George Takei has been an advocate for human rights and gay rights, but on Tuesday he attempted to unite Star Wars and Star Trek fans against one common enemy: Twilight.
George Takei has been an advocate for human rights and gay rights, but on Tuesday he attempted to unite Star Wars and Star Trek fans against one common enemy: Twilight. Reuters/Jason Redmond

The battle between Star Wars and Star Trek has raged on since the late 70s, when 'A New Hope' was first released in theatres and introduced the world to the sci-fi characters of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. After all the bickering between the two franchises that's taken place since, including a YouTube war between Star Trek's William Shatner and Princess Leia herself Carrie Fisher, former Star Trek actor George Takei decided to step in, calling for peace between the two Star franchises in order to bring attention to a more imminent threat.

What's needed today now, more than ever, is Star Peace, Takei said. There is an obvious, mutual threat to science fiction: It's called Twilight. And it is really, really bad.

Takei, who appeared in the original Star Trek TV series and the first six Trek features as helmsman Hikaru Sulu, has made various public service announcements since officially coming out in October 2005. Most of those PSAs were directed at human rights and LGBT issues, but Takei clearly feels strongly about his latest campaign against Stephanie Meyer's popular line of books and movies.

Gone is any sense of heroism, camaraderie, or epic battle. In its place we have vampires that sparkle and moan and go to high school, Takei said. Now I'm not above mixing in a little sex appeal to spice up the fantasy, but sci-fi fans be warned, there are no great stories, characters or profound life lessons to be found in Twilight. No, in Twilight the only message that rings through loud and clear is: 'Does my boyfriend like me?'

Takei urges both groups of fans to band together to combat this mutual threat. The four Twilight books, which have been translated into five blockbuster movies released each year since 2008, have been a major obsession of pre-teens and female teenagers, but Takei believes the franchise has absolutely no sci-fi merit.

Takei finishes his video message with a call for unification:

So Star friends, let us all live and let live, long and prosperously. And, may the force be with you, always.

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