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11 Tweets That Prove George Takei Is the Social Activist We All Aspire to Be

George Takei may have endeared himself to his first audiences by taking the helm of the USS Enterprise as Hikaru Sulu, but he’s remained a high profile public figure on his own merit. His Star Trek days now past, Takei continues to find himself in the spotlight again and again. Social Media has allowed the beloved actor a platform to sound off on pressing social issues — and sound off he does. Takei’s contribution to social media is easily one of the best parts of the internet. His Twitter feed is a master class in social commentary. He regularly demonstrates an insightful grasp of political and cultural news stories, wrapping his thoughts in a wit and clarity that eludes 99 percent of society. People like George Takei are the reason Twitter was invented. And here’s why.

1. Actively Trolling the Head Orange in Charge

One of Takei’s favorite pastimes these days is irking the president. He routinely tweets out delightfully witty replies to @realdonaldtrump’s daily dose of inane yammering. It’s worth following Takei just to be there for his presidential burns.

2. The Peaceful Transfer of Burn

Everybody assumes that the President of the United States is the de facto leader of the Earth. Usually, that’s the case (at least in the minds of Americans). On January 20, however, Takei was one of the first to point out that Donald Trump wasn’t assuming that mantle. It took a few weeks for Germany’s Chancellor to formally assume the title of Leader of the Free World, but she surely did, and Takei called it.

3. The Man Has Impeccable Pop Culture Taste

There is absolutely nothing shameful about showing a little appreciation for Bette Midler’s most powerful performance as a buck-toothed witch in Disney’s Hocus Pocus.

4. Sometimes He Doesn’t Even Need to Say a Word

Just in case you wanted a side-by-side comparison of two men who handle the same situation with wildly different perspectives, here’s a poignant example provided by George Takei earlier this year.

5. Using History to Inform the Present

So many people are quick to attribute thoughts and political stances to past icons without actually doing their homework. Martin Luther King is a righteously beloved human being, but people too often forget that in his day, he was called a rabble rouser (on a nice day). King, it seems, believed that going along to get along wasn’t the way to move humanity forward.

6. Targeting Stupidity in All Its Forms

Takei is never shy about calling out stupidity wherever he finds it — like, say, when a multimillionaire claims he’s kind of a “blue collar worker.” The world could use a few more people who are this vigilant.

7. He Appreciates the Value of a Well-Meaning Troll

Most of the time, when an internet troll strikes, you’re right to be irritated. These buttholes spend their time just trying to get a rise out of stupid people who champion stupid causes. Every once in a while, however, with the right quip (or the right target), a troll can rise from muck-raking jerk to mischievous social justice warrior. When that happens, Takei is usually there to catch it — whether the trolling was intentional or not.

8. Here’s to Diversity Among Santas

It seems that once a year, some dummy has to get annoyed because the holidays are becoming more inclusive. Whether it’s people being annoyed that “Merry Christmas” isn’t universally appropriate anymore or the notion that Santa Claus might not be a pale shade of ivory, there’s a lot of meaningless crap that incites ire around the holidays. And then Mr. Takei comes along and skillfully reminds us that their are things out there worth getting bothered about, and having to say “Happy Holidays” or sit in a black Santa’s lap aren’t among them.

9. He Gives Credit Where It’s Due

Takei is never afraid to support other people on Twitter, especially when their comments are so incisive. It also helps that Takei has a pretty long memory — most people in the mainstream have long since moved on from anti-gay-marriage crusader Kim Davis (who is still working at her stupid, Sisyphean task, by the way).

10. The Man Has His Priorities in Order

There’s nothing wrong with a little self-reflection, but at some point it’s important to spend just a few minutes thinking about the larger world and the people walking around in it. At least, that’s what George Takei thinks and he seems pretty smart.

11. The Senate Run We All Want to Happen

Earlier this year, Takei got a few people hopeful when he hinted that he might run for office. Unfortunately, Takei is no Al Franken; the whole thing turned out to be an April Fool’s joke, albeit one with a noble purpose. The whole thing was an attempt to gain some political momentum for Georgia’s Jon Ossoff.


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