# Happy Talk Like William Shatner Day! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528 "2009-03-24T00:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/1 "2009-03-24T00:09:08Z")
I’m a little late to the party, but voice actor Maurice LaMarche has declared today (and all Shatner’s birthdays to come) International Talk Like William Shatner Day. Since his birthday fell on a Sunday this year, it’s being celebrated on two days. [Here’s a video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fJOaqsBXAc) in which he shows us how to Shatner. Of course, Maurice is well-known for imitating another well-known actor, as he shows in the clip- I hope he gets a holiday on May 6- both Maurice and I love to imitate the whole “frozen pea” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/2 "2009-03-24T02:29:02Z")
There’s a bill in the legislature to ban making how-to-talk-like-William-Shatner instructional videos while driving. And studies have shown that it doesn’t really help to use some sort of hands-free, William-Shatner-impersonation recording device; it’s the actual discussion of how to talk like William Shatner that increases your chance of having an accident. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/3 "2009-03-24T05:09:19Z")
Me thought it was “Talk like a Gay Accountant” Day! Fair quiver me mates portuned Dancing the Gandy fer not pontificating like the Fine Captain! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/4 "2009-03-24T14:18:20Z")
I’m. Trying. Very. Hard. Not. To. Talk. Like. William. Shatner. Today. But. Sometimes. I. Just. Can’t. Help. It. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/5 "2009-03-24T15:21:42Z")
Denny Crane! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/6 "2009-03-24T15:44:14Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’m. Trying. Very. Hard. Not. To. Talk. Like. William. Shatner. Today. But. Sometimes. I. Just. Can’t. Help. It. You can’t just pause after every word. It doesn’t work like that. For example, after “very”, is perfect; it’s obvious that there must be more, but you want people leaning forward in anticipation. But after “today” is a killer; you’ve just finished one thought, and it’s conceivable that someone else might try to begin speaking. Your next sentence must begin quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/7 "2009-03-24T17:21:07Z")
And… here’s- to YOU… Mr… William; Shat ner… Nimoy LOVES YOU more! --than you will KNOW! o! O!!! WHOOOAAA!!! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/8 "2009-03-24T19:23:36Z")
> [@](#): > > And… here’s- to YOU… Mr… William; Shat > ner… Nimoy > LOVES YOU > more! --than you will KNOW! > > o! > O!!! > > WHOOOAAA!!! This is utterly brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/9 "2009-03-24T23:29:15Z")
Maurice LaMarche, Kevin Pollack, and Frank Caliendo are all known for their Shatner impressions, but the first (and one of the best) I ever saw was by Joe Alaskey, who is mostly famous as a voice-over artist for Tiny Toons and classic Looney Tunes characters. He started as a stand up comic and does impressions of various people such as Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, and Don Knotts. Here’s a clip of Alaskey as [William Shatner (Kirk) and James Doohan (Scotty).](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE2XixW0SfQ) ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/10 "2009-03-24T23:58:19Z")
How busy is this guy that he has to record this while he’s driving? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/11 "2009-03-25T03:25:23Z")
> [@Wheeljack](#): > > How busy is this guy that he has to record this while he’s driving? Well, every night he tries to take over the world. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/12 "2009-03-25T03:42:42Z")
> [@wheeljack](#): > > how busy is this guy that he has to record this while he’s driving? > [@robot arm](#): > > well, every night he tries to take over the world. **ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha! Narf!** Edit - Damn. I appreciate the anti-cap software in principle, but sometimes, you just need to express yourself in all caps for effect. Poit! ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-talk-like-william-shatner-day/490528/13 "2009-03-25T03:47:19Z")
it’s all about the pause _and_ the rush [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_kZJJUc4mQ)