William Shatner: Actor, Kidney-Stone-Seller, Genius

By Amelie Gillette  |  January 19, 2006 | 10:10pm
Aux Features The A.V. Club Blog

As anyone who has ever seen Boston Legal, heard Has Been, or downloaded this video of the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards can testify, William Shatner is really, really funny.

I suspect that Shatner knows he's really, really funny but, as is the case with R. Kelly, sometimes it's really, really hard to tell. Is he comically self-involved, or just so genuinely self-involved it reaches a comic level? For instance, when Shatner made an iTunes Celebrity Playlist that was 40% William Shatner songs, was he being a jerk because it's hilarious, or just simply being a jerk?

Tough question, I know, but after

reading that Shatner sold his kidney stone to raise $25,000 for Habitat For Humanity, I think I finally have a handle on Captain Kirk.

Simply stated, Shatner is a genius of near-Kaufman-like proportions.

I'm exaggerating, of course, but just look at this:

Not only is selling your kidney stone for charity a hilariously absurd thing to do, but the move also totally shows up Corey Haim in the

Body-Parts-For-Money Department.

After all, Shatner's kidney stone will finance the building of half a house for a needy family, but the selling of Haim's tooth didn't really help anyone but himself (and maybe his dealer).

What does everyone else think?

 
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