Actors which you used to think were cool

[mr friendly guy]

Since I am feeling nostalgic, this thread is for actors who we used to think were cool. Most probably because you saw them as a kid and didn't know too much about them. I will start.

1. Chuck Norris

As a high school kid growing up, I used to love watching Chuck Norris as Walker Texas Ranger delivering his trademark roundhouse kick. Then (due to this board) I found out he was a raving Christian fundie and then he just looked like a tool.

2. Kevin Sorbo

Another actor I enjoyed watching was Sorbocles, er I mean Hercules the Legendary Journey. This must have been only one of two shows my whole family would watch together. I also enjoyed watching him play Dylan Hunt in Andromeda, and could overlook the politics he was involved in which got the head writer replaced and the show changed from being a thought out series with story arcs into "Hercules in space." Heck, I didn't even mind him in "Meet the Spartans."

From my youtube subscriptions I found out he plays a dictatorial atheist professor in a Christian propaganda movie. Seriously? How many rationalists behave like Sorbo's character? Yes I know he is the antagonist of the story, but already it seems like the "Christian persecution complex" at work, where its the nasty atheists trying to prevent Christians believing, which is quite perverse when in reality its quite a lot of Christians trying to cram their views onto others.

[Ralin]

1. Chuck Norris

As a high school kid growing up, I used to love watching Chuck Norris as Walker Texas Ranger delivering his trademark roundhouse kick. Then (due to this board) I found out he was a raving Christian fundie and then he just looked like a tool.

In retrospect, it's actually kind of surprising how tolerant and respectful Walker: Texas Ranger was of other religions, considering. Like that one episode where Walker became friends with the Dalai Lama, who was a eight year old American boy whom Walker befriended when an evil ninja guy who was an enemy of the Dalai Lama's from a past life after having killed himself in shame because he lost a duel with the previous incarnation of the Dalai Lama kidnapped the eight year old Dalai Lama to take revenge by corrupting him and thereby disrupting his path towards Enlightenment, only Walker tracked them down, and they fought, and the eight year old Dalai Lama used his psychic powers to power Walker up so he could roundhouse kick the evil ninja guy in the head. And then the evil ninja guy was going to kill himself again, but the eight year old Dalai Lama used his Buddha powers to make flowers spontaneously blossom, so the evil ninja guy reformed and Walker and the eight year old Dalai Lama became friends.

It's surprising that they would have stories like that.

[Lord Relvenous]

1. Chuck Norris

As a high school kid growing up, I used to love watching Chuck Norris as Walker Texas Ranger delivering his trademark roundhouse kick. Then (due to this board) I found out he was a raving Christian fundie and then he just looked like a tool.

In retrospect, it's actually kind of surprising how tolerant and respectful Walker: Texas Ranger was of other religions, considering. Like that one episode where Walker became friends with the Dalai Lama, who was a eight year old American boy whom Walker befriended when an evil ninja guy who was an enemy of the Dalai Lama's from a past life after having killed himself in shame because he lost a duel with the previous incarnation of the Dalai Lama kidnapped the eight year old Dalai Lama to take revenge by corrupting him and thereby disrupting his path towards Enlightenment, only Walker tracked them down, and they fought, and the eight year old Dalai Lama used his psychic powers to power Walker up so he could roundhouse kick the evil ninja guy in the head. And then the evil ninja guy was going to kill himself again, but the eight year old Dalai Lama used his Buddha powers to make flowers spontaneously blossom, so the evil ninja guy reformed and Walker and the eight year old Dalai Lama became friends.

It's surprising that they would have stories like that.

Could I get some punctuation with that post?

[Gandalf]

Sean Connery.

He used to be James Bond/Captain Ramius, but then I heard his views the "appropriate" way to strike one's wife.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

A great number of famous male actors are abusers of women (and/or massive bigots), to the point where it's actually significantly more rare to find one who's actually a decent person anymore

[Alyrium Denryle]

A great number of famous male actors are abusers of women (and/or massive bigots), to the point where it's actually significantly more rare to find one who's actually a decent person anymore

I will point you in the general direction of Patrick Stewart.

[Borgholio]

Tom Cruise...before he came out as a fucking nut job working as the spokesman for a cult.

[Ralin]

Tom Cruise...before he came out as a fucking nut job working as the spokesman for a cult.

I would say Isaac Hayes, but really I just feel more sad than anything else when I think about him.

Could I get some punctuation with that post?

I still can't believe that people in Hawai'i accused me of making that up. Even when I told them about the follow-up episode where Walker rescued the eight year old Dalai Lama and his American mother from Nazi-Communist terrorists trying to take over the world who wanted to transfer his magical Buddha healing powers to their genetically engineered super-soldiers, whom Walker roundhouse kicked in the head.

[Ahriman238]

From my youtube subscriptions I found out he plays a dictatorial atheist professor in a Christian propaganda movie. Seriously? How many rationalists behave like Sorbo's character? Yes I know he is the antagonist of the story, but already it seems like the "Christian persecution complex" at work, where its the nasty atheists trying to prevent Christians believing, which is quite perverse when in reality its quite a lot of Christians trying to cram their views onto others.

I had a philosophy professor sort of like that once. He made it clear roughly once a week and in every passionate debate that his words did not represent his views nor would we ever learn what his politics were, his job he would say, was not to tell us what to think but to challenge our assumptions and force us to defend our views effectively. In that vein he'd cheerfully tear into religion, race, social justice, our concept of justice, or love, women's lib in particular, etc.

Now, stacking the deck on a debate, accusing the other party of recruiting for their superstitious cult or making everyone write something contrary to their beliefs, these things he would never do.

A great number of famous male actors are abusers of women (and/or massive bigots), to the point where it's actually significantly more rare to find one who's actually a decent person anymore

Martin Sheen? Running out of ones that are still alive.

[Gaidin]

I'm at a loss as to why you guys are naming names like it counters what he said. He said 'a great number' not 'all'.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

I too had a childhood fascination with Walker Texas Ranger and by extension Chuck Norris. So seeing Chuck Norris now has been a bit disappointing.

Alec Guinness. A fantastic actor who brought us Obi-Wan Kenobi... and treated fans like shit.

[GuppyShark]

I really can't fault Alec for that or agree with your categorisation. If somebody has literally watched one movie over a hundred times....

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

I think that's debatable, but not really the point. Throwing away fan mail? Trash-talking the thing which has made you a hero in the eyes of gazillions of children? What a contemptible and loathsome individual, whom I'm glad I'll never share a drink with.

[Zaune]

Sean Connery.

He used to be James Bond/Captain Ramius, but then I heard his views the "appropriate" way to strike one's wife.

I suppose it's too much to hope for that those views included the importance of picking a safeword first?

[Gandalf]

I suppose it's too much to hope for that those views included the importance of picking a safeword first?

"I don't think there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman-- although I don't recommend doing it in the same way that you'd hit a man. An open-handed slap is justified-- if all other alternatives fail and there has been plenty of warning. If a woman is a bitch, or hysterical, or bloody-minded continually, then I'd do it. I think a man has to be slightly advanced, ahead of the woman."

When called on that quote since the interview, he's refused to recant it.

[Broomstick]

This is why I long ago stopped paying much attention to my favorite actors/authors/writers/musicians/etc. outside of their body of work. The character portrayed and the actor are two entirely different people and should not be confused. This enables me to enjoy the work of Sean Connery, Tom Cruise, Chuck Norris, etc. without getting my panties in a twist over the actors' personal views or lives.

I mean, sure, the artists/actors can be interesting as people but I feel no compulsion to hero worship them. Nor do I have a problem with artists/actors who don't want to associate with the fans. It's great when they do, but not everyone is inclined to be that sort of social and I don't agree with the notion that all too many fans seem to have that someone being an actor means they should have no privacy or only "correct" views on a topic.

I find some of Connery's views loathsome, but I still enjoy watching him act. I'd also rather he be honest about his views than otherwise, even if I do find those views loathsome.

[Jub]

I suppose it's too much to hope for that those views included the importance of picking a safeword first?

"I don't think there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman-- although I don't recommend doing it in the same way that you'd hit a man. An open-handed slap is justified-- if all other alternatives fail and there has been plenty of warning. If a woman is a bitch, or hysterical, or bloody-minded continually, then I'd do it. I think a man has to be slightly advanced, ahead of the woman."

When called on that quote since the interview, he's refused to recant it.

Why is hitting a woman any worse than hitting a man? Both should be last resorts and neither should be condoned.

[Broomstick]

A man hitting a woman is seen as worse by many people because the man almost always has a definite physical advantage over a woman. In many, if not most cases, the woman is simply not going to be able to defend herself effectively. It's similar to thinking an adult woman hitting a small child is worse than one small child hitting another.

[Ralin]

Why is hitting a woman any worse than hitting a man? Both should be last resorts and neither should be condoned.

Context. Men get physically abused by female partners too, but it happens a whole lot less than it does the other way around. So encouraging the one can cause more harm than the other.

There's some of the whole "Women are delicate flowers that can't defend themselves" crap mixed in too, but that's the good reason.

[Jub]

A man hitting a woman is seen as worse by many people because the man almost always has a definite physical advantage over a woman. In many, if not most cases, the woman is simply not going to be able to defend herself effectively. It's similar to thinking an adult woman hitting a small child is worse than one small child hitting another.

The way I see things, you only hit a man if he's a physical threat so you'd only hit a woman for the same reason. If a five foot nothing woman took a swing at me I wouldn't feel the need to swing back, because unless she has crazy martial arts training she isn't a threat. If she proves to be a threat I'll hit her as hard as I'd nail a man and not feel in the least bit bad. Thus when I hear a man say it's okay to hit a woman I don't instantly freak out over it.

There's some of the whole "Women are delicate flowers that can't defend themselves" crap mixed in too, but that's the good reason.

I hate that shit. Women can take as much as men, even if they lack the same physical strength. The sooner we get rid of these ideas about women the better.

[mr friendly guy]

I suppose it's too much to hope for that those views included the importance of picking a safeword first?

"I don't think there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman-- although I don't recommend doing it in the same way that you'd hit a man. An open-handed slap is justified-- if all other alternatives fail and there has been plenty of warning. If a woman is a bitch, or hysterical, or bloody-minded continually, then I'd do it. I think a man has to be slightly advanced, ahead of the woman."

When called on that quote since the interview, he's refused to recant it.

Why is hitting a woman any worse than hitting a man? Both should be last resorts and neither should be condoned.

His own quote tells you the situation he is thinking of when he says when should you hit a woman. It has nothing to do with if she is a physical threat. Among some of his reasons simply include the woman is hysterical.

[Jub]

His own quote tells you the situation he is thinking of when he says when should you hit a woman. It has nothing to do with if she is a physical threat. Among some of his reasons simply include the woman is hysterical.

Still if he said the same thing about getting into fights with men people would shrug and think little of it.

[Lord Revan]

This is why I long ago stopped paying much attention to my favorite actors/authors/writers/musicians/etc. outside of their body of work. The character portrayed and the actor are two entirely different people and should not be confused. This enables me to enjoy the work of Sean Connery, Tom Cruise, Chuck Norris, etc. without getting my panties in a twist over the actors' personal views or lives.

I mean, sure, the artists/actors can be interesting as people but I feel no compulsion to hero worship them. Nor do I have a problem with artists/actors who don't want to associate with the fans. It's great when they do, but not everyone is inclined to be that sort of social and I don't agree with the notion that all too many fans seem to have that someone being an actor means they should have no privacy or only "correct" views on a topic.

I find some of Connery's views loathsome, but I still enjoy watching him act. I'd also rather he be honest about his views than otherwise, even if I do find those views loathsome.

that's pretty much my view as well, just because an actor is a bad person outside of the role, it shouldn't prevent me from enjoying his performance while playing a role.

[ArmorPierce]

Yeah it does seem to say that Sean Connery is pro use of physical force for men if the man is acting disrespectful and is stating that he would do to the same to a woman but be more tame with it.

Seems like a more or less equal outlook to me despite whether or not you agree with hitting/slapping someone for any other reason outside of self defense.

[Channel72]

I don't see why Alec Guinness is such an asshole. He wanted to be a sophisticated, Shakespearean actor, and now everyone only knows him for his role in some campy Flash Gordan fairytale, instead of Lawrence of Arabia. He's not really being a dick about it - he acknowledges the financial security it brought him - he just doesn't think the material is very edifying, I guess.