHKDb0CNjA
dehrmann 5y ago
Shatner does seem to always want to make a buck, but at 90, with all those years of conventions, meet and greets, and sweet TJ Hooker royalty checks, doesn't he have enough money?
- afavour 5y ago
  He has three kids, presumably a good few grandkids by now. Not sure how morbid his outlook is but if I were 90 I might look at this as an opportunity to make an even bigger pile of cash I can pass down to my descendants... I'm going out soon anyway, so why not?
  - throwaway0a5e 5y ago
    Exactly. Live and you pad your pockets. Die and you pad your heirs pockets. You were already 90 in medium-poor health anyway and not many people get a chance to go to space in any capacity. Having "fabulously wealthy entertainer and space tourist" on your gravestone is better than just "fabulously wealthy entertainer". All the upsides are still there but the risk side of the equation is much lower at 90 than at 80.
  - ikerdanzel 5y ago
    You are thinking as a young person valuing money a lot because you like to spend more money. At 90s, people think differently. He played a spaceship captain. He now can be one. And if he died during the trip he will be immortalized for centuries to come.
- MisterBastahrd 5y ago
  Shatner probably made more from his Priceline.com endorsement than the entire rest of his career combined.

mytailorisrich 5y ago

> "Shatner has a fear of flying" I immediately thought of the Twilight Zone [1] [1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734600/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734600/