I’m a bloke – I just want a sword and a bad guy to whack
Everytime I watch the Lord of the Rings I can’t help sighing and wishing I was part of it all. I think it’s engrained in the male psyche – we just want to fight evil for a living.
It’s obvious really: just look at the films blokes like to watch. The Matrix, LOTR and Mission Impossible. All films featuring a male hero fighting agianst immeasurable evil and coming out on top.
I’m pretty sure if you put God in a chair and quizzed him he wouldn’t say: ‘Well sure I designed the male gender to do a 9 to 5 job’. No I’m fairly sure he’d say: ‘Man is a warrior. Full stop. End of story’.
The only problem is the battle’s gone. There’s no more crusades to battle, no real wars to win. The good against evil things gone out the window. And in the middle of this is your average male bloke. Looking for a sword and a battle to win.
Probably why most guys are such drama queens. Given the slightest motivation, anything from a team meeting at the office to driving down the highway starts to engage the “Battle Between Good (Us) and Evil (Them)” mentality …
Frater Plotter
November 23, 2006
Sounds about right. Even walking down the street I think I’m in a Matrix film…
Of course this only happens once a week. Twice a week. Never mind how often it happens.
Thanks for visiting.
Harry
November 23, 2006
I’m not so sure that’s a male quality. I feel the same way when I watch LOTR…though I’m less eager to announce it. My one major beef (yes, I say beef)with Tolkien is that there wasn’t a female character in the original group. I would’t care if she was a hairy backed gnome, just so the ladies could get in on the adventure.
I’m not a big sci-fi fan, but I walk down the street wishing someone would assault me so I could beat the crap out of them…okay, maybe not wishing, just happily considering the possibility. When I was thirteen I wished more than anything to wake up as a Vampire Slayer, but that might have had something to do with the angsty teen vengeance I planned to reap.
I think it’s a generational thing. We need a cause to fight for, but we’re so sceptical, that the ones being offered up aren’t often to our taste.
baredfeetandteeth
November 24, 2006
You have a point. Maybe we’re just too cynical to fight for the causes in front of us.
By the way nice blog! You’re not the only writer…I indulge that habit too.
Harry
November 24, 2006
Nope. There are plenty of those men left. You might have heard of some of them. They are better known these days as Terrorists, although they call themselves Mujahaddin, or Freedom Fighters.
Warren
warren
November 24, 2006
I also think there’s a huge amount of material out there that makes fighting evil seem like spectacular fun. It’s never just war, it’s war with witty banter. Who wouldn’t want to give it a try? Plus there’s the nostalgia of old timey weapons. Flip I wish I could whack somebody with a broadsword…that kind of thing just makes a statement.
baredfeetandteeth
November 25, 2006
Agreed. The idea of whacking bad guys AND having fun is doubly appealing.
Guns don’t have the same feel as a good sword. I can imagine cutting down a few orcs but I can’t imagine shooting a guy from 500 yards. It doesn’t feel very sporting.
Harry
November 26, 2006