Action and the Impossible White Man Trope
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2024
- ATTENTION- TH-cam is acting funny with my comments... idk why but keep posting them anyway until I get it figured out.
Fiq is switching things up with the good old Face Reveal, stepping in front of the camera to talk about one of the most interesting modern tropes in media right now, the impossible white man.
The impossible white man trope was coined by Rod of "The Black Guy Who Tips" Podcast, and it basically described your typical action hero... but Fiq takes a more analytical look at the who's and the why's of the trope by looking at its core features, history, and subversions (like the fact that many impossible white men aren't white... or men).
In doing so we learn a bit about modern masculinity by looking at movies like John Wick, Die Hard, Tenet, and even the popularity of Isekais. All that along with a nice trip down memory lane for all of the other aging millennials out there.
TBGWT Impossible White Manifesto can be found here (youtube won't let me post links in the vid...)- www.theblackguywhotips.com/the...
00:00 Intro/Face Reveal and why I'm done talking about Tenet
05:31 What is the Impossible White Man Trope?
10:08 The Impossible White Man Archetype
16:32 Impossible Men of Color
22:27 Impossible White Women
27:37 Impossible Women of Color
30:46 Impossible Boomers, and Isekais/Closing
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I like how every time you mention Tom Cruise he ages a decade
I live for the moments where my stupid high effort jokes get noticed 😭😭😭
Same! 😂😂😂
not being a know it all, but it was really The Matrix where we first saw a female on screen that we could actually believe was winning fight against men 80 lbs heavier. The matrix argued that Trinity used her exceptional speed to better stronger men. It worked visually and was believable. In my humble option , this was the first time I “believed” a woman with a wrist and bone structure 30% the size of a larger man could win in a fight.
@@jimmertrey2334 You're missing the main gimmick, that it was all a simulation. What was happening was not actually physical, it was more like a video game controlled by people's minds. That's why the Matrix was so superb. There was an explanation for why humans could do these unbelievable wire-work martial arts fight moves. It wasn't just that they were bad-ass. When every action movie post Matrix started using the same kind of superhuman fight moves without any explanation, it was completely not believable.
Really enjoyed this video. And I understand that you have a hard time explaining or defining white masculinity. Because I ( a 45 year old white male) have a hard time defining white masculinity. I think part of the problem is there is vastly different white experiences.
That is not to imply that everyone else's experience is the same but there are some inescapable experiences that come with being black or female. The face it takes is going to be vastly different take for example racism. It will come in different forms to a black man in a poor rural area than from a black man in a poor urban area or a rich black man. But unless they are impossibly fortunate they will have to face racism. Me being poor and white, coming from a long line of poor whites, if you compared my experiences against a rich or even middle class white male there would be very little that is the same . Even my younger brother, him being vastly younger than me 14 years, have a significantly different experience. I saw a TH-cam video by a former cop of the same age as me (I forget the channels name) discussing the masculine values his dad taught him and I honestly couldn't relate to much of them.
However a TH-camr called beau of the fifth column has several videos up on the subject and I find them interesting and relatable.
You can actually kinda see a comedic deconstruction of this trope in Kung-Fu Hustle, where EVERYONE in the movie initially looks unassuming but turns out to be a stone-cold badass. And it's funny every time.
That movie is so funny.
Great movie.
@@Agent_A_Graham Yeah.... Funny.... (sobs)
Great flick!
@@hayaokakizaki4463 I'm curious what u mean if you are down to share 😮❤😂🎉
One thing I appreciate about Die Hard is how they physically display every injury John McLane takes throughout the film. The guy can barely walk by the end. It very much goes against the tendency for most action heroes to go through everything with only a few scratches.
I appreciate this comment!
Its one of the main things i think they lost in the sequels personally
@@loglorn Yeah, it really became a problem because McClane eventually starts shrugging off gunshot wounds and falls from 100 feet in the air.
But in the first movie, they make sure to illustrate that running bare-foot over broken glass would be a devastating injury which would cause you to either limp for days or pass out from blood loss.
@@loglorn Things I say all the damn time about Rambo, that applies JUST as equally to McClane
John Wick applies this as well. He’s bandaged up, bleeding, and limping his way through a good chunk of the movie.
"you kind of start to get concerned when you think about... why your fantasies are what they are?" I think that's one of the most important questions in this contemporary age at least, where our desires are being constantly managed and manipulated. We really need to question desire and start contemplating the idea that maybe just because we desire something, doesn't mean it's okay.
Ok
Or if our desires are actually our desires in the first place. We don’t know what we don’t know until we recognize what we do know isn’t all that is to be known. Sorry, that was such a confusing sentence lmao english really has its limitations 🤦🏻♀️
@juezna Wait, you really believed that? Any remotely logical person knows that just because you desire something, doesn't make it okay. What the fuck, dude? Is the average adult really that childish?
People usually measure what they "need" to be happy through social standards and social media makes this way worse by letting ppl hide all the bad things in their life
That idea that maybe just because we desire something, doesn't mean it's okay should be applied to everyone, irrespective of their skin color, gender or sexual orientation.
Almost every single Nolan protagonist is a stand-in for Nolan himself. He casts the best-looking white dudes of approximately the same age, and they are all, as you said, hyper focused and extraordinarily skilled at their job. And their wives are all dead. Someone should check on Emma.
I thought the wife being dead was inserted from Hollywood. Cannot have a good Dad and Mother as it cast the family in a positive light.
I think adding a living wife would be wasteful. You end up adding extra scenes just so you can then kill her off.
Yeah this comment isn’t about this video- it’s beyond my intellectual range-
HOWEVER...
Since joining this ridiculously erudite super savvy channel and community ( it’s legit Day 2), I have
1) Binge watched 6 episodes straight) nowhere near some people’s record and for that I am deeply ashamed)
2) Gotten more excited about writing a comment than I have gotten over ANY English essay- ever. And with more revisions too I might add..
3) Have been trolled in at least one comment section- which I LOVED!
4) I googled where my heart comment went after I edited my comment. Yup- I did. It was on the Black men and Love video (hint,hint 😉)
5) avoid commenting now ( well after this one) because I feel it’s getting borderline stalker-ish 😂
Your content is Chef KISS and the community that you’ve brought together is awesome.
Ps
I have read enough comments to know that dissertation length responses are not at all uncommon- so it’s all good 😁
@@happylindsay4475 this vapid identity politics inspired you?
@@ileutur6863 yes it does. It stretches me to question what we call ‘normal’ and why. I believe that any side that claims that they are right and are the gatekeepers to Truth are wrong. It is not as simplistic as either/or binaries- but adjusting our minds and society’s to embrace am and/both way of looking at things. As for this channel in particular, I don’t agree with everything that is stated- such as gender being a social construct.There are biological underpinnings that are different. However it is how we have defined those differences and placed behavioral expectations on those differences- that is due to how patriarchal society’s have interpreted and reinforced and rewarded stereotypical behavioral norms according to gender.
At this moment in our history, technology has advanced to the point where we can actually manipulate biology as we see fit. Economies are built upon having women in the work force and men are electing to stay at home- therefore completely subverting antiquated gender roles and norms. Whether I agree or disagree is not the important issue- it’s HAPPENING and we have to reckon with this. More than ever we need people with fresh perspectives and new ways of seeing and doing things- because we have literally outgrown and outpaced the old way.
As for this channel, it gives me great joy to see a black man espouse a different kind of masculinity that was denied them to even explore. He challenges males and females to investigate the hows and whys of our conditioning. I enjoy his intelligence and devotion to bring us interesting thought provoking content.
So no, I don’t find identity politics vapid.
Can't help but work through my own negative emotions as you break down the trope for white men pushing 40. I was a soldier and a combat veteran, so I know exactly how fragile my life is, having seen my friends (who all thought they were invincible) get blown up and shot. But I had to put that aside when I was asked to things that put me in danger. Seeing the impossible white man, as you describe it, made me feel better about my decisions. Like, I had training and I hadn't died yet, so maybe I'm like those action stars. Now, even though I'm getting older and out of shape, I still draw on the trope to feel strong and masculine.
You made an amazing point about the topic of white masculinity, I don't even know what to say about it other than you're right. I'm not even sure how to describe my own thoughts on masculinity.
I appreciate your clear delivery and for making me really think about this.
...same. Hurlburt Field, FL.
TH-cam recommended this video to me cuz.. algo gonna algo, I guess.
Have you kept up with his content and seen his recent video on masculinity? Have you come to your own conclusions on what masculinity means to you in the time between this video and that more recent video?
Hope you're doing well, all the same.
@@Sojo214 Algo gonna algo.. lmao. You said it, man.
That's serious. I hope you're hanging in there ok. If you struggle with PTSD you may want to consider psychedelic therapies. You never know, it could just be the thing that helps. Also, and I know this may sound dumb or sus, but I just mention it bec I've heard positive things, but there's a supplement called rna drops that may have positive nootropic and mood effects. I can't imagine what its like to go through what you've been thru but whatever happened, I'm sure your friends would want you to embrace life with both hands now. That's how you can best honor their memory. Keep taking care of yourself. Seek mental and physical wellness. It doesn't matter how old you are, you still have a future no matter what happened before.
@@YourCapyBruv_do_u_rmbr_3Dpipes thank you for your concern. I don't struggle with PTSD but I have heard similar news about psychedelic treatments.
I loved that Washington was 5' 9" and his love interest is like 6' 3". Different height love doesnt get it's fair share in story telling imo.
There's an anime called Lovely Complex about this. A short guy and a tall girl avoid each other because the contrast attracts more attention and comments, but then when they actually spend time together, they have lots in common and become besties. Cue the will they/won't they. It's cute. B+
Cause it only happens in fiction
@@jobnieloliva5358 exactly lol
@@jobnieloliva5358 Go outside.
And I remember every small d!ck energy dude complaining about that....
Like, "are you serious?" Was my reaction.
What's worse is that everyone was talking as if it's Elizabeth Debicki's fault for being "too tall" 😑
The Liam Nieson thing started around the time his wife died.
She died in a skiing accident if i remember correctly. And he just wanted to be in action/ darker films from that point on
@@JenSell1626 hahaha yeaaah, i remember that
@@JenSell1626 didn't he tell that story because he knew he was wrong for thinking that every black man was responsible for his friends rape?
People don't forget and nothing is forgiven.
I’m disappointed that you didn’t mention Uma Thurman from Kill Bill. She’s my favorite impossible white woman. Most female action heroes are fem fatales, which isn’t bad, but I like seeing female characters who kick ass while keeping all their clothes on. Plus, the cameras frame her in an un-sexual way.
There is a clip of Uma Thurman slicing a bunch of people with a katana from Kill Bill. It's almost at the very end and lasts almost a full second!
But yeah
I was more disappointed there was no mention of Michelle Rodriguez.
She’s incredible in that movie.
Beatrix Kiddo walked so that Charlize Theron could run
@@KuLaydMahn Need me to slice some potatoes so that salt doesn't go to waste?
Man you cant blame J.D Washington for sounding like his dad. You can tell hes trying to annunciate the words in a more distinct manner with his lips but thats his pops vocal chords straight up in his chest man lol
If my dad was I'd do everything like Denzel Washington
@@FDSignifire amen.
Mothers Milk (Laz Alonso) on the Boys sound more like Denzel than J.D.
@@ShermanWilliamsVideo Hell no he don't
Not only do you have your dad's genes, you were also (hopefully) raised by him and learned to talk with him as your first example. So of course you are likely to sound like your father.
Heightism definitely is a factor in "manliness," and Tom Cruise only avoided the stigma/typecasting of having to be either the funny short guy or the evil short guy because studios have used Hollywood "magic" to make him seem taller.
Yup. I saw him on set for a movie he was shooting in Boston with Cameron Diaz. He was wearing lifts in his shoes that were pretty obvious. His heels were almost coming out of his shoes.
Plus, he is very good looking
Most actors are shorter than you think
That an scientology uses shell companies to fund his movies and guarantee they get made and released
Source?@@yorgivon-schmourgeussborgi
Die Hard was offered to Sinatra because he was the star of The Detective (1968). Die Hard is based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp which is his sequel to the novel The Detective, the basis for the Sinatra film. Because Die Hard was technically a sequel (despite the main character's changed name), the studio were contractually required to offer the role to Sinatra first. In some alternate universe he said yes and there's a Die Hard with a 72-year-old McClane.
You missed one Latina actress that plays the same role, that being Michelle Rodriguez. She has played the badass fighter type in every movie she has been in but she has stated that it's a role she does it because of how uncommon it is
@@psychosageio Her first one, Girl Fight? I know it might not fit into aspects of the video above, but in terms of Stallone/Rocky and the path it set for his career, it's a thought, given everything she was in after. IT is troubling that she was the lead in that though... and as far as I can tell, NOTHING since. (Except Tropico de Sangre, but I hadnt ever heard of that until I scanned IMDB.)
rosario dawson as well Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican ancestry
Michelle Rodriguez usually dies though
And the movie, S.W.A.T
She does that role because it pays.
Still laughing about you saying "Liam Neeson is like I'm Irish and I want to fight." I can't stop laughing.
"Fighting Irish" is a trope! LOL!
As a Northern Irish person I can only apologise on our behalf for Liam Neeson's late career action pivot, I can only chalk that down to some sort of mid life crisis. He did still do legit films every now and again, like Ordinary Love which came out a couple of years ago, but that was very much a local production and I doubt it made it your way.
I swear down, next action film role he should be canonically an ex-provo or ex-Erp commando or something with him fighting English people and just cut straight through to the subtext. I could see that not going down well in some quarters but at least it'd be honest.
Same 😂😂
@@kohhna dude has mansion mortgage. most of us would do action films too if you have to maintain insane spending habits hahaha.
I’m Liam neeson and I’m angry so I’m going to fight a Random black guy!
A fun bit of trivia is that Die Hard was based on a novel called Nothing Lasts Forever, which itself was a sequel to The Detective, and Frank Sinatra played the title character (Joe Leland, NOT John McClain) in 1968. In the sequel, the Joe Leland was retired, around 70 and visiting his daughter in LA rather than his estranged wife. Sinatra was offered the role because the studio was contractually obligated to do so, but had expected him to turn it down. They ultimately changed a LOT about the story in order to have a much younger protagonist. Anyway, TL:DR, what's funny to me is that the protagonist in the novel was much closer to our current (aging) impossible white men trope than it was to the one that Die Hard kicked off.
For me personally I think it's great that we're seeing older actors and actresses get to be action stars. I mean seriously who would have ever thought seeing Helen Mirren with an AK would be as popular as it was? Both Cruise and Keanu are both well into their 50's. This country has such a stigma about getting old, this is probably one of the best trends to come out of Hollywood for some time.
@@NelsonStJames Yeah, I liked it back when it was a fun change of pace. Now that it's just another trope, I find it less interesting.
I love the intersection between this and my favorite action movie trope of the "retired vet" or the "one last job" trope.
"One more time, then I'll retire". Movie ends with him realizing he misses the action and decides to stay.
@@handsomeX In away, it sounds like human nature to rebel against mortality.
So the impossible white man is basically a “Mary Sue” which is what they started calling female versions of this character.
HA! I wish I'd have made this observation. The difference is its OK when it's a white guy of course so it's more realistic.
Gary Stu in other words
@@FDSignifire Well, it seems more realistic because of automatic weapons, gangsters, and terrorists. If the action scenes break laws of physics, not so much, lol!
This statement is just incorrect. The only notable female character referred to as a "mary sue" is Rey from Star wars. Most Mary sues' have been mainly male characters. They're called this because they're good at literally everything, or everything happens for them with little effort on their part. Wesley Crusher, is probably the first character referred to as a "Mary Sue" and it has been used to describe Jame Bond, and anything Arnold swarz....gger whatever is in. It's meant to show a lack of compelling story telling, and to imply that it was written for a 4 y/o. Like "Mary Sue goes to the store." "Mary Sue rides her bike." The notion that it was invented to describe female characters is just incorrect. In fact it has only recently, been used for female characters because only recently has there been an expectation for female heroines to be written well. It's more degrading to call a male character a Mary Sue. It also sounds better that Jack. Like "see Jack run."!!!
A Mary Sue gets his/her skills out of nowhere and is overpowered - an example is Superman. For Wick as an impossible white man, he has trained, had guns, can be hurt, etc so he wouldn't be classified as a mary sue.
The impossible white boomer was the most interesting part of this video for me. There’s something fascinating about action movie wish fulfillment for people who can’t say “I could do that if I tried” because it becomes “I could have done that if I HAD tried”, which brings in feelings of regret and nostalgia and binds it to the fantasy in a cathartic manner. My favorite example is RED, which was just The Expendables for action stars without muscles
That's exactly the movie I thought about in thT section. And that quote "I could have done that if I had tried" is completely stolen as of now and being written into the script of my follow up video. You may or may not be credited...
@@TENINCHLUVABOY first off... Uncle Moe is this you?
Secondly I ain't dealing with Vaush right now he's a lot.
@@FDSignifire UNCLE MOE? I AIN'T WHOEVER THAT IS, AND TOO BAD, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING TO SEE YOUR TAKE ON VAUSH "WOKE SEGREGATION" RHETORIC.
Don’t Breathe is the last example. He’s both old and blind.
@Miles Doyle I have never been so eager to press the "Show Less" button.
I'm so happy you mentioned Demolition Man because, to me, Simon was the best antagonist for a movie during that time. I feel like that movie gets slept on hard, and Snipes killed it.
Snipes in Demolition Man, is probably the best screen iteration of the Joker we've ever gotten.
Snipes was Killmonger back when M.B. Jordan was a toddler.
Exactamundo
Snipes was great! Everyone else in the movie was great too! I saw it in the theater with a buddy of mine, and to this day I can't figure out why the entire theater was filled with Mexicans! It was surreal. 😂
I never would have framed an Impossible White Man as an isekai trope, but I’ll be damned it fits. Love these analyses!
I like that casual swing at Isekai. It is the most over done genre in anime and it's getting old lol.
Legit don't watch anime anymore cause i am over the essence of the fandom. The rise of Isekai was the warning shot
@@FDSignifire your comments on Isekai reminded me a lot of Noralities’ “I’m tired of Isekai”:
th-cam.com/video/P4V3vEleTyE/w-d-xo.html
She offers a historied perspective of the genre’s origin and just- it’s a really chill video.
@@kk180 I WATCHTED TIS A FEW WEEKS BACK! I think I like anime video essays more than i like anime these days. I feel her so much on this and her "I'm tired of 1000 year old loli's" video. I think I just aged out of anime sadly. I only have so much time for indulgent media and as soon as I see truck kun I start feeling like I need to take a nap.
@@FDSignifire id like to to suggest an anime movie to watch, its not isekai. its called The Legend of Hei and its actually from china.
i watched it yesterday and was surprised that so few people have seeen it. give it a try, its amazing. its very much like a ghibli movie with a dash of naruto.
and that genre isnt even that interesting because the fighting animation is usually boring and its just a boring genre
it's worth noting that rambo in first blood was actually sorta in the same space as john mcclane; first blood was about how the trauma of war and weaponization of human beings makes men ruthlessly efficient at the cost of their humanity, and rambo himself was meant to be a brutal and frightening example of this. He was literally just doing what he was trained to, the victim of a war that cared nothing about him. It's a shame the later films stripped that vulnerability and humanity away from him like the original was trying to criticize.
It's interesting to note that in the book he dies at the end. Of course if they went with that narrative in the movie we wouldn't have had the over the top violent sequels that followed.
@@tsepheletseka5115 You have to remember that back in the day, films weren't generally made with the idea that a franchise was being anticipated, or even a sequel. Especially if you were doing an adaptation. This is why you have so many trilogies were only the first film seems to tell a complete comprehensible story. Rambo didn't die at the end of the film simply because the test audiences hated that ending, though that was supposed to be the original ending. The problem was what exactly can you do with Rambo after his story is for all practical purposes finished?
Yeah, you completely misunderstood the later movies. The latest Rambo was the most vulnerably crushing movie of the entire series. And there's only darkness in the end.
I still like 4 him being powerful shows makes him scary, kind of confirms the point of the antagonist of the first film that John is the monster of the story, when the monster is the instrumentalization of that man.
@@tsepheletseka5115 I like this ending that he doesn't die because what he says in his monologue hurts too much, I liked this ending it's an adaptation that compensates for the lack of complexity of the antagonist policeman in the book and the movie.
I loved Nobody mostly because it was Bob Odenkirk, one of my formative comedy influences, but also because it came from his real-life experience with a home invasion and him exploring his masculinity and coming to terms with age because of it. I wish a lot more of that had gotten into the film, but it was pretty fun for what it was
Didn't know that wow
One piece of nuance, John wick only killed one guy over the dog, one he killed for blowing up his house, and mostly everyone else for trying to stop or punish him.
"Low volume dialogue running a hundred miles per hour" I swear every f*cking action movie is like this nowadays
Tenet was badass
I love tenet to bits but even I can’t watch it without subtitles. It’s not just the sound and music being louder than the dialog, even bit of exposition is said quickly once under a gas mask while the characters are running around. It’s a shame, I think the concepts and plot are really fun, but I missed most of it the first time around under all the BWAAAHHHHHHHHH sounds. The soundtrack was great but I hope this style of sound mixing goes away.
The volume of the movie was my favorite part. It makes the movie more intense for me,
Is there a Bullshit Bingo card for the trailer scripts for these action movies? "One man" "dared" "deadly peril" "you don't know me" "coming war" "self loathing and anhedonia masquerading as an heroic quest".
"The Rock is just special." Yes, yes he is.
"Wesley is complicated." Yes, yes he is.
Wesley is wayy better action star than Rock
@@belachaney But the rock pays his taxes.
@@douglaslamveg8913 🤣🤣🤣
I had to like every comment here because there are no lies.
You are good at this, particularly. You have a mind to account for those of us who aren't familiar with black communities, but would like to learn. You teach us, obviously, both about the topic at hand and about the people involved with it. Very well done.
I'm so glad you mentioned Gina Davis, she is extremely underrated because of that movie, overshadowed by Linda Hamilton and Signourey Weaver in SciFi. Although I am surprised you didn't mention Sam Jackson alongside Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes.
You could argue that part of the success of the Expendables was that the main characters' advancing ages made them vulnerable, and therefore more relatable -allowing them to do a sideways shimmy into the impossible white man trope, because you don't expect older people to be kicking ass. Similar with Red and Red2.
yeah I think Expandables while kick ass as action movies, put a lot of fun on the 80's action movies.
I found The Expendables to be a much more entertaining movie than Taken.
I never comment on anyone's TH-cam videos...until now.
You do GREAT work. Even though I don't always agree with your points, I am always appreciative of the perspective.
They say "Eat the meat and spit out the bones". Your videos are guaranteed to give me something to chew on.
Keep doing you bro!
Thanks so much! Feel free to share your critiques! THEY HELP IN NUMEROUS WAYS!
Man, you are easily becoming one of my favorite media analysis channels on youtube, great work
I’m genuinely confused about the confusion around white masculinity. Haven’t the movies shown us a million times what the ideal white man is? The square jawed, handsome badass that answers the call of duty even when he doesn’t want to, protects the defenseless, defies the corrupt, fucks the baddest bitch(or is married to her), and never gives up even when the odds are stacked against him? My perfect characterization of white masculinity that is positive and heroic, is Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. He’s wise but not infallible, he’s confident but not egotistical, he’s brave but not fearless, he’s attractive to women but faithful to HIS woman, and he’s the guy that wants to just live quietly in the woods with his buddies but rises to all challenge of evil and becomes the leader he was born to be. If you ever are confused again about what a positive representation of white masculinity is, go watch LotR, Aragorn is the one.
Also I’m not white, so don’t flame me.
Hit the nail on the head bro.
I’m surprised you didn’t talk about indiana jones, an everyday man who white men looked up to because of his improvisation and cleverness instead of his muscles. Cinema therapy did an episode on him and healthy masculinity
Wouldn't macgyver cover this?
Good one
And that fire satchel.
My dad always had an official Indiana Jones hat.
Find out how old Marion Ravenwood is in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Then realize Jones had a relationship with her about 10 years earlier than that. He's Matt Gaetz in a fedora. That's not Healthy Masculinity it's Statutory Rape.
I would argue Steven Segal started that mess. Breaking bones with his pinky, dodging automatic weapons, and such.
Blame Batman fanboys that started writing DC comics back in the 90s, and had the power creep grow from there.
The Impossible Fat Man
Fr‼️ I’ll say the same with chuck noris, they won’t die it’s impossible
@@truvy_5544 Chuck Norris, my god. How did he even happen?
Remember the time he stopped a nuclear missile that had already been launched by slamming Tommy Lee Jones head thru the computer?
"Men aren't men anymore." I stopped trying to be a "Man" when I learned that it was a lie. It's just an image we are inspired to look up to and aspire to with zero critical judgement and a severe chronic fear that you will be taken advantage of in society if you can't prove yourself to be a "Man." Once I realized that no one is "broken" just for having a penis and being vulnerable, I took it as an opportunity to stand by my principles of integrity and true strength. I accept objective truth and I face my fears. So, I tried crossdressing and makeup just to ask myself, "how much is masculinity actually who I am and what could I have missed out on from femininity for being afraid of touching it up to this point?"
It was enlightening. I found that those things are fun but a lot of work. I now appreciate women more for what they do to look good and have the perspective of how they can be engaged in an artform that is separate from the obvious origins of attracting a mate. I also realized that there is an aspect of human sexuality that reflects how you want to present yourself as attractive in a certain way which is separate from the kind of presentation of a mate that we are attracted to. It's not a "Here's what you want to catch, now learn how to hunt it," development that we go through. These systems in our brains are compartmentalized. We are, however, induced to associate cultural gender norms to help us decide what we are looking for and what we present as. How we identify those details is not determined by our genitals. It's way more complicated than that.
BullButters
Idk man sounds kinda gay
testament to my young age; when you were initially outlying the trope, i was like "arent you just like... describing what action movies are?" and it wasnt until you brought up the contrast to classic 80s action men where it clicked 'OH RIGHT, movies have not always been like they are now' lmao
Odysseus was the original impossible white man!
lol he's is definitely proto John Wick
Beowulf...
@@youngw1ze Odysseus is probably older.
Beowulf, Jason and the argonauts (he assemble a crew of impossible bad asses). Problem with the Greek stories is we always see them run long enough for the hero to die at the end (naturally sometimes) and they end up pushing a stone up a hill for eternity or end up standing in a puddle of water they can't drink with a incredible thurst. Also the poem of Beowulf was written in the 6 century homers odyssey the 8th
Jesus! 😂😂
Really loving these videos. I wanted to add that in Western movies, Jackie Chan strikes me as an every man who is also Impossible. Growing up his roles in Rush Hour, Shanghai, and others were grounded in premise but he had other worldly moves. As a kid he was who I wanted to watch. His personality in films tended to be “culturally unaware but always willing to do the right thing.” His Western counterparts like Tucker and Wilson exemplified the impossibility of his moves. Idk man I just really love Jackie Chan and his performances have fueled my love for action films.
I agree with everything, except Jackie Chan famously does all of his own stunts, with a personal team of stunt coordinators. It was possible, but not for an average guy, and definitely for an average white guy.
If you compare Nolan's leading men to Michael Mann's leading men, your description applies to both: "super serious, hyperfocused, Stoic, unemotional men with an extreme, almost psychotic dedication to their job". But for Mann's men, this is much less of a problem because he's a much better filmmaker who makes these men interesting (in my opinion). Also, his characters die, constantly.
You are the only person I have heard from in my life who shares my love for both Wyclef's "The Carnival" and "The Long Kiss Goodnight". No one commenting on media has ever felt as close to my cultural touchstones as you do, and I appreciate you for that.
Not yet familiar with Carnival, but TLKG is such a banger of an action film. Geena's great in it, and not just because she's tall.
What I find funny about the stereotypical action hero physique is that the people closest to real life action heroes look nothing like that. Like the impossible white man archetype, they look normal. There’s a Navy vet on TH-cam that describes his first time seeing Navy SEALS as “I would’ve thought they were accountants if it weren’t for the pin.” It’s just funny how people with that classic Stallone-type physique are the last people that would save the world because, though it looks good, it’s not functional.
People with that physic do exist in the military. Just look at Rudy "fruity" Reyes. He played himself in the HBO show Generation Kill. I've seen video of him in two gun matches such as Finnish Brutality. that guy is a high energy beast, and he is pushing 50 now.
Have u seen chef rush
@@kamkam3457 that man was a CHEF for the White House. We’re talking about special forces.
@@willam123ful chef rush has seen combat
@@internetboogeyman2744and I've seen a stove, doesn't make me a chef
Frank Sinatra was a candidate for McClane because the book Die Hard was based on, Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, was itself a sequel to Thorp’s novel The Detective. The movie version of The Detective starred Frank Sinatra. So he actually originated the character on film. It was changed a lot from the book, and i actually like the book better: it both more believable, and more emotionally devastating.
Yup - Frank Sinatra, The Impossible Old White Man Trope lol!
If I remember the book correctly, his character’s daughter needed rescuing, not the ex-wife
Frank Sinatra was always extremely overrated as a tough guy.
Also the impossible old Asian, Martial arts master. The 60-70 year old just dominating a 25 year old who is also highly trained. 🤦
As I’ve gotten older it’s harder and harder to suspend disbelief with these movies having 60+ people running, jumping, getting blown up and living, being able to make hard shots at distance with no glasses etc etc. I’m 51 and have to think hard about whether I want to jump down from a 4ft ledge….lol
Although it does seem somewhat accurate. If you look into Jigoro Kano, judo's founder, it's like watching a tiny and frail old man play with much younger fighters like toys.
Jackie Chan in The Foreigner 😂😂😂
So basically I stumbled/algorithm made me "stumbled" on your video about Bo Borham. I paused, went to watch the Netflix special and THEN I went to watch your take on it. It was super! Like I understood it from a different legit lens. And then I subscribed and binged your videos the whole of my Sunday. In short, your content is great! And its so refreshing to see the comments here from people who are equally as insightful and thought provoking. I feel like you created a great platform for people to deconstruct/discourse the media/pop culture and how it influences/impact our lives. I feel like I learnt a lot! Thanks! And keep up the great work. Much love!
You should listen to 'Why are Dads?' in one of the recent episodes they talk about The Dark Knight and evaluate who's the daddy of the film. It's just really funny and a great way to dissect C. Nolan's films
Edit: Great to see you btw!!
I'll check that out. Yeah showing my face was a scary ordeal. I legit called my manager, hr, poured over employee handbooks lol. If this TH-cam thing don't work out I gotta feed these babies!
Thanks for the love. Enjoy your break!
@Miles Doyle Ok.
One of my wife's favorite youtubers (also a fan myself) commenting on a new favorite of mine. Love to see it
You had me at "who's the daddy of the film" lol
for anyone looking for this podcast now, they've changed the name to You Are Good, but they still always discuss who is the daddy of the film.
In real life, assassins look like accountants. I like this channel, glad I found it.👍🏾
I was gonna say this lol to me I always thought it made sense for assassins to not look obvious. It’s better for their job to not look deadly or scary. I would wanna look innocent or soft if i were one, So it never bothers me on tv. Thinks it’s more realistic. I feel like it’s more the assassins in medium & low tier gang like groups that LOOK like a killer lol
I love that you bookmark your episodes. You're a lifesaver for someone like me who zones out a lot. I can quickly find where I was or jump to specific topic within a video.
Fictional assassins look like Agent 47 or James Bond, or if they're nameless villains, like ninjas (dressed in a black kabuki suit).
Real assassins go out of their way to look ordinary and blend into the background. They actively anticipate what the modal member of the public will look like at their target venue, and will look like that.
In the early days of the CIA, there was a concept, _the gray man._ A person so unremarkable he struggles to get service in a cafe. This notion was the model for how CIA operatives were supposed to conduct themselves out on the field: Blend in. Don't stand out.
"John Wick killed 200 people...about a dog!" LOL! He really liked that dog! He could be Dr. Doolittle with an arsenal, lol!
Imagine someone you value a lot is killed by someone. What would you do if you have the power to massacre them?
Lol dog was the last thing given to him by his dead wife the very woman he got out the game for
So you just gonna let someone kill your dog and cry, darla?
People tend to forget that it was mostly about what the stuff represented...his wife!
There was a killer for the various mobs in my neck of the world, and he loved pigeons . He bred and raised them. When a local hooligan group set the pigeon shack on fire , because the guy wasn't letting the hooligans drink and smoke on the roof, he killed 5 of the dudes involved, one of the dudes girlfriends and one guy got so scared he hanged himself. The guys that came back from Afghanistan in the early 90s and late 80s were crazy. They were ready to take a few Shturmovniks and walk in to a police station and how it up for 400$ . When I was a teen , two vets got attacked by police, because someone from the Afghan assassin group killed a politician. Police lost 32 people with more then half of them dead , when the dudes started to detonate mines and using RPGs on the police trucks. They did smoke them out in the end, with heavy mortars borrowed from a mile base near by. And all those things were in peace time. In the Balkans they did way crazier stuff.
Bruh! How do you leave out Kate Beckinsale and Milla Jovovich? They held down an action franchise for years
I mean... The action franchise Jovovich held up was Resident Evil, a series of terrible adaptations of a horror video game series about managing resources to survive tense situations.
@@Percival917 why u repeat what he said then xD also don't act like resident evil wasn't one of the biggest action franchises in the early 2000s
@@Percival917 yes, and?
The movies franchise was extremely succeseful just like the games.
@@ReaperPLUR Sorry, but to me at least, Resident Evil is absolutely not supposed to be an action franchise. Whether in the games or movies, swinging towards action always results in the worst material RE has to offer.
They both are essentially superheroes/obviously not normal humans so they don’t qualify
really love how, although this video is definitely written planned out it really gives a conversational feel of talking your smart friend about movies you've seen.
great stuff
Love to see how much the channel has grown since this video came out :) Keep up the great work F.D!
Can we all simply acknowledge that we need some 30 year old action heroes? Looking at 50, 60 and 70 year olds trying to be the tough guy is laughable. Turning to AARP members to save the day is truly unrealistic, unless you want to borrow some money.
We have Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, a few others. Not many though
I laughed the other day when I saw a trailer of Clint Eastwood's new movie Cry Macho in which there was a scene of him beating up a 20 something year old Mexican guy. I was thinking no way in real life could a nearly 100 year old Clint beat up a 20 something year old regardless of race.
@chisom O, yes, we sure do have the Hot Guys Named Chris Club's 4 charter members. 💪👀
@@mattsidhu1931 I know some hella tough old guys, and some bitch ass 20 year olds
I liked red :P
I think white masculinity is difficult if damn near impossible to define on purpose. By always setting itself up in opposition to some "other" white masculinity does its best to fly under the radar as some sort of nebulous default state. Even in situations where an impossible white man's primary antagonist is another white man, that villain still tends to be painted as an other either because they're foreign (as in Die Hard or John Wick) or because they're either implicitly/explicitly coded as queer or non-neurotypical, or at the very least they subscribe to some sort of radical ideology that doesn't have mainstream acceptance in general white society (and usually a ridiculous strawman version of that ideology). This is done so that a white male impossible white man can be seen as "pure" by juxtaposition. Trouble is, pure can really only describe what something isn't, not what it is. And I think that's kind of the point, it gives white men the sense that they can be anything, as long as they aren't [insert example here]. In reality, they're just making the box for themselves smaller and smaller with everything they label as "other."
I was going to say this. White masculinity tends to exist in comparison or contrast, as far as I can tell, to other masculinity. White masculinity is really always the default and as such is hardly analysed by itself since its considered intrinsic and natural to being human in the first place (and everyone who isnt white - or even male - has been historically considered 'less human')
You took the words out of my mouth. From what I can tell white masculinity is always only ever defined by comparison or in contrast to all other masculinity. We can sort of see why when the idea of white masculinity is basically the default. It sinks into the background because it is the 'normal' and there is no need to define normal. The roots of the idea that white masculinity is naturally and intrinsically human while all other -whether non-white or non-male - are less than human is now so entwined into society for so long that it's not even questioned, esp when the target audience itself is white.
@@nbucwa6621 what how would that even work specially in non southern part of Europe?
Wow, that’s really astute and insightful
@Miles Doyle I'm not sure if Jesus fits the Impossible White Man archetype. His Resurrection is not immediate and I would argue that none of the Gospels, synoptic or otherwise, could be classified as an action film.
I just came across this video and I thought it was really put together. I basically agree with all of your examples, points and just kind of your laid back delivery. Subbed
"Christopher Nolan is an overrated director" is not much of a hot take in the circles I run in, and I don't necessarily disagree. But I'd also be lying if I said I didn't really like Christopher Nolan movies.
best female "everyday person" action star in any movie: Angela Bassett's Mace in Strange Days
I was beginning to think I was the only one who followed Angela. Although her rolls were predominantly in sci-fi genre, her characters totally fits the trope.
I agree!!
YES! I love that movie so much. It doesn't get enough recognition.
Liam Neeson when offered the role for Taken did say, "Do you know how old I am?"
Thank you for reminding me of The Long kiss Goodnight! I stumbled upon that movie when I was probably a bit too young to be watching it..😅 but it always really stuck with me.
Really enjoying your videos and channel btw, and very excited to see your channel's growth in such a short time, especially after the Inside video (which yes, was the first video I watched on the channel, but it was before the Green brother posted about it 😂)
Keep making long videos. Love your train of thought and depth of knowledge.
You are very listenable (Yeah, I'm making up words). I listened for 30 minutes before I realized I had things to do and I wasn't bored, or distracted. You have a great point of view. Yours is a great voice in this space. Thanks for the organization and well researched content.
listenable is a word
The Equalizer is a pretty good show. Queen Latifa is believable in the role and the supporting characters add to the show. I also appreciate her family being fleshed out allowing her character to be more than her job.
I agee.
That's good to hear. I didn't want to watch it in fear of cringe because it looked so bad. Might give it a try.
The only thing I hate about the show is quick cuts to make her look like she can fight. The show has one of the worst fight choreography in history. Hopefully, over time & budget, her trainer gets her to improve
I love Queen Latifah’s version of The Equalizer. Love Lorraine Toussaint as Aunt Vi. The family dynamic is really good.
"The Grey" (Liam Neeson fighting wolves) is actually a terrific existential film that transcends the genre, far superior to all the others.
I can't help but appreciate it. I can see the "toxic masculinity" angle but, grim as it is... It's a thoroughly Atheist film that doesn't flinch from that stance and I appreciate that immensely.
Watched four of your vids now; my new favorite media analysis channel. Subscribed.
The TH-cam algorithm did me a solid finding your channel. I love the takes you gave. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.
First thought, your on-screen setup is great! It's nice to see a real person up here, and you did great!
The reason they approached Frank Sinatra is that die-hard is based on a novel called "Nothing lasts forever" where John McClean is a retired officer in his 70's, who the book describes as looking like an older Frank Sinatra.
Yo this guy's perspective is wild. New to his content. He's explaining concepts in a way that I never thought of or even new that they could be explored in such a way. Wow
I have been binging these videos all day and I am trying to wrap my head around how all of these are this good. This level of consistent top tier quality is is so rare on most other video essays channels. I seriously feel like I hit pay dirt.
That's the ultimate compliment. I know I love when I find a new creator to binge. Also reeeeeal good for the algorithm for you to spend time with me like that. Thanks for the love. New joint next week God willing.
Phenomenal job! I feel like I walked away learning so much! I’m definitely going to turn on post notifications. You have legendary potential. Keep up the great work, young legend!
Awesome! Thank you!
very interesting video! when you mentioned Liam Neeson at the end I low-key thought of that key & peele skit with the valets gushing over action stars. Good stuff man.
Just found your channel, binging it so hard my eyeballs are on fire and my neck is melting. Lol
Thank you for this kickass .. everything.
The Commando guy was called John Matrix, which is just too funny to take seriously, much like the entire movie. Great video!
They just rehashed the concept into The Matrix & John Wick, and called on Keanu to pull it off, which apparently he did.
Also I like this format better, it's a little longer than I normally like in my TH-cam videos but it was a really enjoyable watch.
This seems to be what the algorythm likes... so expect more... and longer lol
Personally I like long TH-cam videos. Don’t know why. Maybe they feel less rushed and less limited
I'm on my 5th ish video of yours and I fully fell in love with you when you said your hot take on Nolan. Thank you for all your great work, stoked for the weekend and the deep dive into your stuff that's incoming.
I really appreciate your videos and channel as a long time cinephile. Very knowledgeable and insightful.
the scene at 23:50 killed me. you explained the male gaze really well as it applies to women who are action movie heroines
This video was fantastic. I like youtube, but I tend to watch some pretty superficial things. Video game content, clothing content.. And there's definitely the occasional thought-provoking discussion there, this was really a refreshing mental exercise. In grad school, there's all these little committees you can serve on to hear and listen to socially progressive things within the relatively safe bounds of academia where statements need to have a logical or data-driven backing. This felt a lot like that. So many damn knowledge nuggets. One after the other, throughout the whole video.
Seriously enjoyed this video man, watched the whole thing and went back to several parts several times to listen again. Thanks for making this video.
I love this love, it was scary showing my face and... fuck my HOUSE! LOL but I'm happy people appreciate my work. And this is def a product of grad school training (peep the books over my shoulder if you want a preview of part two)
Big fan of your content. I started combing your catalogue in early February and I am hooked at this point
insane this was your face reveal btw. I typed that comment before I started watching ngl
Oh man! 🤯 I love your work. This is so great. Thanks for posting it.
34:05 - you forgot to mention Liam Neeson fighting a fence in 35 cuts
Strange Days starting Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett is such an underrated film, plz watch it( black female action star, who by the way saves Ralph Fiennes character, kicking so much ass but also is super vulnerable when it comes to her friendship and romantic attraction to his broken character) it’s directed by Kathryn bigelow. And it’s a Y2K cyber punk murder mystery. It’s soooo good
Will check this out
Yes it is!
@@FDSignifire - bro. Strange Days was written by James Cameron but directed by Katherine Bigelow and this was her follow-up after Point Break. She made me look at female directors in a whole new light man. And this was way before The Hurt Locker
Awesome discussion. You nailed the points solidly without claiming to be all knowing. Most importantly, I learnt something today! Well done 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
LMAO at Snipes @ 20:20
Love the essays, keep them coming
Lol I love this video. I’ve been following Rod and Karen’s TBGWT podcast for years now (they my cousins in my head lol). I’m so happy to see the Impossible White Man concept examined in this long format!!
Two thumbs up for Wesley Snipes!!! He diffinetly didn't get the credit for the portrayal of his characters.
Wesley definitely 👾 needs to be mentioned with the best action stars of his era .
I saw one of your other videos before this and after seeing this I subscribed. Great content.
Finally started watching your videos, and I'm not disappointed. Great stuff so far. Dylan Moran has a great bit satirising this topic and why men are attracted to it as they age. In all honesty I can't say I enjoy these films for the most part, so I can't speak from personal experience. But one thing that's really interesting about that is I quite like a lot of video games that would probably fit this trope, at least somewhat. The thing is, it's more about the gameplay for me than the story, and when I started to develop one of my own, I was conscious of the message this trope sends, so I've been trying to subvert it as much as possible, and although I eventually managed to determine how I'd want to do that, I have to admit it was extraordinarily difficult to do.
Honor, strength, courage, and mastery. These are the things that are attractive to white males in these films. Seeing these traits in the a person that could be themselves is the draw. They don't have to built like an ox, they don't have to be the smartest, they just have to rise to the challenge and endure the consequences of the event. The reward is that they protected their family, or addressed a perceived injustice.
It's the dragon slayer myth brought down to human scales. It's not a racial thing for white people because they don't have to think about things in racial ways explicitly. That itself has racial consequences, and should not be down played in my mind, but from the white perspective white masculinity isn't a thing, it's just masculinity. White people recognize these traits in people regardless of race and feel uncomfortable when race is brought into the equation because it forces them to confront their privileges. They don't want to belive that someone's skin tone can effect their lived experiences negatively or positively, because they want to belive we live in a meritocracy.
This allows them to justify how, and why things are the way they are. Ironically this also leads to the listed representation issues brought up in the video disproving their own narrative. In all honestly I think this video was really well done. As a white male I can only really speak for how I see these films, and the effects they have had on me and those around me who I have talked about this with. That being said I can also recognize and appreciate the critique from other perspectives.
One thing that might increase the popularity of none white males in this type of role is considering the above. If someone's identity is focused on rather then treated as mater of fact it makes white audiences are forced to confront their biases rather then escape to a fantasy world, and that last part is why they go to the movies, they want escape the mundane (making it clear I'm not advocating this position, only addressing it to point out its visible flaw). Like it or not, they are the ones who pay to see these movies. However, that might not be the best approach to take either, and I can recognize that. This allows complacency, it allows people to belive we live in that imagined meritocracy and reinforces the consequences that come from that.
I wish with all of my heart we lived in a world where everyone was as equally as privileged as I have been, but that's just not the case and learning that broke my heart. I don't have any answers to the problem, all I can do is listen, learn, try to be humble, and try to help in my own limited way how I can, when I am able.
Merit helps explains the success of Asian, Indian, even African immigrants in the USA. Intact families and prioritizing education - these count for a lot. White privilege as an explanatory hypothesis is seriously flawed, not only because it fails to account for non-white success, but also because it fails to account for the large disparities between white subgroups. Thomas Sowell has spilled a lot of ink on this subject and it’s worth looking into.
@@snippletrap Definitely we don't live within a meritocracy. Thomas Sowell is a grifter whom you are only pointing to because of his skin color so that you may deflect criticisms. Not all ideas are worth consideration, and I am not obligated to debate or have a conversation with you. Move along fascist, I don't and won't engage with reactionaries or their propaganda.
@@thegridlessheathen4627 Serious thinkers do not shy away from confronting dangerous or offensive ideas. They are intellectually courageous. Cult members, on the other hand, surely know to stay within the bounds of acceptable thought. Much safer there.
@@snippletrap Serious thinkers take seriously ideas worth consideration, and reject entertaining ideas that are not. I'm not obligated to debate if the earth is flat every time some nut job asserts that it is. It isn't intellectually courageous, it's a waste of time and energy.
@@thegridlessheathen4627 What is the unserious nut job idea I presented? That intact families and education are important factors in life outcomes? White privilege has poor explanatory power for the reasons I originally discussed. It is not a hypothesis that accounts for the data and stands up to scrutiny better than competing explanations. And when reactions like yours are so common -- when there is no effort to defend it as a scientific idea with a rational evidentiary basis -- then clearly it is more like a tenet of faith.
Comments are acting funny yall... (as in some are just disappearing for no reason) sorry I'll see if I can figure it out. In the meantime PLEASE KEEP COMMENTING lol. I love and appreciate all of you and the discussions we have.
This unfortunately was NOT one of the comments that got mysteriously erased...
I’ll get you next time Algorithm,next time...
You know that feeling when you've found a channel that you immediately know "oh yeah, ima watch every video on this channel today". I have that feeling. It's a good feeling.
Since I watched your Bo Burnham video, I've been watching so many of your other videos. Honestly I love the way you dissect things!
John Wick killed over 200 people over a dog. Yes, but it was a very cute dog so that movie gets a pass from me
The older I get, the more I like dogs more than I like people
I love the bromance action movies. My current fave is "The Assassin's Bodyguard'. Samuel Jackson coaching Ryan Reynolds in love is so much fun.
I just stumbled on to your channel and it is amazing! I saw Westley Snipes coming. I remember when I was younger and I saw his character Simon in Demolition Man. I thought he was the coolest character ever. Your channel is awesome! Thanks for the great content.
I just found your channel and I'm loving it man! Great work!
Holy shit the Long Kiss Goodnight is such an unsung classic! That ending is so satisfying!
I love it when the algorithms get it right. I've been looking for a channel that does longform videos on a topic I haven't heard a lot about. Looking through the channel after watching this one, I can tell I'm gonna be a very happy dude.
I really appreciate this discussion of character tropes. I'd push the timeline back to Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959), one of the greatest action thrillers of all time. Grant is literally an average white professional guy who is mistaken for being a spy and has to use his luck, wits, and charm to become the hero that everyone mistakes him for being.
We could also point to Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones (1981, 1984, 1989). It is played for laughs at how he's a teacher and an archaeologist who thanks to his mind, some luck, and his American grit singlehandedly takes on the Nazis. That goes back to pulp comics from the 30s-50s where we find similar adventurer characters that Jones is parodying while also serving as an homage. Jones feels like an attainable fantasy and the intentional campiness highlights that. We see the same thing in Die Hard (1988) as you said and then in the Jack Ryan characters that we first really connect with on-screen with Alec Baldwin's portrayal in 1990 with Hunt for Red October.
Love your content. Thank you for giving me things to think about as I consume media.