Role Models by Fremdfirma

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Role Models

POSTED BY: FREMDFIRMA
UPDATED: Friday, December 11, 2009 12:49
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Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:09 AM

Yanno, the recent media circus got me to thinkin about idols, role models and the like, and I figured it worth discussing more than some pointless interpersonal spat which ain't none of our rightful business anyways.

So, who are your exemplars, for what and why ?

I figure I'll toss mine in first, since imma posting the topic, try not to laugh too much.

Nausicaa
Yuna
Pacifica Casull

All three of those display an enviable humanity and strike for least-harm solutions, avoiding violence or it's initiation when possible, and all three deal with some pretty harsh problems without chucking those principles down the well.

Reynard the Fox
Lyra Belacqua
James Bolivar DiGriz
Edgar Friendly

While not exactly icons of moral behavior, there's times cleverness and quick wits can accomplish what would otherwise take violence and carnage, as well as, often enough, times when "the rules" are *wrong*, and one has to break them or the makers of them, and the flexibility of mind to accomplish this or lesser feats without proper tools or resources is always a plus.
(See Also: Stone Soup )

Colonel Alois Hammer
Milliardo Peacecraft

Sometimes violence is unavoidable, if so, when so - if you use enough, quickly enough, there will be less of it, and knowing why and especially WHEN you need to do that, and do not, is a very important thing.
The former embodies the when, the latter embodies the why.

-F

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:21 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Ok, I'll play.

Peter Parker

Clark Kent

Admiral Adama

King Leonidas

Malcolm Reynolds

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Many more...

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:24 AM

BYTEMITE

Quote:
Yuna

Is this the Final Fantasy 10 Yuna, or someone else?

Nausicaa is depressing. Good story though.

Quote:
Lyra Belacqua

A.k.a. Lyra Silvertongue. :) Also a good story. Probably one of the best children's literature books ever, even, though unfortunately probably a lot of kids wouldn't get the important themes or messages.

I've never really had a role model, fictional or otherwise. I never really met anyone I wanted to be like when I was younger, including my parents.

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:46 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Ive always believed in learning from our forbears.

So yeah, there are those whom I would like to model myself after.

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:50 AM

CHRISISALL

Kwai-Chang Caine.
J. T. Kirk

Certainly no real peeps, although there were those I admire.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:52 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
Edgar Friendly

The Taco Bell Terrorist!
Love the guy.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 12:11 PM

TRAVELER

Dr. Bob and Bill Wilson, founders of Alcoholics Anonymous and the people who followed.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 12:32 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Quote:

Ok, I'll play.

Peter Parker

Clark Kent

Admiral Adama

King Leonidas

Malcolm Reynolds

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Many more...

Speaking of Schwarzeneggar, you're saying you want to model yourself after the guy who signed legislation to track and limit sales of ammo?

How very "libertarian" of you, Wulfie.

I thought you were the all-or-nothing, everything's-either-black-or-white kind of guy. Funny how you'd side with a "gun-grabber" like Arnold. ;)

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 1:21 PM

KWICKO

I've always admired Sir Thomas More, at least the way he's portrayed by Paul Scofield in "A Man For All Seasons". I don't agree with his beliefs, but deeply admire his steadfastness in belief, and his willingness to readily die for those beliefs.

Pat Tillman, for putting country ahead of everything else. And his mom, for putting truth ahead of everything else, in the face of fierce opposition.

That poor sap standing in front of the Chinese tanks in Tiannenmen Square. One single man brought the world's largest standing army to a grinding halt, and spared the lives of hundreds, if not thousands.

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 2:34 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

I've met some real people who are flawed and still manage to be pure gold. I would give my right arm to be like them.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 3:25 PM

GINOBIFFARONI

Admiral Thomas Cochrane

James Bolivar DiGriz

Simon Bolivar

Either your with the terrorists, or ... your with the terrorists

Lets party like its 1939

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 4:30 PM

CHRISISALL

Remember remember the fifth of, err... nickle...necktie...nectarine...
It was DEFINITELY an "N" word!

The laughing Chrisisall

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Thursday, December 10, 2009 5:32 PM

DREAMTROVE

Huh. This is revealing. Not to make a snarkfest of it, but I'm surprised, first by how mellow Frem's are, and second, by how much I totally disagree with Wulf. No wonder we don't see eye to eye.

Okay,

People who believe in something bigger than themselves, and are willing to be the unsung hero:

Sarah Connor
River and Simon Tam
Johanna d'Arc

People with an overwhelming sense of curiosity and a will for spontaneous adventure

Dr. Who
Alice of Wonderland
Peter Rabbit
*Captain* Jack Sparrow

More Joss characters: from buffy, first 3 seasons:
Cordelia Chase
Willow Rosenberg
Rupert Giles

Jayne Cobb, just becaue

Okay, that's sort of like saying this:

Lowly worm

Anime characters... hmmm...
I can't beat Nausicaa

Real world BDHs

Albert Schweitzer
Seymour Hersh
Lara Logan
Christopher Hill

American Presidents?
TR and JQA.

Marie Antoinette

The Lorax doesn't really have a role model. Our viewpoint character just does what he is told, and the Lorax is pathertic, he does nothing. The Onceler as arch villain is a more effective environmentalist than the Lorax.

There are some additonal people I admire, that don't quite fit "role model" status. I think there would be little agreement on this list...

Oh, and of course...
老子

I'm torn on Jesus, What he wanted, yes, but what he accomplished, I'm not sure. Perhaps he failed in what he sought to destroy, which simply spread in his name, ie, destructive religious fanaticism. If a role model is to be followed, their methods must also be admirable and effective.

Jonas Sauk
Thomas Edison

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Friday, December 11, 2009 8:15 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Yes, Yuna from FF-X/FF-X2

Girl has a damned lotta heart, and surprising courage, the story behind that in FF-X is actually worth knowing, because she goes against the powers that be and their charade even when it sets the whole world against her, because she didn't get into that mess just to buy a temporary sham of peace, she meant to swing for the fence, and manages to do it despite being labelled a heretic, an outlaw, and so on and so forth.

Oh, and Mikey ?

Again, imma point out that while courage was with the guy standing in front of the tanks, you hafta give props to the moral courage of the tank DRIVER, who went against something he believed in enough to wear it's colors and do it's bidding, and refused to run the guy over - cause without HIS action, or the lack thereof, there would have been no heros at all that day, just one more martyr, one more body, in a land with enough of them already that no one would have cared, so by his *inaction* a legend and a symbol were made.

Sometimes the right thing to do really is... nothing.

-F

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:06 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

I, too, prefer real or semi-real people to fantasy (for the most part). All of the following, for different aspects of their personalities:

Real:

Buddha
Ghandi
Jesus
Joss Whedon (why nobody else?)
Barbara Boxer (qualified role model)
James Garner
Sir Thomas Moore (thanx, I wouldn’t have thought of him, and for the same reasons)
Sally Field (strong, smart woman)
Whoopie Goldberg (ditto)
Goldie Hawn (ditto)
Shirley Mac (yes, nuts, but I admire her, and I’m nuts too!)
Erin Brokovich (as portrayed)
Kay Jamison
Hagop Akiskal

Semi-real/role:

Josiah Bartlett
V (the “V for Victory” one)
Bruce Willis (in every role he’s played, and somewhat as a person (don't know enough))
Zoe Washburn
Willow Rosenberg

Why few strong real women? Or even real PEOPLE for that matter?

Arnold Schwarzeneger? REALLY?? I mean REALLY???

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:14 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Arnold Schwarzenegger:

Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, a small village bordering the Styrian capital Graz, and was christened Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger.[5] His parents were the local police chief Gustav Schwarzenegger (1907 – 1972), and his wife, Aurelia Jadrny (1922 – 1998). They were married on October 20, 1945 – Gustav was 38, and Aurelia was a 23-year-old widow with a son named Meinhard. According to Schwarzenegger, both of his parents were very strict: "Back then in Austria it was a very different world, if we did something bad or we disobeyed our parents, the rod was not spared."[6] He grew up in a Roman Catholic family who attended church service every Sunday.[7]

Gustav had a preference for Meinhard, the elder of the two sons.[8] His favoritism was "strong and blatant," which stemmed from unfounded suspicion that Arnold was not his child.[9] Schwarzenegger has said his father had "no patience for listening or understanding your problems… there was a wall; a real wall."[7] Schwarzenegger had a good relationship with his mother, and kept in touch with her until her death.[10] In later life, Schwarzenegger commissioned the Simon Wiesenthal Center to research his father's wartime record, which came up with no evidence of atrocities despite Gustav's membership in the Nazi Party and SA.[8] At school, Schwarzenegger was apparently in the middle, but stood out for his "cheerful, good-humored and exuberant" character.[7] Money was a problem in the household; Schwarzenegger has recalled that one of the highlights of his youth was when the family bought a refrigerator.[9]

As a boy, Schwarzenegger played many sports—heavily influenced by his father.[7] He picked up his first barbell in 1960, when his football coach took his team to a local gym.[5] At the age of fourteen, Schwarzenegger chose bodybuilding over football (soccer) as a career.[11][12] Schwarzenegger has responded to a question asking if he was age thirteen when he started weightlifting: "I actually started weight training when I was fifteen, but I'd been participating in sports, like soccer, for years, so I felt that although I was slim, I was well-developed, at least enough so that I could start going to the gym and start Olympic lifting."[6] However, his official website biography claims: "At 14, he started an intensive training program with Dan Farmer, studied psychology at 15 (to learn more about the power of mind over body) and at 17, officially started his competitive career."[13] During a speech in 2001, he said, "My own plan formed when I was 14 years old. My father had wanted me to be a police officer like he was. My mother wanted me to go to trade school."[14] Schwarzenegger took to visiting a gym in Graz, where he also frequented the local movie theaters to see bodybuilding idols such as Reg Park, Steve Reeves and Johnny Weissmuller on the big screen. "I was inspired by individuals like Reg Park and Steve Reeves."[6] When Reeves died in 2000, Schwarzenegger fondly remembered him: "As a teenager, I grew up with Steve Reeves. His remarkable accomplishments allowed me a sense of what was possible, when others around me didn't always understand my dreams ... Steve Reeves has been part of everything I've ever been fortunate enough to achieve."[15] In 1961, Schwarzenegger met former Mr. Austria Kurt Marnul, who invited him to train at the gym in Graz.[5] He was so dedicated as a youngster that he was known to break into the local gym on weekends, when it was usually closed, so that he could train. "It would make me sick to miss a workout … I knew I couldn't look at myself in the mirror the next morning if I didn't do it."[6] When Schwarzenegger was asked about his first movie experience as a boy, he replied, "I was very young, but I remember my father taking me to the Austrian theaters and seeing some newsreels. The first real movie I saw, that I distinctly remember, was a John Wayne movie."[6]

In 1971, his brother Meinhard died in a car accident.[5] Meinhard had been drinking and was killed instantly, and Schwarzenegger did not attend his funeral.[9] Meinhard was due to marry Erika Knapp, and the couple shared a three-year-old son Patrick. Schwarzenegger would pay for Patrick's education and help him to immigrate to the United States.[9] Gustav died the following year from a stroke.[5] In Pumping Iron, Schwarzenegger claimed that he did not attend his father's funeral because he was training for a bodybuilding contest. Later, he and the film's producer both said this story was taken from another bodybuilder for the purpose of showing the extremes that some would go to for their sport, and to make Schwarzenegger's image more cold and machine-like in order to fan controversy for the film.[16] Barbara Baker, his first serious girlfriend, has said he informed her of his father's death without emotion and that he never spoke of his brother.[17] Over time, he has given at least three versions of why he did not attend his father's funeral.[9]

In an interview with Fortune magazine in 2004, Schwarzenegger told how he suffered what "would now be called child abuse" at the hands of his father:[18][19]

My hair was pulled. I was hit with belts. So was the kid next door. It was just the way it was. Many of the children I've seen were broken by their parents, which was the German-Austrian mentality. They didn't want to create an individual. It was all about conforming. I was one who did not conform, and whose will could not be broken. Therefore, I became a rebel. Every time I got hit, and every time someone said, 'you can't do this,' I said, 'this is not going to be for much longer, because I'm going to move out of here. I want to be rich. I want to be somebody.'

Early adulthood

Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian army in 1965 to fulfill the one year of service required at the time of all 18-year-old Austrian males.[5][13] He won the Junior Mr. Europe contest in 1965.[12] Schwarzenegger went AWOL during basic training so he could take part in the competition and spent a week in an army jail: "Participating in the competition meant so much to me that I didn't carefully think through the consequences." He won another bodybuilding contest in Graz, at Steirer Hof Hotel (where he had placed second). He was voted best built man of Europe, which made him famous.

"The Mr. Universe title was my ticket to America – the land of opportunity, where I could become a star and get rich."[14] Schwarzenegger made his first plane trip in 1966, attending the NABBA Mr. Universe competition in London.[13] He would come in second in the Mr. Universe competition, not having the muscle definition of American winner Chester Yorton.[13]

Charles "Wag" Bennett, one of the judges at the 1966 competition, was impressed with Schwarzenegger and offered to coach him. As Schwarzenegger had little money, Bennett invited him to stay in his crowded family home above one of his two gyms in Forest Gate, London, England. Yorton's leg definition had been judged superior, and Schwarzenegger, under a training program devised by Bennett, concentrated on improving the muscle definition and power in his legs. Staying in the East End of London helped Schwarzenegger improve his rudimentary grasp of the English language.[20][21] The training paid off and, in 1967, Schwarzenegger won the title for the first time, becoming the youngest ever Mr. Universe at the age of 20.[13] He would go on to win the title a further three times.[12] Schwarzenegger then flew back to Munich, training for four to six hours daily, attending business school and working in a health club (Rolf Putzinger's gym where he worked and trained from 1966-1968), returning in 1968 to London to win his next Mr. Universe title.[13] He frequently told Roger C. Field, a friend in Munich at that time, "I'm going to become the greatest actor!"
Move to the U.S.
Schwarzenegger with President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Schwarzenegger moved to the United States in September 1968 at the age of 21, speaking little English.[5][12] "Naturally, when I came to this country, my accent was very bad, and my accent was also very strong, which was an obstacle as I began to pursue acting."[6] There he trained at Gold's Gym in Santa Monica, California, under Joe Weider. From 1970 to 1974, one of Schwarzenegger's weight training partners was Ric Drasin, a professional wrestler who designed the original Gold's Gym logo in 1973.[22] Schwarzenegger also became good friends with professional wrestler "Superstar" Billy Graham. In 1970, at age 23, he captured his first Mr. Olympia title in New York, and would go on to win the title a total of seven times.[13]

Schwarzenegger may have been an illegal immigrant at some point in the late 1960s or early 1970s because of violations in the terms of his visa.[23]

In 1969, Schwarzenegger met Barbara Outland Baker, an English teacher he lived with until 1974.[24] Schwarzenegger talked about Barbara in his memoir in 1977: "Basically it came down to this: she was a well-balanced woman who wanted an ordinary, solid life, and I was not a well-balanced man, and hated the very idea of ordinary life."[24] Baker has described Schwarzenegger as "[a] joyful personality, totally charismatic, adventurous, and athletic" but claims towards the end of the relationship he became "insufferable – classically conceited – the world revolved around him".[25] Baker published her memoir in 2006, entitled Arnold and Me: In the Shadow of the Austrian Oak.[26] Although Baker, at times, painted an unflattering portrait of her former lover, Schwarzenegger actually contributed to the tell-all book with a foreword, and also met with Baker for three hours.[26] Baker claims, for example, that she only learned of his being unfaithful after they split, and talks of a turbulent and passionate love life.[26] Schwarzenegger has made it clear that their respective recollection of events can differ.[26] The couple first met six to eight months after his arrival in the U.S. – their first date was watching the first Apollo Moon landing on television.[17] They shared an apartment in Santa Monica for three and a half years, and having little money, would visit the beach all day, or have barbecues in the back yard.[17] Although Baker claims that when she first met him, he had "little understanding of polite society" and she found him a turn-off, she says, "He's as much a self-made man as it's possible to be – he never got encouragement from his parents, his family, his brother. He just had this huge determination to prove himself, and that was very attractive ... I'll go to my grave knowing Arnold loved me."[17]

Schwarzenegger met his next love, Sue Moray, a Beverly Hills hairdresser's assistant, on Venice Beach in July 1977.[9] According to Moray, the couple led an open relationship: "We were faithful when we were both in LA ... but when he was out of town, we were free to do whatever we wanted."[9] Schwarzenegger met Maria Shriver at the Robert F. Kennedy Tennis Tournament in August 1977, and went on to have a relationship with both women until August 1978, when Moray (who knew of his relationship with Shriver) issued an ultimatum.[9]

Schwarzenegger has said his big dream from the age of 10 was to move to the U.S.[27] He questioned what he was doing "on the farm" in Austria, and believed bodybuilding was his "ticket to America": "I’m sure I can go to America if I win Mr. Universe."[27] LA Weekly said in 2002 that Schwarzenegger is the most famous immigrant in America, who "overcame a thick Austrian accent and transcended the unlikely background of bodybuilding to become the biggest movie star in the world in the 1990s".[27]
Bodybuilding career
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Personal Info
Nickname The Austrian Oak
Birth July 30, 1947 (1947-07-30) (age 62), Thal, Styria, Austria
Height 6 ft 1.5 in (1.87 m)[28]
Weight 240 pounds (113 kg)
Professional Career
Pro-debut NABBA Mr. Universe, 1968
Best win IFBB Mr. Olympia, 1970-1975, 1980, Seven Times
Predecessor Sergio Oliva ('69), Frank Zane ('79)
Successor Franco Columbu ('76, '81)
Active Retired 1980
See also: Bodybuilding competitions featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger

Schwarzenegger is considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding, and his legacy is commemorated in the Arnold Classic annual bodybuilding competition. Schwarzenegger has remained a prominent face in the bodybuilding sport long after his retirement, in part because of his ownership of gyms and fitness magazines. He has presided over numerous contests and awards shows.

For many years, he wrote a monthly column for the bodybuilding magazines Muscle & Fitness and Flex. Shortly after being elected Governor, he was appointed executive editor of both magazines, in a largely symbolic capacity. The magazines agreed to donate $250,000 a year to the Governor's various physical fitness initiatives. The magazine MuscleMag International has a monthly two-page article on him, and refers to him as "The King".

One of the first competitions he won was the Junior Mr. Europe contest in 1965.[5] He won Mr. Europe the following year, at age 19.[5][13] He would go on to compete in and win many bodybuilding contests, as well as some powerlifting contests, including five Mr. Universe (4 – NABBA [England], 1 – IFBB [USA]) wins, and seven Mr. Olympia wins, a record which would stand until Lee Haney won his eighth consecutive Mr. Olympia title in 1991.

Competition Weight: 240 lbs (top 250 lbs)

Off Season Weight: 260 lbs
Strongman

In 1967, Schwarzenegger competed in and won the Munich stone-lifting contest, in which a stone weighing 508 German pounds (254 kg/560 lbs.) is lifted between the legs while standing on two foot rests. Schwarzenegger has said the following on his size: "During the peak of my career, my calves were 20 inches, thighs 28.5 inches, waist 34 inches, chest 57 inches, and 22-inch arms."

In a full squat (buttocks close to ground) Schwarzenegger had a personal record of 181 kg/400lbs, for twelve repetitions.
Mr. Olympia

Schwarzenegger's goal was to become the greatest bodybuilder in the world, which meant becoming Mr. Olympia.[5][13] His first attempt was in 1969, when he lost to three-time champion Sergio Oliva. However, Schwarzenegger came back in 1970 and won the competition, making him the youngest ever Mr. Olympia at the age of 23, a record he holds to this day.[13]

He continued his winning streak in the 1971 – 1974 competitions.[13] In 1975, Schwarzenegger was once again in top form, and won the title for the sixth consecutive time,[13] beating Franco Columbu. After the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest, Schwarzenegger announced his retirement from professional bodybuilding.[13]

Months before the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest, filmmakers George Butler and Robert Fiore persuaded Schwarzenegger to compete, in order to film his training in the bodybuilding documentary called Pumping Iron. Schwarzenegger had only three months to prepare for the competition, after losing significant weight to appear in the film Stay Hungry with Jeff Bridges. Lou Ferrigno proved not to be a threat, and a lighter-than-usual Schwarzenegger convincingly won the 1975 Mr. Olympia.

Schwarzenegger came out of retirement, however, to compete in the 1980 Mr. Olympia.[5] Schwarzenegger was training for his role in Conan, and he got into such good shape because of the running, horseback riding and sword training, that he decided he wanted to win the Mr. Olympia contest one last time. He kept this plan a secret, in the event that a training accident would prevent his entry and cause him to lose face. Schwarzenegger had been hired to provide color commentary for network television, when he announced at the eleventh hour that while he was there: "Why not compete?" Schwarzenegger ended up winning the event with only seven weeks of preparation. After being declared Mr. Olympia for a seventh time, Schwarzenegger officially retired from competition.

Schwarzenegger wanted to move from bodybuilding into acting, finally achieving it when he was chosen to play the role of Hercules in 1970's Hercules in New York. Credited under the name "Arnold Strong," his accent in the film was so thick that his lines were dubbed after production.[12] His second film appearance was as a deaf and mute hit-man for the mob in director Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973), which was followed by a much more significant part in the film Stay Hungry (1976), for which he was awarded a Golden Globe for New Male Star of the Year. Schwarzenegger has discussed his early struggles in developing his acting career. "It was very difficult for me in the beginning – I was told by agents and casting people that my body was 'too weird', that I had a funny accent, and that my name was too long. You name it, and they told me I had to change it. Basically, everywhere I turned, I was told that I had no chance."[6]

Schwarzenegger drew attention and boosted his profile in the bodybuilding film Pumping Iron (1977),[11][12] elements of which were dramatized. In 1991, Schwarzenegger purchased the rights to the film, its outtakes, and associated still photography.[35] Schwarzenegger auditioned for the title role of The Incredible Hulk, but did not win the role because of his height. Later, Lou Ferrigno got the part of Dr. David Banner's alter ego. Schwarzenegger appeared with Kirk Douglas and Ann-Margret in the 1979 comedy The Villain. In 1980 he starred in a biopic of the 1950s actress Jayne Mansfield as Mansfield's husband, Mickey Hargitay.

Schwarzenegger's breakthrough film was the sword-and-sorcery epic Conan the Barbarian in 1982, which was a box-office hit.[11] This was followed by a sequel, Conan the Destroyer in 1984, although its box-office performance was disappointing.[36] In 1983, Schwarzenegger starred in the promotional video "Carnival in Rio".
Arnold Schwarzenegger's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

In 1984, he made the first of three appearances as the titular character and what some would say was the signature role in his acting career in director James Cameron's science-fiction thriller film The Terminator.[11][12][37] Following The Terminator, Schwarzenegger made Red Sonja in 1985, which "sank without a trace."[36]

During the 1980s, audiences had a large appetite for action films, with both Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone becoming international stars.[12] Schwarzenegger's roles reflected his droll, often self-deprecating sense of humor (including sometimes famously bad puns), separating his roles from more serious action hero fare. His alternative-universe comedy/thriller Last Action Hero featured a poster of the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day which, in the fictional alternate universe, had Sylvester Stallone as its star.

Following his arrival as a Hollywood superstar, he made a number of successful films: Commando (1985), Raw Deal (1986), The Running Man (1987), and Red Heat (1988). In Predator (1987), another successful film, Schwarzenegger led a cast which included future Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura (Ventura also appeared in The Running Man and Batman & Robin with Schwarzenegger) and future candidate for governor of Kentucky Sonny Landham.

Twins (1988), a comedy with Danny DeVito, was a change of pace, and also proved successful. Total Recall (1990) netted Schwarzenegger $10 million and 15% of the gross, and was a widely praised, science-fiction script directed by Paul Verhoeven, based on the Philip K. Dick short story, "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale". Kindergarten Cop (1990) reunited him with director Ivan Reitman, who directed him in Twins.

Schwarzenegger had a brief foray into directing, first with a 1990 episode of the TV series Tales from the Crypt, entitled "The Switch," and then with the 1992 telemovie Christmas in Connecticut. He has not directed since.
Footprints and handprints of Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Schwarzenegger's commercial high-water mark was his return as the title character in 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which was the highest-grossing film of 1991. In 1993, the National Association of Theatre Owners named him the "International Star of the Decade."[5] His next film project, the 1993 self-aware action comedy spoof Last Action Hero was released opposite Jurassic Park, with the box office suffering accordingly. His next film, the comedy drama True Lies (1994) was a highly popular spy film, and saw Schwarzenegger, reunited with The Terminator director James Cameron, appearing opposite Jamie Lee Curtis.

Shortly thereafter came the comedy Junior (1994), the last of his three collaborations with Ivan Reitman and again co-starring Danny DeVito. This film brought Schwarzenegger his second Golden Globe nomination, this time for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy. It was followed by the action thriller Eraser (1996) and the comic book-based Batman & Robin (1997), where he played the villain Mr. Freeze. This was his final film before taking time to recuperate from a back injury. Following the critical failure of Batman & Robin, Schwarzenegger's film career and box office prominence went into decline.

Several film projects were announced with Schwarzenegger attached to star, including the remake of Planet of the Apes, a new film version of I Am Legend, and a World War II film scripted by Quentin Tarantino that would have seen Schwarzenegger play an Austrian for the third time (after Junior and Kindergarten Cop).

Instead, he returned after a hiatus with the supernatural thriller End of Days (1999), later followed by the action films The 6th Day (2000) and Collateral Damage (2002) all of which failed to do well at the box office. In 2003, he made his third appearance as the title character in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which went on to earn over $150 million domestically.

In tribute to Schwarzenegger in 2002, Forum Stadtpark, a local cultural association, proposed plans to build a 25-meter (82-foot) tall Terminator statue in a park in central Graz. Schwarzenegger reportedly said he was flattered, but thought the money would be better spent on social projects and the Special Olympics.[38]

His latest film appearances included a 3-second cameo appearance in The Rundown (AKA, Welcome to the Jungle) with The Rock, and the 2004 remake of Around the World in 80 Days, where he appeared onscreen with action star Jackie Chan for the first time.

Schwarzenegger voiced Baron von Steuben in Episode 24 ("Valley Forge") of Liberty's Kids. In 2005 he appeared as himself in the film The Kid & I.

Schwarzenegger had been rumored to be appearing in Terminator Salvation as the original T-800 model, alongside Roland Kickinger. Schwarzenegger denied his involvement,[39] but it was later revealed that although he would appear briefly he would not be shooting new footage, and his image would be inserted into the movie from an earlier film.[40]
Political career
Main article: Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Vice President Dick Cheney meets with Schwarzenegger for the first time at the White House
Early politics

Schwarzenegger has been a registered Republican for many years. As an actor, his political views were always well-known as they contrasted with those of many other prominent Hollywood stars, who are generally considered to be a liberal and Democratic-leaning community. At the 2004 Republican National Convention, Schwarzenegger gave a speech and explained why he was a Republican:[41]

I finally arrived here in 1968. What a special day it was. I remember I arrived here with empty pockets but full of dreams, full of determination, full of desire. The presidential campaign was in full swing. I remember watching the Nixon-Humphrey presidential race on TV. A friend of mine who spoke German and English translated for me. I heard Humphrey saying things that sounded like socialism, which I had just left.

But then I heard Nixon speak. He was talking about free enterprise, getting the government off your back, lowering the taxes and strengthening the military. Listening to Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air. I said to my friend, I said, "What party is he?" My friend said, "He's a Republican." I said, "Then I am a Republican." And I have been a Republican ever since.

In 1985, Schwarzenegger appeared in Stop the Madness, an anti-drug music video sponsored by the Reagan administration. He first came to wide public notice as a Republican during the 1988 Presidential election, accompanying then-Vice President George H.W. Bush at a campaign rally.[42]

Schwarzenegger's first political appointment was as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, on which he served from 1990 to 1993.[5] He was nominated by George H. W. Bush, who dubbed him "Conan the Republican". He later served as Chairman for the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Governor Pete Wilson. Yet, political analysts have identified Schwarzenegger as a liberal, as he has become more left-leaning since his election.[43]

Between 1993 and 1994, Schwarzenegger was a Red Cross ambassador (a mostly ceremonial role fulfilled by celebrities), recording several television/radio public service announcements to give blood. A small amount of interest was garnered by his wearing of a white t-shirt with the Red Cross on it, while posing with a flexed arm; the image made it into several celebrity magazines.

In an interview with Talk magazine in late 1999, Schwarzenegger was asked if he thought of running for office. He replied, "I think about it many times. The possibility is there, because I feel it inside."[44] The Hollywood Reporter claimed shortly after that Schwarzenegger sought to end speculation that he might run for governor of California.[44] Following his initial comments, Schwarzenegger said, "I'm in show business – I am in the middle of my career. Why would I go away from that and jump into something else?"[44]
Governor of California
President George W. Bush meets with Schwarzenegger after his successful election to the California Governorship

Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy in the 2003 California recall election for Governor of California on the August 6, 2003 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[12] As a candidate in the recall election, Schwarzenegger had the most name recognition in a crowded field of candidates, but he had never held public office and his political views were unknown to most Californians. His candidacy immediately became national and international news, with media outlets dubbing him the "Governator" (referring to The Terminator movies, see above) and "The Running Man" (the name of another one of his films), and calling the recall election "Total Recall" (yet another Schwarzenegger starrer). Schwarzenegger declined to participate in several debates with other recall replacement candidates, and appeared in only one debate on September 24, 2003.[45]

On October 7, 2003, the recall election resulted in Governor Gray Davis being removed from office with 55.4% of the Yes vote in favor of a recall. Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California under the second question on the ballot with 48.6% of the vote to choose a successor to Davis. Schwarzenegger defeated Democrat Cruz Bustamante, fellow Republican Tom McClintock, and others. His nearest rival, Bustamante, received 31% of the vote. In total, Schwarzenegger won the election by about 1.3 million votes. Under the regulations of the California Constitution, no runoff election was required. Schwarzenegger was the first foreign-born governor of California since Irish-born Governor John G. Downey in 1862.

As soon as Schwarzenegger was elected governor, Willie Brown said he would start a drive to recall the governor. Schwarzenegger was equally entrenched in what he considered to be his mandate in cleaning up gridlock. Building on a catchphrase from a sketch partly parodying his bodybuilding career, Schwarzenegger called the Democratic State politicians "girlie men" (a reference from a Saturday Night Live sketch called "Hans and Franz").[46]
The Governor's office in the California State Capitol

Schwarzenegger's early victories included repealing an unpopular increase in the vehicle registration fee as well as preventing driver's licenses being given out to illegal immigrants, but later began to feel the backlash when powerful state unions began to oppose his various initiatives. Key among his reckoning with political realities was a special election he called in November 2005, in which four ballot measures he sponsored were defeated. Schwarzenegger accepted personal responsibility for the defeats and vowed to continue to seek consensus for the people of California. He would later comment that "no one could win if the opposition raised 160 million dollars to defeat you".

Schwarzenegger then went against the advice of fellow Republican strategists and appointed a Democrat, Susan Kennedy, as his Chief of Staff.[47] Schwarzenegger gradually moved towards a more politically moderate position, determined to build a winning legacy with only a short time to go until the next gubernatorial election.

He has appeared alongside his fellow actor from Around the World in 80 Days, Jackie Chan, in a government advertisement to combat copyright infringement.[48]

Schwarzenegger ran for re-election against Democrat Phil Angelides, the California State Treasurer, in the 2006 elections, held on November 7, 2006. Despite a poor year nationally for the Republican party, Schwarzenegger won re-election with 56.0% of the vote compared with 38.9% for Angelides, a margin of well over one million votes.[49] In recent years, many commentators have seen Schwarzenegger as moving away from the right and towards the center of the political spectrum. After hearing a speech by Schwarzenegger at the 2006 Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom said that, "[H]e's becoming a Democrat [... H]e's running back, not even to the center. I would say center-left".

It is rumored that Schwarzenegger may run for the United States Senate in 2010, as his governorship will be term-limited by that time.[50][51]
With Schwarzenegger and Senator Dianne Feinstein behind him, President George W. Bush comments on wildfires and firefighting efforts in California, October 2007

Wendy Leigh, who wrote an unofficial biography on Schwarzenegger, claims he plotted his political rise from an early age using the movie business and bodybuilding as building blocks to escape a depressing home.[8] Leigh portrays Schwarzenegger as obsessed with power and quotes him as saying, "I wanted to be part of the small percentage of people who were leaders, not the large mass of followers. I think it is because I saw leaders use 100% of their potential – I was always fascinated by people in control of other people."[8] Schwarzenegger has said that it was never his intention to enter politics, but he says, "I married into a political family. You get together with them and you hear about policy, about reaching out to help people. I was exposed to the idea of being a public servant and Eunice and Sargent Shriver became my heroes."[27] Eunice Kennedy Shriver was sister of John F. Kennedy, and mother-in-law to Schwarzenegger, Sargent Shriver is husband to Eunice and father-in-law to Schwarzenegger. According to the 2005 Year-in-Review issue of Time magazine, supporters of Schwarzenegger are hoping to amend the Constitution so that he can run for President of the United States;[27] he currently cannot run because he is not a natural born citizen of the United States. In The Simpsons Movie, Schwarzenegger is portrayed as the President and in the Sylvester Stallone movie Demolition Man; it is revealed there was an amendment to the constitution passed which allowed him to run for President.

Schwarzenegger is a dual Austria/United States citizen.[52] He holds Austrian citizenship by birth and has held U.S. citizenship since becoming naturalized in 1983. Being Austrian and thus European he was able to win the 2007 European Voice campaigner of the year award for taking action against climate change with the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and plans to introduce an emissions trading scheme with other US states and possibly with the EU.[53] Still, Schwarzenegger has always identified with his American citizenship, and has shown great affinity for the state of California beyond his foreign birth.

Schwarzenegger does not accept his governor's salary of $175,000 per year.[54]

Schwarzenegger's endorsement in the Republican primary of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election was highly sought; despite being good friends with candidates Rudy Giuliani and Senator John McCain, Schwarzenegger remained neutral throughout 2007 and early 2008. Giuliani dropped out of the Presidential race on January 30, 2008, largely because of a poor showing in Florida, and endorsed McCain. Later that night, Schwarzenegger was in the audience at a Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The following day, he endorsed McCain, joking, "It's Rudy's fault!" (in reference to his friendships with both candidates and that he could not make up his mind).[55] Schwarzenegger's endorsement was thought to be a boost for Senator McCain's campaign; both spoke about their concerns for the environment and economy.

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:15 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Niki,

Schwarzenegger built his life by the sweat of his own will. So much so, that you know his name.

What have you done?

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:25 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:28 AM

GINOBIFFARONI

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
Quote:

Ok, I'll play.

Peter Parker

Clark Kent

Admiral Adama

King Leonidas

Malcolm Reynolds

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Many more...

Speaking of Schwarzeneggar, you're saying you want to model yourself after the guy who signed legislation to track and limit sales of ammo?

How very "libertarian" of you, Wulfie.

I thought you were the all-or-nothing, everything's-either-black-or-white kind of guy. Funny how you'd side with a "gun-grabber" like Arnold. ;)

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

This is one fault of our political system we become polarized on subjects

I like how he went against the grain of the republican party to support stem cell research

Either your with the terrorists, or ... your with the terrorists

Lets party like its 1939

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:38 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:40 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:49 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

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Friday, December 11, 2009 9:56 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

So yeah Niki,

Arnold Schwarzenegger.

ETA: Btw, hes Austrian. My bloodline is German, tracked back to a Viking chieftain. So, maybe I feel a kinship to his.

Again. What have you done?

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Friday, December 11, 2009 10:49 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

btw... lol

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Friday, December 11, 2009 11:23 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Certainly not taking the time to read all that, and I rarely watch videos. You're entitled to your opinion. But remember, I live in CA, and what he's done to our state is abominable, just starting with what he's done to our education system and his freaking "special election" which went nowhere but deepend our debt.

Yeah, he's stood up to the Repubs occasionally, but beyond that, no, NOT someone I look up to. Mind you, I've enjoyed some of his movies, but that's not a criteria for making him a role model, nor are his actions, nor his personality (what any of us know of it).

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, and I guess it shouldn't have surprised me he'd be on your list. It's pretty predictable. Sometimes I wonder if you see movies as more real than reality, your videos are almost exclusively movies, rather than writing what YOU believe. Just my opinion.

What on earth does whatever I've done or not done have ANYTHING to do with disliking a choice of yours for your role model? I've done things that reflect the people I admire--NOTHING like they have, but that's what a "role model" is about; someone you respect and want to emulate.

For that matter, what have YOU done? It's a moot point; has nothing to do with the discussion, but if you'd like to list your accomplishments, I'll list mine and we'll see how we measure up to our chosen role models.

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Friday, December 11, 2009 11:34 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

You want to know what I've done? The things that make this world better?

I've saved one girl from rape. Taken a prostitute to safety. Taught 3 people to read. Saved 4 cats from death. Carried one person from a fire. Brought 2 dogs to shelter. Fed many, MANY, homeless. Helped a boy report abuse.

And all of it, and more, means nothing.

Because there is still so much more to do.

So, whatever.

The point is that there is still so much work to be done. So much more that an INDIVIDUAL can do.

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Friday, December 11, 2009 12:00 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Well, let's see.

I've rescued numerous dogs off the street, called their owners and delivered them home rather than take them to a shelter which might put them to death.

I've marched in protest against: Nuclear energy, Vietnam, lab animal use, Iraq, among other things.

I've worked to rehabilitate seals, sea lions, bobcats, racoons, a mountain lion, numerous raptors, more baby birds than you can count, and many, many more, in hopes of helping to make a teeeny dent in the destruction of species by man.

I've contributed to more causes than I can count, and currently sponsor two kids, one in South America and one in Afghanistan.

I've donated my time for more causes than I can name, including cleaning birds from oil spills.

I gave my Xmas bonus, $20 at a time, to homeless people I passed on the street (one of them a man and wife trailing two kids ad pushing a shopping basket), and another Xmas to the Hispanic guys who stand around on street corners hoping for work.

Every pet we've owned, except the two huskies currently, came from a shelter or off the street...at one point we had eight cats, and over time five dogs.

I spent two years when we owned our pizza parlor collecting donations and writing letters, in different font faces (back when there were only typewriters) and different wording, to Congressmen and Senators, on one issue or another, taking them to the pizza parlor for people to just sign, and paying for the postage because they consider one letter representative of ten people who feel the same.

I've picked up people walking on the street with broken bicycles (some in the rain) and taken them home in my car.

I headed up a support group for depressives and manic depressives for several years.

I xeroxed information off the net for people about mental illness and sent it all around the world, including Pakistan and Southeast Asia at my expense.

I helped numerous mentally ill in a number of ways.

We do all the things environmentally that I listed in another post.

I cooked a giant batch of spaghetti and meatballs and got donations of loaves of sourdough which I then delievered to a shelter for those left homeless by the Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco.

I was turned to by many in the old days to "talk down" people freaking on LSD and other drugs.

We donated our pickup truck to a nonprofit.

That's off the top of my head, not worth taking the time to think of more.

But to me, EACH of those things DID mean something. Because it IS up to each individual to help or not to help, so every drop in the bucket is the only way we bail out the boat. I'm glad you've done those things; if each of us did even half of that, we COULD change the world.

None of which has anything to do with the TOPIC, but it's how I emulated my role models, and you asked.

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Friday, December 11, 2009 12:19 PM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Niki, if youve done all of this then it just makes me more angry about your posts concerning the girl in California.

You should know better.

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Friday, December 11, 2009 12:49 PM

DREAMTROVE

Frem,

Excellent point.

Niki

I'll give you Joss and Boxer. I'm still wondering about Jesus. said Willow already ;)

I think Willow is such a great role model because she basically has no moral center, or compass. She's almost devoid of independent virtue, she's the opposite of superman. Except for the throwing things through walls part.

Wulf seems to have posted a book.

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