Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
The Schmooze

Fisher vs. Shatner; Star Wars vs. Star Trek

Carrie Fisher and William Shatner have taken their gloves off, duking it out in YouTube videos over which is better: Star Wars or Star Trek.

They poke as much fun at each other’s having aged over the years as they do at the relative merits of their respective legendary productions. Fisher, looking svelt but wearing a way-too-low-cut top, challenges the perennially young-looking Shatner to a “costume-off.” She makes fun of Shatner’s clingy Captain Kirk costume while complimenting her own Princess Leia metal bikini. Shatner’s sharp retort is that at least his costume “has stretch” so that it would still fit his now larger physique. “I don’t know if we are ready to see you in that bikini,” he tells Fisher. “While my costume just needs some push and pull, your bikini would need some real…uplift.”

Of Star Wars and Star Trek in general, Fisher claims, “They’re not in the same league.” She concedes that they both have “star” in their title and that there’s space travel involved in each — but to her, that is the extent of the similarity. Besides, Star Wars merchandising is better, hands down, she says. “My space buns are way better than Leonard Nimoy’s ears.”

In reply, Shatner concedes that Star Wars had better special effects, but goes on to say that they are meaningless when you don’t have such things as a good story, and plot and character development.

And then there is this weird back and forth about sunrises versus sunsets. Maybe you need to be a real Trekkie or bona fide Star Wars fanatic to get what that is all about. The rest of us can just enjoy watching these aging actors have some fun and poke fun at one another — and themselves.

Watch Carrie Fisher Hating on ‘Star Trek’:

Then Check Out William Shatner’s Response:

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.