George Takei talks career highlights at Geek Week event
Calling a former Arkansas school board member a “total douchebag” and enduring a Japanese internment camp were only two of many subjects discussed by actor George Takei last night.
The former “Star Trek” and “Heroes” star shared stories about working on the shows, advocating for LGBT rights and growing up in a Japanese internment camp during “An Evening with George Takei” last night at the College Avenue Gymnasium.
Gene Roddenberry, creator and producer of the original “Star Trek” television series, wanted the Takei’s Mr. Sulu character to represent the continent of Asia and help showcase diversity on The Starship Enterprise, Takei said.
“Asian-Americans have been portrayed in television, movies, stage or radio in pretty shallow stereotypes,” he said. “Here was a character that was part of the team, didn’t speak with an accent ... and (was) a leader. It was an exciting concept, and I desperately wanted to get casted.”
Fast-forwarding nearly 50 years since “Star Trek” first aired, Takei said today’s young people are doing a fantastic job improving social conditions for all individuals.
While he said he was impressed by how college students have adapted to technology, Takei said it is unsettling to see how many people become victimized with excessive technology use.
“People are forgetting or losing the art of conversation because they’re so busy using (their phones),” he said. “Isn’t it a shame that people have lost the ability to communicate with each other verbally and spontaneously react to each other?”
Despite being about 50 years older than most college students, Takei keeps himself relevant by fostering a strong social media presence.
Accumulating more than 8 million Facebook “likes” since joining in 2011, Takei’s page rapidly grew in popularity partly because he shares original humorous images and social commentary.
Takei said he enjoys using social media to advocate for social justice issues, particularly LGBT rights.
Takei recently went viral after denouncing former Arkansas school board member Clint McCance — who encouraged gay teens to commit suicide — by calling him a “total douchebag” in a video widely circulated online.
“It was shocking to hear that people (serving) on a board of education –– policymakers –– were making that kind of comment,” he said. “So I was able to go (online) and give a finger-wagging ... that went viral, and a lot of people saw that.”
Takei’s strong social media presence promotes LGBT advocacy in a relatable way, said Zaneta Rago, director of the Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities.
“Takei’s brand of online visibility lends humor and LGBT advocacy in a way that is very accessible,” Rago said. “Many people (follow) him for different reasons, but at the same time still learn about his (advocacy) for the LGBT community.”
Takei’s experience rooting out proponents of social inequality has its roots in discrimination he experienced as a child and young adult, he said.
The actor grew up behind barbed wire in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, he said.
“I was incarcerated for looking like the enemy — for looking like the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor. But I was a child then,” he said. “It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I became curious about my childhood incarceration.”
After leaving the internment camp, Takei began to realize there was something else that was different about him in addition to his Asian-American ethnicity.
As his friends began to date girls as teenagers, he would also date girls in order to not appear different from his peers, Takei said.
“The other boys were getting all excited by pretty girls,” he said. “What really excited me was cute boys.”
Takei was invited to be the keynote speaker for "GAYpril" and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in addition to Rutgers Geek Week, said Carey Loch, director of Major Events and Programs for Student Life.
Takei stands out to many people and caters to a multitude of interests, Loch said.
“Even though his original notoriety came about from a television show from so long ago ... He’s relevant, he’s funny (and) he’s all over social media,” she said. “There’s a likeability (and) an interest factor to him.”
Takei’s presentation had more attendees than any other Geek Week event, attracting about 2,000 students, facilitating a greater sense of community among University “geeks,” Loch said.
“Takei has an opportunity to bring individuals and members of different communities together into a room to hear a common message and spend time with one another,” she said. “That is essentially what’s at the core of what we’re trying to do with Geek Week.”
But on a darker note, the actor said he is concerned with how few young people are involved with the electoral process. Takei developed a special appreciation for it after surviving internment camp, he said.
While Takei believes today’s youth are doing “a fantastic job” at promoting social justice, he finds it worrisome that college students are barely taking the initiative to influence their lawmakers.
“We have issues like Ferguson where (young people) come out to demonstrate,” he said. “But (whether) they come out to vote really counts. That’s why we have the politicians we have.”
Dan Corey is an Associate News Editor for The Daily Targum. He is a Rutgers Business School first-year student majoring in marketing and journalism and media studies. Follow him on Twitter @danielhcorey for more stories.
