Yesterday's and Today's Movie Heroes Put in Perspective

[CT-Mike]

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[msgt/ret]

Here are some more heroes, sadly most have passed on.

WWII Real Hollywood Heroes

[buckeye .45]

You know, one day while shooting the bull in Afghanistan, my squad and I had a discussion. And my point was pretty much the same. Part of what is wrong with society is reflect in the types of "leading men" who get roles in Hollywood.

There is no more Audie Murphy, or John Wayne. Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Kevin Costner and Bruce Willis are getting old. Clint Eastwood is still kicking it, and is tougher than pretty much any of the younger generation, Robert Duvall too. Instead now we get all these touchy feely kinds of leading actors.

There is even a disconnect from what I watched as a child born in the mid-80's, and what guys in my squad born 5 years later remembered watching as far as "substance"(if substance can be used to describe tv shows and movies). But I grew up watching Optimus Prime fight the evil Megatron, and the G.I. Joes battle Cobra, and the Voltron 5 fight the space monsters. Yeah, they were kid's cartoons, but they reinforced that good should stand up to, and when needed fight evil. That evil can always be defeated, and should be. They show that you need to take a stand for what you believe in, and that sometimes sacrifice for the greater good is necessary. And that working as a team is how to accomplish things.

The pudding that got fed into the younger guy's brain seemed to lack that sort of stuff. It was more kumbaya and fighting is evil type of stuff. I think it all started with Captain Planet actually. But, I do believe that there is a reason all societies (or any of them that ever amounted to anything), fill young men's brains with tales of hero's and war and courage. Yes, part of it is so that the young men will fight in the nation's wars, but the other part is it takes something tangible, and uses it to instill a moral compass and character into the young men, and gives them an ideal to strive for.

And yes, I do see us slipping away from that in current society, where the true heroes have generally been replaced with paper tigers in the social spectrum. There are still exceptions, but it is no longer the rule. And I shall now get off my soap-box, with the closing comment that I am glad I grew up watching old Westerns and military movies, as opposed to the fluff of today.

[CowboyColby]

Agreed

[msgt/ret]

Many more heroes here.

Movie Stars that fought in World War II - A

[Hopyard]

Here are some more heroes, sadly most have passed on.

WWII Real Hollywood Heroes

Fabulous post and link. Thank you.

[Hoganbeg]

Thanks for the post CT-it's instructive to look backwards every now and then-and a bit humbling too.

Buckeye, you really nailed it with your post! Right on!

[Rock and Glock]

We must not forget that Hollywood and the media are now controlled by a bunch of mamby-pamby panty-waisted mouth-breathing panty-chasing kumbaya touchy-feely idiots that have zero common sense, zero patriotism, zero sense of history, and are connected at the hips with the DNC and the O Great One and are the largest contributors to the disgusting political party that I can't bear to mention? That the schools and the unions support the trash and golly.............want to know what I really think?

And, now that I am wound up, show me a "modern" movie or music star with real talent that will last longer than 5 years or so. There are very very few. None have any substance or any lasting power. And don't try to convince Lindsay Lohan will save the world, please.

[Hiram25]

Like the old saying goes, "They just don't make them like they used to!"

[Cold Shot]

Who considers that guy a movie hero? What heroic (fictional) acts has he accomplished.

Twilight is just a popular chick flick. There have been movies like that since the beginning of film.

Clint Eastwood is one of my favorite actors, but he has children with four different women. I personally think it's fine, but I know a large percentage of the posters on this site fall under the "religious right" demographic (I don't have a problem with that either), but is that what you guys would consider a hero? Maybe, maybe not. John Wayne had an opportunity to serve in WWII, but didn't for a variety of reasons. More examples can be made, but this argument falls under the "the older generation is better" argument, which is probably bs.

I follow movies pretty closely, and they still make action films, although westerns have kind of died out. The problem is just that hollywood is in a down period right now, and by my estimation, there hasn't been a really top notch film to come out since 2009, and I see almost everything. The list for best picture at this year's Oscar's is pretty weak.

Basically, the OP just makes a dumb argument. It's taking a classic alpha male movie icon from one generation and comparing him to a random actor in a particular role in a movie that was made for teenage girls (and a surprisingly high number of middle aged women, which is weird). Granted, there isn't anybody working today that can compare to Clint, but the argument you're trying to make is a stretch.

[21bubba]

He's not a movie star, but it amazes me how many people on gun boards get worked up over Ted Nugent. After all...

[msgt/ret]

John Wayne had an opportunity to serve in WWII, but didn't for a variety of reasons.

John Wayne attempted to serve in WWII was prevented due to medical problems.

John Wayne (1907-1979) [Stagecoach (1939); Red River (1948); The Quiet Man (1952); The Searchers (1956)] was born Marion Morrison in Winterset, Iowa but moved to California in childhood due to his father's health. When Morrison narrowly failed admission to Annapolis he went to USC on a football scholarship (1925-7). Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. On the set he became close friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, some billed as John Wayne. During World War II, Wayne worked with the USO, visited the troops and was honored by the military with an Army RAH-66 Helicopter named the "Duke." Although he never served in the armed forces offscreen, Wayne did volunteer three times for active duty in World War II, in the army, navy and as a member of John Ford's field photographic unit. Classified 4-F due to chronic back pain suffered during a youthful surfing accident (and further aggravated by 10 years of doing his own movie stunts), Wayne was rejected every time. In his first Oscar-nominated role, The Sands of Iwo Jima, Wayne leads his fellow marines through battle to watch the flag raised on Mt. Suribachi.

Clint Eastwood is one of my favorites also and as far as most current movies I will not waste the money to watch them.

[Cold Shot]

John Wayne attempted to serve in WWII was prevented due to medical problems.

I'm not going to conduct legitimate research to confirm it, but some people claim that this is a hoax. You could very well be right.

[sigs]

To put this in proper perspective: If this were the Hollywood of old Marcus Luttrell and Dakota Meyer would be starring in movies right now that put a very positive light on our military and lifted up the USA.

[suntzu]

I don't watch current movies or TV shows just becasue the actors and actress's are not believable in the roles. I am only 47 but watch mostly older movies. Seems like every show has people too young playing roles that would suit an older person. Every cop or military or FBI/CIA show has every female in that can single handedly go hand to hand with 5 BG's and win. Ever watch Covert Affairs? Yeah, a brand new agent is like Ms James Bond. They charcters are self centered, i.e they only care about their jobs, not their families. All the LE shows have the cops stretching or breaking the rules by coercing, with holding lawyers, beating up or punching suspects in anger and get away with it. Not one re make is worth a dam. (I will give Star trek 2009 a pass because it starts a new timeline so it was OK to throw away Star Trek canon). I watch Big Bang Theory.
Give me Speed Racer and original Justice Leage of America, Thunderbirds, and batman and the original spiderman cartoons anyday.