Social Security Launches Star Trek-themed Campaign with George Takei + New “Oh My” Takei Ringtone

George Takei is giving William Shatner some competition for ubiquity these days. Star Trek’s original Sulu headlines a series of online PSAs promoting SocialSecurity.gov. Watch those below. Plus today George released his own "Oh My!" ring tone, and you can listen to that below too. 

 

 

SocialSecurity.gov’s Star Trek Themed campaign w/ George Takei

Not sure if this is a sign that Star Trek is cool again, or an indication that the Trek demographic is headed to retirement homes, but the Social Security Administration has launched a Star Trek-themed PSA campaign featuring the original Sulu himself, George Takei (and strangely he is paired with 1960s sitcom star Patty Duke). The "Boldly Go" campaign is to promote the SSA website www.socialsecurity.gov.

In a statement (via FedScoop) SSA Commissioner Michael J. Astrue said, “Social Security has a great website and the top-rated online services in the U.S. We now have a fun new way to get the word out. Having George join forces with Patty will help us reach the millions of people who can take advantage of this convenient way of doing business with Social Security. Boldly Go to  to plan for your retirement and to apply online so that you too may live long and prosper.”

Here are the videos.

 

George Takei’s new "Oh My" ringtone

Today George Takei released a new "Oh My"  ringtone. It costs $1.50 and benefits the The Old Globe Theater in Sand Diego which will be premiering Takei’s "Allegiance". Take a listen…

To get the ringtone for iPhone CLICK THIS LINK (but only from an iPhone). And from a non-iPhone: CLICK THIS LINK.

 

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FIRST! George Takei, the King of all media. Go George!

I think he should wear a movie-era red uniform.

Oh man, they are getting old!

Looking good in the Gold Uniform. Maybe have him in Trek 12. Bu that might really make the Shat Mad as Hell. Lol.

Duke’s been an SSA spokesperson for a while, so it’s not at all strange for Takei’s spots to include her.

Am I the only one who is horrified by how simply awful these are? George just doesn’t hold his own too well here against Patty Duke, who is herself no Meryl Streep. Yuck. I know it isn’t politically correct on this site to say this, but Mr. Takei is a very poor actor. Dont blame the guy for making a buck, but seriously, yuck.

Did Sulu ever actually say “Oh my” in any of the series / films? Just curious where the meme originated.

That’s…. Patty Duke???

Oh. My.

How come the rest of the world is getting so much older when I’m not? You could lose your mind.

I’m with you, 6. These are beyond dreadful! They desperately needed a writer!

Actually the “even Kirk could do it” was hilarious given the history between Takei and Shat — here’s betting my life’s savings that Takei suggested that line!

@6 “Yuck. I know it isn’t politically correct on this site to say this, but Mr. Takei is a very poor actor.”

Agreed. I support the Shat’s role in holding off Takei’s promotion to starship captain for many years.

LOL :-)

NEWS WIRE ALERT:

The Republicans and Democrats finally agreed today on at least one program to cut — the socialsecurity.gov marketing program. There apparently was 100% bipartisan support for this cut!

yeah i don’t get where the “Oh, my..” thing started either… when did Sulu ever say it?

#7 “Oh my” were the final words James T Kirk spoke before he died, in the movie Star Trek:Generations.

Those advertisements were beyond embarrassing to watch. Without a doubt they would earn the NZ TV One’s annual Fair Go’s Worst Ads Award. In fact I doubt they would ever make it to NZ TV screens because I am certain they would be violating the Advertising Standards Authority. I don’t know exactly what those standards are, but these ads are surely a major violation of something. They would be given a category of their own. Yikes!

I am guessing that the social security they are referring to is the equivalent of our Superannuation benefits payment that all NZ citizens are entitled to receive once they turn 65 years old.

@ 6

I agree with you! I think Takei was a better actor in the past through. Now he is just ridiculous. He is overacting all the time and is in my opinion only embarrassing and not funny.

And they should have gotten other uniforms for those two in the videos, which look better. The uniforms look just bad on their bodies.

In my imagination at least, Takei is doing this out of political motivations. He’s passively-aggressively trying to drudge up support for social security programs and government programs for the elderly in general in an effort to preempt attempts at cutting those program’s budgets. (For the record, I would be opposed to such cuts.)

As for the quality of these videos…

I had to stop watching after the “kick the tires” video.

I got to “no check go direct” but… “oh my”.

@7 and @14

Takei’s “Oh My” was made famous from one of his earliest appearances (before he became “the announcer”) on the Howard Stern show. It’s how he reacted to some of the outlandish behavior in the studio. Later on he played it up in those Sharp commercials.

I couldn’t watch past the second one. I would have stopped at the first but figured maybe that was just the odd bad one. I was wrong.

That’s awsome!

Hi Anthony I was wondering what about an app for either itunes or andriod?

I work in a program that deals extensively with the Social Security Administration, so I have to put up with not just the commercials, but posters showing those two with the words “Boldy Go” all over the place. Not fun. Work is already trying to suck out my soul and brainwash me. Now they are trying to take Star Trek too. Argh.

Great use of his celebrity; helping seniors navigate SS through the internet (which can be a bit intimidating for a lot of senior citizens).

Nice to know that George is still very civic-duty minded. Good for him (and for Patty Duke, for being a good sport as well). ; )

All these ads do is remind us older Trek fans that we’re not spring chickens anymore, now where’s my walker & cane ?

Hey, you, geturfmuhlawn, ya’ wippersnappers with yer working phasers and communicators, why when I was yer age we had to make do w/ wood & plastic & our imaginations….

;-)

By Grapthar’s Hammer… what a savings!!

Long live the original series!

Woo hoo!

It’s about time after all the decades of being derided.

Maybe the US Government should be shut down…..

This is the very problem with Star Trek, it no longer speaks to the younger generations. If the fans really want this franchise to progress and become relevant again then the franchise needs to distance itself at warp speed form the 70 and 80 year olds that represent it.

26 While I agree with you, I think that the Trek09 did that to some extent. An animated show on TV would certainly go a long way to cement that appeal to a younger fan base.

That being said, I think there is room for the nostalgia and reverence for these great actors who started it all.

Sorry, that should have been a comment re: 27.

rm10019 I agree with you Trek09 has started this, totally agree that an animated series in order, a lot could be done with that and it would bring a younger generations.

Yes it’s great to have the original generation out there, but when it gets so tied into Star Trek it turns the younger gen off. I’m sitting at my pc look at this PSA and my partners younger bro who is 17 looks at it and the only thing he says is how much he hates Star Trek, then I mention the 09 movie and he’s oh yeah that’s cool.

It’s not a lack of respect and I just so want to see Star Trek shoot up to the top again like it was in the early 90’s.

George REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEally likes Jason Ellis

I mean he REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEally likes him

I work here at SSA ‘s Main office Complex in Woodlawn, Md.and know someone that was on the media team that worked on this…LOL!

24. “By Grapthar’s Hammer… what a savings!!”

Ditto!

Now where’s Tawny? Let’s get some drinks!

KABUKI!

Worst… Trek jammies… ever.

OK, one more: George is so old, his pants are eating his tunic up to his belly button on their way to his nipples.

Oh, my! Indeed.

Oh maaaaaeeeh…God.

This is off the point, but out of all the Asian men I’ve ever met or seen, I have never met one with a voice like George Takei’s. I mean, listen to him!

Go George! I am disability as deaf. and my grandpa has retirement too.

@#s 24 & 33- big time!!

to this article- THIS IS WHAT OUR gov’t spend $ on? REALLY?

It is ironic, in a way, that George Takei’s catchphrase these days happens to be Captain Kirk’s last lines.

Anyway these adverts were pretty cringe worthy to watch. And the uniforms look like cheap knock offs. They don’t even have the deltas.

24: LOL. Thanks for that!

so this must be from the Starfleet Geriatric Reserve Officer Corp. Earth’s LAST Last line of defense… May god have mercy on our souls for this abysmal taxpayer-funded marketing campaign…

@38. Yea, this article ALMOST wants to give the republicans slash and burn budget cutting a shot. I mean, you’ve got to be kidding me — spending our tax dollars on this crap???

YOU BETTA WORK GEORGE! That “oh MY” ringtone is a MUST for my phone! YES~!

Oh my! Who tucked George’s uniform top in? It looks terrible. After all the jokes when they were still making movies, now it really is Star Trek: Retirement Home.

It’s sad to be reduced to a two word catch phrase and little else. I cna’t even remember how it got started.

#45 I assume you are talking about the “oh my” catch phrase. They were Kirk’s two words he said before he died, in Generations. I would really like if he could do a cameo in the next Star Trek film if only to take back that phrase to be his own (Shatner/Kirk’s “Oh my!”).

GERIA-TREK

Anybody see the episode World Enough And Time on ST:Phase //? I thought George did a wonderful job in that – shows what good writing and directing can do for an actor. Talked to him at an after-con party ’bout the time ST:WOK came out, he is extremely nice, and was trying to make it to as many parties as possible, and speak to everyone he could. And this was while Trek was in its hey-day of the movies. Would Shatner or Nimoy do as much? Not very likely. I told him where I grew up (Mapleton, Ia – yes the same town that got trashed by an EF-3 tornado this weekend) and he asked how far is that from Omaha? H really likes the River Market there, and if you are ever in Omaha, it is the place to visit.

Give me a break these guys will do anything. They should not embarass the Star Trek franchise doing these comercials in sorry excuses for uniforms. At least Shatner’s direct tv comercial looked like a uniform. They should have had Patty Duke so this thing looking in a mirror at her twin.

@47 LMAO

hey at least they were low budget.
I think they were aimed at seniors who don’t normally use the web.
They would recognize George from TOS.
I’m just tired of his “queening” up all his performances now.
Yes George you’re gay. We know.