# Billy Shatner and those Priceline commercials. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 21, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055 "2000-09-21T21:29:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/1 "2000-09-21T21:29:28Z")
I know a lot of people are gonna think I’m really sick and insane–and probably rightfully so–but am I the only one who actually -LIKES- those commercials? 🙂 I’ve been trying to find MP3s of Shatner singing–but can’t find any! Dang! Shatner’s cool. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/2 "2000-09-21T21:57:52Z")
I’ll go along with that as long as I can believe that he’s doing stuff like this as a form of self-parody. If for a moment I get the impression he sincerely thinks he can sing, then I will suddenly dislike the commercials. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/3 "2000-09-21T22:01:43Z")
I would have to guess that Shatner must like those commercials, as he’s likely been paid pretty well for them. The best compliment I can offer is that he does better than Rosanne did on the National Anthem. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/4 "2000-09-21T22:16:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ashtar \* > \*\* > I’ve been trying to find MP3s of Shatner singing–but can’t find any! Dang! > > Shatner’s cool. \*\* They’re out there- Opal plays 'em on Radio Free Opalcat now and then (or used to, anyway. I can’t get it anymore ☹ ) Be sure to look for “Mr. Tambourine Man”. I guarentee you’ll scream “Oh! The Humanity!” It’s awful stuff. Zette PS- I used to hate those ads, but the “Do You Know Where You’re Going To?” one really got me. I cracked right up and lightened up on the spot. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/5 "2000-09-21T22:18:50Z")
Also check out Rhino records (tapes, cd etc) - on their “Golden Throats” series, they have Shatner’s painful “Lucy… inthesky…with diamonds!” ---
**Author:** ![Ayesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Ayesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ayesha)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/6 "2000-09-21T22:34:06Z")
Shatner should be shot for what he did to Freebird ! There are some things you just don’t mess with. JMHO of course. ---
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/7 "2000-09-21T23:54:24Z")
I’m embarrassed for him, actually. Capt. Kirk has descended so far. His younger self would undoubtedly have him beamed out into space, widest possiblr dispersion, where he could drift around for eternity with Hengist… ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/8 "2000-09-22T02:49:11Z")
This topic (Shatner and Priceline) has come up before, so I’ll answer these now before it’s asked: Shatner is a significant investor in Priceline, so it’s no wonder he does all their ads. Yes, that’s Ben Folds playing the piano. ---
**Author:** ![Sxyzzx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sxyzzx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sxyzzx)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/9 "2000-09-22T02:56:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Montfort \* > \*\*Shatner is a significant investor in Priceline, so it’s no wonder he does all their ads. > \*\* I don’t think he’s an investor, but he got a ton of stock options as payment for the ads. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/10 "2000-09-22T04:42:29Z")
I’m sorry, but I’m with VB on this one. I’m just too embarrassed for him to even be able to watch the damned commercials. “Do you know where you’re goin’ to” used to be a song I liked. Now I shudder… ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/11 "2000-09-22T04:43:38Z")
This is a turn for the better. Doesn’t mean I like 'em, just means that they don’t make my ears bleed and cause me to projectile vomit. ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/12 "2000-09-22T06:12:24Z")
I have too agree that it is self parody. \*\* No \*\* one can be that bad and not realize it. I mean really now. He must know about the general opinion on his earlier “works”. Either that or he has a ego roughly the size of Manhattan That’s Ben Folds? Wow. His career must have hit a small slump. Crap. I was going to make a crack about Shatner appearing on the next BBF album, but it looks like I’ve been beaten to the punch. [http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=440304730](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=440304730) [slight hijack] And for those of your who enjoy inflicting pain on yourselves (like myself), I present: \*\* The Transformed Man \*\* [http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=441281197](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=441281197) (Call me a nutter, but I want this so bad I can taste it!) Here’s a bit of trivia. Did you know Shatner wasn’t the only one to release an album? Yup. Leonard Nimoy did too. He has wisely decided to call it a career after one though. [http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=445187895](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=445187895) This one contains both Willy and Lenny. I would kill to hear Spock sing “I’d Love Making Love To You” that or " I Walk The Line" [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/13 "2000-09-22T06:26:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by corvus \* > \*\* > > Either that or he has a ego roughly the size of Manhattan > \*\* FTR, I should add that I mean the island, not the mod. Just to avoid any confusion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mirth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Mirth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/14 "2000-09-22T06:31:49Z")
The only reason I enjoy these commercials is because I’ve heard his earlier stuff (Mr. Tamborene Man and Lucy in the Sky to be specific). They _have_ to be self-parody’s and I laughed my ass off the first time I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![DuhMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DuhMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DuhMan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/15 "2000-09-22T12:33:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Montfort \* > **Yes, that’s Ben Folds playing the piano.** Damn you Montfort! I thought I was the only one who noticed. I was all excited and I was going to post my pearl of wisdom to this thread, and you went and beat me to it! I’ll get you next time! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-shatner-and-those-priceline-commercials/34055/16 "2000-09-22T13:17:15Z")
In TV Guide they mention he asked to be paid in stock for his work on the ads. They are parody of his album “The Transformed Man.”. Side note: he sold all of his stock **just** before the tech crash slid it into the gutter. Made a pile. From what I’ve read about him, he doesn’t seem to mind self-parody. As per his appearance on Third Rock.