A question aimed at Browncoats over 20 years old...

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Friday, October 31, 2008 20:55
VIEWED: 6254
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CHRISISALL

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 12:41 PM

What heroes in the movies or TV were your role models- who did you emulate, empathize with, in short, what characters helped form you, and without which, you might not be the same person today because of their absence from your consciousness?

Me:
In my teens my role models were (in order of their effect)

Mr. Spock (GEEK ALERT!)
James Kirk (my moral compass)
Kwai-Chang Caine (introduced me to Buddhist thought & silent strength)
Luke Skywalker (adventurous spirit)
Superman (Chris Reeve's Superman was gentle and humble despite his powers)

What are yours? (go to books too if it applies)

Enquiring Chrisisall

ARTCAT81

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 1:04 PM

The ATeam - no I'm not kidding, Hannibal, Mr.T (B.A.), howling mad murdock, Face - lesson here, always help folks, and to pity the fool, and love it when a plan comes together. Also the obvious teamwork, and even big scary guys have fears, plans rarely survive first contact, but roll with it!

MacGuyver - no matter how dire the situation, it can be solved with the proper application of leverage, or paperclips.

Star Trek - Mr. Spock, logic and science prevail!, Captain Picard, use your brain and diplomacy, when that fails you fight and win. Mr. Worf - anger management.

Ivan from Ivan and the magic pony (Russian Fairytale http://www.russianart-online.com/konyok_gorbunok.htm ) - don't be boastful, tell the truth, trust in your friends. (Also that soothsayers are evil)

Reading Rainbow - LeVar Burton - Books can take you to magical and amazing places. Never judge a book by its cover.

Mr. Rogers - tolerance, and learning opportunities are everywhere.

Sesame Street - not so much a character but it really opens your eyes to many things out there, from painting on glass, to in my day, early early early computer programming. Overall very optimistic, helped me be an optimistic person.

Star Wars - look into yourself and grow, challenge what you know and think you know.

Willow- Sorsha and Mad Martigan - people can change, you are not stuck where you start. Willow, proves that you must believe in yourself. Bavmorda- evil really shouldn't give their plans away. The Brownies- even the smallest can be mighty

The Lord of the Rings Series - trust in your friends, you can do things you never dreamed you could. even the longest journey begins by taking a step. Also, communication is super important!

Browncoats are the shiniest folks in the 'verse
www.texasartcat.com/bluesun.html <--my bluesunshop

NEEDY

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 1:19 PM

You always come up with the coolest ideas for discussions

So anyway, I grew up watching a LOT of "geeky" things, but the only one I can remember trying to emulate was Marty Mcfly of BTTF. I lvoed those films so much and thought he (and his "life preserver") was the coolest thing ever

Of course Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Superman were all great characters... but I don't think they had the same appeal as Marty Mcfly

As for comics, I always could identify with Peter "Spiderman" Parker and had a crush on both Rogue and Jubilee (who cares if they weren't real?!)
Gambit was one of my favourite comic characters too but I don't know if I'd ever go as far to say he informed what my personality is like today.

Incidentally though, Superman is more of a role model for me now than when I was a kid.
Some people view him as dull and boring whereas I view him as a man who has been forced to give up everything he holds dear - close relationships and friendships - for the sake of humanity.
I think he's more inspirational than most, in that he has all these noble qualities we can only hope to copy
(Ignoring of course Superman Returns, where he might be considered irresponsible. I see this as just an attempt at trying to make him seem more human in this more modern world)

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Needy. Male Companion: Chosen One?
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http://needsalt.livejournal.com/
www.myspace.com/dicksquinty The World's Greatest Detective?

MSB

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:08 PM

just one real role model... and not a fictional one. My teacher Carter Williams. Greatest man ever

____________________________________________

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage."
Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it.”-Dave Barry

JONGSSTRAW

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:09 PM

Commander J.J. Adams - Forbidden Planet (Leslie Nielsen): He established the model for space ship command. He was a dynamic leader, brave, adventurous, and he got the girl.

George Wells (HG) - The Time Machine (Rod Taylor) : He was an inventor, and he hated war. He had the intelligence and the imagination to remove himself from a life he did not approve of. He had great courage, but also had a charming, emotional side, and he got the girl.

Admiral Nelson - Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea (Richard Basehart) : I envied him to no end because he wore a cool leather jacket and got to fly around in the Flying Sub.

Paul Peterson - Donna Reed Show : He was sort of my idol on TV growing up. Cool guy with cool friends, always doing cool things either at the malt shop or at school. Best of all he shared the house with big sister Shelly Fabares.

Billy Mumy - Lost In Space : What can I say?...I'm jealous of anyone who had a chance to grow up with Angela Cartwright as his best friend. Billy always seemd to be doing sci-fi somewhere on the tube...TZ, OL, etc.

Michael Rennie - Day The Earth Stood Still, The Lost World, Third Man On The Mountain. He was always one of my heroes. A suave, sophisticated gentleman who could get dirty and sweaty with the best of them. A man of intelligence and class.

Charlton Heston - I loved almost all his movies. A unique actor with a gift of emotional connection rarely seen anymore.

George Reeves - TV Superman : For my money, the best Superman of all of them. Played it with more respect and straighter than anyone else, but still managed to do it with humor and charm. I must have watched every episode 50 times as a kid.

CRUITHNE3753

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:21 PM

Arthur Dent - Stumbling from one situation to another wondering what the hell is going on whilst trying to find a decent cup of tea.

CYBERSNARK

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 9:50 PM

The Rebel Alliance. I've collected Star Wars books since I was old enough to read (and I started reading early). Everything that I know about warfare, logistics, group dynamics, ethics, and Courage in the face of oppression, I learned from the likes of Airen Cracken, Wedge Antilles, Ackbar, and Mon Mothma. Scoundrels, mercenaries, refugees, renegades, and orphans from all possible upbringings, from a hundred-hundred different species, races, cultures, and worlds, united in the name of one single, universal concept. Freedom.

Shockwave. He may have been a Decepticon, but his motto, "clarity of thought before rashness of action," is something that more people should aspire to live up to.

Optimus Prime. Leadership is not a position of priviledge, but of responsibility. A true leader is the one who's willing to take the hit so no one else has to. In the Darkest Hour, they must be the Light.

Lord Breetai. Leader of the Zentraedi, loyal servant of the Robotech Masters, conqueror, tyrant, and would-be destroyer of Earth. . . Also: intrepid commander, stalwart defender of Earth, honourable warrior-poet, and ultimately, hero of the Zentraedi/Human alliance. He's the first time I saw a brutal enemy transform into a Hero (yet not be reduced to a farce), and taught me a valuable life-lesson about "Good" and "Evil" (it doesn't always correspond to "ally" and "enemy," and the monsters that come from the dark may just end up as your greatest friends).

Max Sterling. When you're doing your best, you shouldn't need to prove it to anyone. The people who know will recognize you for it. Trying to convince them just wastes your time and theirs. Dying sometimes can't be avoided, but losing one's cool is unforgivable.

Miriya Parino-Sterling. To paraphrase another genetically-engineered supersoldier: Chicks kick ass. Says so on the hull of a Zentraedi quaedlun-rau power armour that can rip enemy VTs out of space with its metalshod hands (but is put to better use defending her lover and securing a better future for their child).

Dana Sterling. It's scrawled on the side of a hovertank piloted by a Zent/human hybrid as she rides into the jaws of death to save her squad and a shipful of alien refugees (that the rest of Earth would also be saved is just a footnote). Her parents would be proud.

Lisa Hayes. It's also on the uniform jacket of the fleet Admiral who held the rag-tag alien rebel "Sentinels" together against the insane Invid Regent. (Unlike most of the boys I grew up around, I've never had a problem respecting women; I was raised to see them as warriors and leaders. It just never occurred to me to think otherwise.)

Jean-Luc Picard. Proof that the Hero doesn't have to be the brash, impetuous child, and that "breaking the rules" is less about "sticking it to the man" than about deliberately choosing to make a choice and accepting the consquences (something far more "would-be Rebels" could stand to learn, IMHO). Truly "the thinking man's action hero."

Starfleet in general. To a frequently-beaten-up nerd and social outcast, the idea of a galaxy-spanning organization of scholars, philosophers, and scientists --who thought that "Others" were friends to learn from rather than enemies to conquer-- let me pretend I wasn't the only one of "my kind." We are not all alike --and we don't need to be.

Indiana Jones. A scholar and adventurer, who understood the importance of education and (more importantly) the desire to learn. History isn't a prize for the elite, or a trophy to be pawned off --it is our shared heritage, and it can tell us who we are. "It belongs in a museum," not because it's old, but because it has stories to tell.

Jim Henson. The master Storyteller. His imagination could create entire universes from nothingness. He spread laughter, joy, and inspiration to dreamers across the world, and his words will echo until the end of history.

Kermit the Frog. Follow your dreams. It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

Gonzo the Great.

AGENTROUKA

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:18 PM

I find that - while they all share certain core values - my character fascinations always tend to mirror my problems, rather than my aspirations. They are less heroes and more sounding boards. Without being aware of it conciously, they tended to answer questions I was struggling with at those ages.

Early teens: Dana Scully - short, smart, determined, sceptical. Reminded me that brains are good for a girl.

Mid-teens: Miss Parker (The Pretender) - baaad show, great character. Angry and sarcastic and kind when she wanted to be. Perfect for me at that age. I needed to be angry without feeling guilty about it.

Late teens: Aeryn Sun (Farscape) - like the former, but changing and opening up. Competent, stubborn, consequent, confused. How to change and let it be your own choice.

Early twenties: Inara Serra - peace, independence, consequence, softness. I really conquered my creative side at that time, let go of anger and expectations, made better choices, got in touch with my inner grown-up woman. My favorite experience, so far.

Brief crisis interim: Sara Tandredi (Prison Break. Shuttup, I KNOW it's not exactly.. great.) - Making bad choices, reacting worse, then starting from scratch, then having the rug pulled from under one's feet. It really helped.

I'm looking forward to my next big fandom. *g*

ZZETTA13

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:43 PM

Chris, I agree NEEDY with you do come up with those thought crunching questions that I enjoy.

20 years or older right! Actually you could double that age and I’d still be able to respond.

So the first person I can identify with would be Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes. The conforming/nonconformist. Don’t believe everything that you hear kinda guy.

Second and more resent would be Captain Dick Winters from Band of Brothers. I have so much respect for that guy. Although he was a leader he put himself in harms way many times. A real soldiers/soldier. Anyone who’s seen “BoB” will understand what I’m saying. I may not be Cap. Winters but I try to understand how he would do things.

Anywhoo, there are my hero’s in a sense.

Z

THESOMNAMBULIST

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:58 PM

Well as a young kid growing up in Paraguay at the time, TV was limited. So I didn't have much choice. Of what there was though:

Steve Austin: Six Millions Dollar Man and Danny Wilde: (Tony Curtis) from The Persuaders.

When we moved to England. Well...

Dangermouse!
Asterix the Gaul.
Alain Prost - ex Formula 1 driver

Teens - Indiana Jones. Fall Guy, oh and Marty Mcfly aswell - finally us short guys had a hero to relate to!

Late teens to early twenties I went tragic hero I guess. Cyrano De Bergerac, Don Quixote, even Quasimodo - Hunchback of Notre Dame. Aureliano Buendia (character from a Marquez novel ) and lastly Edward Scissorhands.

Oh and BUFFY of course. Just because it was about friends saving the world!

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