Who are your heroes?

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

Dr. Michael Heiser

It really is a shame he could never prove to people Sitchin Was Wrong. Came across him through a 3 hour documentary which absolutely destroyed Ancient Aliens 1st season.

And yet they somehow made 20+ more...

Reminds me of Carl Sagan if he was a theologian.

Firefly- perserveering despite all odds. Little weird it seems prescient with reevers being a lab accident? Still, optimistic.

They got to contribute to a "world without sin..."

Except Jayne because he's an asshole traitor that should've been blown out the airlock after Ariel.

[Maxmars]

Firefly- perserveering despite all odds. Little weird it seems prescient with reevers being a lab accident? Still, optimistic.

My heart leapt. 
I, for one, found the tale of Firefly to be full of apt metaphors, and human grace. 
Shame about the 'business side' of it though... sort of like ATS.

I'm sorry for drifting off-topic there...

Hero status is very often reserved for an 'event' in reporting... for biography in documentation, but in the end it seems to always be abused for virtue signaling.

Every hero I can think of was a flawed human being.  Some deeply so. 
Those few who surface as saint-like are often shrouded, as if those elevating them had something to hide. 

It's kind of sad, that we often fail to recognize that a hero is not a person by themselves... in some vacuum from the surrounding world. 
Sad that to be a proper hero one must be 'special' or 'recognized.' 

I have found that heroes are mostly anonymous.  It's part and parcel of true heroics.

[UltraBudgie]

Except Jayne because he's an asshole traitor that should've been blown out the airlock after Ariel.

The Hero of Canton! Yes, certainly a flawed man, at best. Part of what made him so hilarious.

Mal: It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sommbitch or another. Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.

Jayne: Don't make no sense.

[Maxmars]

The Hero of Canton! Yes, certainly a flawed man, at best. Part of what made him so hilarious.

Of note.. Jayne was not beyond reevaluating his character and changing his nature... those who are "bad" are not "stuck" if they remain open to better angels.
And upon occasion, even Jayne was a hero.  Usually pissing and moaning about "missed opportunities," but still, a hero.

[Gorammit! Off-topic again  ]

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

Mal was too forgiving. Plus the mudders happened before Ariel.

I realize he's a "comic relief" character, but Joss should've saved his betrayal for the movie (instead of making up a new Judas - Mr. Universe)

I know they didn't know Mr. Universe Judased them, but he didnt deserve an altar next to Wash and The Preacher.

Omerta says you whack Jayne.

[Byrd]

In popular American culture? If you are American, that is.

I was wondering this because I was reading this Business Insider article from back in 2020:


And thought, "dang, he's got a point", because I couldn't think of any. Maybe Sad Keanu Reeves? He seems like a good soul. But that is just a Hollywood person!

How about you?

What an interesting question!

I think you've hit on an interesting problem with American culture -- the lack of heroes.  At one time we'd point to war heroes or even scientists or people associated with science (test pilot Chuck Yeager) and perhaps a movie star like Roy Rogers.  While they might have had some problematic beliefs or actions, those were kept private and the public persona they crafted was designed to be "what does the Ideal American look like?"

There are, of course, huge problems with this.  The "heroes" were young, Caucasian, and male.  Everyone else was relegated to the role of "sidekick" (Tonto), "love interest", "amusing elder", "buffoon", "plucky kid", "Magical Negro" (a real term), or "bit part."  So my brother had many heroic role models to look up to and emulate.

I got bupkiss.

So, then we should ask "what makes a hero?"  In the past, it was easy -- popular figure who fought something.  In today's polarized culture, picking someone like Neal Degrasse Tyson is questionable -- he's a popularizer and has done science, but does that make him heroic?  Picking (for example) Ruth Bader Ginsberg (who is a hero to many women) doesn't work for those who dislike liberal Supreme Court Justices (though she did fight against many things.)

Your example of Sully was quite good, but we don't know much about his beliefs or personality, only that he's good in a crash-landing situation.

Hmm...

Dolly Parton, perhaps?  She's known to be kind, to be charitable to others no matter how different politically or socially, popular, an advocate for children and reading... but I don't think many men would relate to her.

We all need heroes who look like ourselves (if your gender/race was always portrayed as the stooge and never as a hero, then it impacts you)

I'm going to think on this some more, but it's quite a good question that you've asked.

[UltraBudgie]

Dolly Parton, perhaps?  She's known to be kind, to be charitable to others no matter how different politically or socially, popular, an advocate for children and reading... but I don't think many men would relate to her.

We all need heroes who look like ourselves (if your gender/race was always portrayed as the stooge and never as a hero, then it impacts you)

Dolly Parton is great! She's not my demographic, if that matters, but she is definitely a hero! Check out how she handled Barbara Walters in this interview:



Wow!

[user123]

I humbly submit that it's not Canada that has gone dark.  It the medical "culture."

Once the paradigm of "clinical detachment" became a tenet of medical training, the human connection was practically eliminated... and "outcomes" was shifted from the health and well-being of the patient to the "notional virtue and metrics" of the doctor.  We see it afflicting most western medical communities.

I too have great horror stories to share regarding what 'doctors' have become (and done)… but they don't listen because... "I'm not a doctor, I can't understand." 

Good point, Maxmars.

[user123]

I have no words.
It's absolutely true if a patient doesn't have a pittbull of a family advocate with them they're going to "get dead quick". Then there's dodging the bullet of "dying from Doc's stupidity". 
I'm always going to understand people are fallible. I'm NEVER going to be onboard with willful arrogance & incoppetence (sp) sporting a stethescope & white coat.

I agree.   I can't handle arrogance, incompetence, apathy, etc.   It's a real treasure when you find a good doctor.

[putnam6]

Oh ffs Max! You got to it before me again and hit it so eloquently…

My heroes are people that I know or knew. My Grandfather…

People who go way out of their way to save someone! Save a Dog, a dog that saves a family from a house fire! Someone who helps a drowning person.

Those are heroes.

I have been called a hero by patients, but I think if I’m being paid for this, then I’m definitely not a hero.

A politician? A media personality? Fuck no, that’s just them pandering.

Someone who goes above and beyond, putting their own interests aside to save someone’s life. Yes.

My 2 pesos…

Tecate

110% I stopped having famous heroes in my teens

but my Dad...(RIP)

I never knew 1/10th of the shit he went through till he passed, he never let life get to him and we never saw the man sweat or fret over anything. It wasn't false bravado or braggadocious either it was quiet confident assurance. He was equally at home in the woods of rural Georgia, as the loading dock in a metropolitan city, or the boardroom or meeting of his industries elites.

He was stoic AF.