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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Kirk Cozies up with Klingons

    Star Trek Icon Hosts Show on Kremlin TV—and Rages Against Critics

    By Noor Ibrahim (Daily Beast)
    Fri, July 2, 2021, 2:19 AM



    Phil Walter/Getty Images

    Star Trek star William Shatner has taken to Twitter to trade blows with journalists who called him out for hosting a new show on the Kremlin’s notorious state-funded network, RT.

    Earlier this week, the 90-year-old Canadian actor—known for taking on the legendary role Captain James Kirk in the Star Trek saga—announced he would be hosting a new general talk show on the American branch of RT called “I Don’t Understand,” where he’ll be posing questions to guests on a variety topics. The show is set to debut later this month.

    Alexey Kovalev, an investigative editor for Meduza—one of the most popular independent Russian-language news outlets—had some choice words for Shatner on his work with the network.

    “Quick reminder about [RT’s] views and editorial policies @WilliamShatner is now endorsing (whether he wants to or not),” he tweeted on Thursday, linking to a thread that ends with “Don’t go on RT, unless you are okay with sharing a mic with some of the most vile racist degenerates out there. It’s not a legitimate media platform. It has no redeeming qualities. And if no other platform will have you, then you really shouldn’t have *any* platform.”

    Those comments seem to have hit a nerve with Shatner, who wrote back, “Perhaps instead of rebuking me with facts that have zero influence on my show, a better use of your time would be to move? It seems that you being in Moscow means you are directly supporting the very regime you are berating me about. #hypocrite.”

    In response to another tweet backing up the Russian journalist, the actor suggested Meduza should “find better editors who can spend time on real issues & not berate an actor in a distribution deal, right? All he’s doing is showing how petty his professionalism is. He should watch the first episode & then tell me his thoughts if he thinks it’s propaganda.”

    RT has long been dubbed a Kremlin “propaganda machine” by journalists and experts across the world. The various news shows featured on the network are largely packed with Putin loyalists dedicating significant amounts of airtime denigrating the U.S—and any Putin rivals, for that matter.

    The head of RT, Margaret Simonyan, has warned of an “inevitable war” with the U.S., is a staunch supporter of a “sovereign” state-controlled Russian internet, and once tweeted that she was “jealous” of Belarus over their abhorrent nabbing of a dissident journalist mid-flight.

    Responding to yet another jibe over his RT deal on Thursday, Shatner tweeted: “If you are berating me that the RT network picked up distribution rights to my show as a horrible thing while you are sitting in Russia, contributing to the economy & paying taxes to them: it is hypocritical.”

    That tweet even caught the attention of exiled oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was once the wealthiest man in Russia. “No regrets I’ve never watched #StarTrek,” he wrote.

    And of course, there were those who had an altogether different reaction to the news of the American actor joining team RT—namely, the network’s editor-in-chief, Simonyan.

    On Thursday, the infamous propagandist tweeted: “Captain Kirk went over to the good side.”
    Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Poor Willy seems as starved of attention as deeksy.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat YourDaddy's Avatar
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    At least he isn't hosting his show on aesannow

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by YourDaddy View Post
    At least he isn't hosting his show on aesannow
    If he had one on Press TV we could ask Hoohoo what it's like.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    Kremlin’s notorious state-funded network, RT.
    Don't we know also other "notorious state-funded networks"?

    Meduza—one of the most popular independent Russian-language news outlets
    more popular than RT?

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    ^ When did RT become an independent news outlet?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by lom View Post
    independent news outlet
    Do you know one?

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    Kremlin’s notorious state-funded network, RT.
    A "blatent" example of double standard - or is it a "different reporting"?

    Do we ever read labelled "Downing St.'s notorious state-funded network, BBC"? Or any other network - although "non-state-funded" but funded anyway - helping to sell Afgh., Iraq and other "just" wars"?

    Same as we do not read labelled a president - like we read labelled another president - by his high function in a spy organisation...

    "Independent news"? If independent, so why to place a label for the reader to know how he should classify, what he should think about that...
    Isn't it a blatant disrespect to the reader? Isn't he unable to make his own conclusion, opinion?

    BTW, if somebody reads the news, statements, opinions from the other side - and there are so many seen and read, not only the "Kremlin's notorious state-funded network, but e.g. hours and hours of interviews and speeches of Putin with English narration, subtitles - you will never find such a low disrespectful rhetoric...

    So, why to denigrate the US (or other) celebrities who dare to be aired by the "Kremlin-TV"? And they surely know what a rage, blows, etc. they will reap from their esteemed compatriots.

    Isn't it a food for thinking for the broad population? Are these people - once loved by the whole nation - suddenly bad people when calling the things by their real names?

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat Storekeeper's Avatar
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    Dude by the name of David Gerrold I follow on FB supposedly was involved with writing episodes of the original Star Trek series. Interesting fella. Suppose he’ll have a say about this in short order.

  10. #10
    En route
    Cujo's Avatar
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    Keith Richards??
    Hold my beer said Captain Kirk.
    Doing alright for 90.

  11. #11
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    What a distasteful whiny Democrat...wonder what he's being blackmailed for.

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat VocalNeal's Avatar
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    Maybe Algazeera don't have a sci-fi channel?

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