Inspirations and Rolemodels

Is it important to have rolemodels?

Who here had an idol when they grew up? Or possibly more than one? And if that image was shattered, how did you take it?

Like I said in another thread, I'm thinking I need to stockpile on rolemodels for my kids, if brainwashed 18 year olds stripping is what they'll consider independance when they're older.

And given that most of us grew up in different areas and timeperiods, please expand on WHY they were your role models
I'll start.


Um....

None. I never felt, as I grew up, that I had anyone to really look up to. Never had that trusted teacher or aunt thing, didn't hero-worship a celebrity.

Your turn!

My parents and grandparents...


Yeah it's cliched, but there ya go.

Carl Sagan.

Capitan Picard.

Two that come to mind from my childhood...

Well, parents become role models by osmosis, so you god or bad, you have to include them. My other role models included:

Fictional:

Robert A. Heinlein's hosts of morally centered, libertarian minded, can-do attitude characters that he created.

Speed Racer
Captain Kirk
Luke Skywalker
Characters like Rock Tory from "In Harm's Way"- basically old school naval officers who stood for duty, honor, and country.

My fictional role models taught me about the kind of man I wanted to grow up to be: heroic in a big damn way, capable, never-say-die, goin' full tilt boogie for freedom and justice.

Real Life:

Heinlein
Neil Armstrong
Pappy Boyington
Chuck Yeager
Alan Sheppard

No real surprises, there. All guys with the right stuff, one way or the other.

Captain Kirk was a big one for me. As I grew older I thought more highly of Dr. McCoy. At one time I thought I wanted to be a doctor.

Carl Sagan was the main guy who inspired me to be interested in science.

When I was growing up I really looked up to Pete Rose. I liked him for the way he played the game. I didn't know about his off-field (and sometimes on-field) activities. After his downfall I pretty much stopped having role models.

Me fadder.

Yeah, based on your tellings, your dad was a helluva man. 100% Old School Fighter Pilot.

My grandpa.
He lost his parents by the time he was 14, but he worked hard, saved his money, and opened his own store. He helped his older brothers out of poverty, too ('cause he worked harder than them).

Fictional: Spock, The Doctor (not Robert Picardo, the chap with two hearts and a big blue wooden box that travels through Time and Space). Possibly Quincy.

Real-life? Harder. I was kinda fond of Churchill as a kid... I still think he was special, but now I'm an adult I can see there were as many unsavoury things about him as there were good. Einstein, possibly... I liked the idea that the oft-quoted "Einstein failed math!" meme is false because he was actually taking the exam in a language he didn't speak. Neil Armstrong when I was younger, but now I can appreciate all those involved in the space programme (Russians included), it's just Armstrong got better press.

Oh, and Galileo. Takes balls to refuse to give in even as they're lighting a fire around you.

Elwood.

None, really. I liked Jake the Snake Roberts back when I watched pro wrestling as a kid.

No, I never really did have anyone I looked up to as a role model.

Hmmm. I may have to think about this for a while.

My fictional idols are Bugs bunny, Groucho Marx and Hawkeye Pierce.

This may be why I'm in so much trouble all the time.

Pop, of course.

Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, et al.
Space was the place when I was growing up and the accomplishments of these men, (and eventually women) who took it upon themselves to step up and represent made a mark on my life.

My seventh grade reading teacher, Mr's Chancy for just believeing in me as me. She's one of only four in the school system I admired. One was my fourth grade teacher, another was my seventh grade science teacher and the last was my eighth grade history teacher.
The rest were meh at best, most forgotten even when trying hard to remember them.

My best friends mom for giving me some social grace. Humourously I recall quite vividly us being chewed out for "leaving a little puddle of pee-pee in front of the toilet!" at their beach house when I was 12.
On a more serious note, she taught me how to interact better and the expectations of society in not only my behaviours but in contributions to society.
She's the closest thing to a Mom I've had and a damn good stand in.


My Carb Guru who has a name and I've known from childhood but that's all you get. His intelligence and mechanical aptitude gave me things to strive for, and for that I thank him.

Wile E. Coyote for never giving up.

Ellie Mae as a guage for cooking.


There's probably more but I can't think of them atm. These stand out obviously.

Jordan Sullivan

Real life? The big one is Teddy Roosevelt (for the past 15 years or so, dunno about growing up). I added another one a week or so ago, but I forget who.

Fictional ones as a kid? Naturally Captain Kirk, and Spiderman to a degree, but the big 'uns were:

Batman
Zorro
Robin Hood
The Lone Ranger

(And people wonder why I have an authority problem--all my childhood heroes are vigilantes, fighting corruption.)

Pippi Longstocking.

Ron Jeremy

John Holmes!

I don't understand why some people think it's important to have role models. When I was a kid and people would ask about them, I got the impression that it was more hero/idol worship than anything else. Why do you need a specific person/people to mold your life after, to know whether something is right or wrong to do?


A couple days ago I read something that sort of saddened me. It is here:

A Step Towards Healthier Model Figures

where basically the author rejoices that the young woman picked for "America's Next Top Model" is a size 10 US, which apparently is considered almost 'plus size' ( ). How good it is that young women have here a non-anorexic girl for a role model, and that they can see that women can be beautiful in all different sizes!

Ugh!! Why is it that role models for girls need to be all about physical beauty? as if the pinnacle of a girl's or woman's existence is to have her body admired like some piece of art? Why not teach them that they are people instead of just things to be judged for their bodies?

Why is the focus on girls' role models on actual models, and not on women who have accomplished great things? Like the astronomer Cecilia Payne, who figured out how to prove what the Sun was made of, something that had almost always been thought unknowable. Or why does the role model even have to be female? Why can't girls and boys alike be exposed to Cecilia Payne and Norman Borlaug and so forth?

Robin Hood, Merlin, Lancelot, Sherlock Holmes, Saladin, Dante, Nero, The Riddler.

^Not Liberace?

Never had a "celebrity" role model. I guess my step-father would be my role-model. I pretty much model my child-rearing/work ethic on his behavior, and so far it's working out fine.

You want massive amounts of bad plastic surgery?

No-one real, unfortunately. Tho John Wayne came close.

No, my inspirations and role models are all fictional characters: Doc Savage, Superman, Captain Kirk and Mister Spock, Tarzan (in the books, none of the movies or tv shows or whatever), Captain America.

Edited to add:











Edit # 2:

No one famous. Some teachers and women from my mother's generation who were mentors.

I want to have fun while being evil

Kerr Avon

Role models, nah! People I looked up to or that helped me, yes.

My father gets a slight nod. He is just the most on time, never make a mistake, never chumped person that I know. He taught me how to work with tools and on cars.

I had various older cousins that helped me with growing up.