Who are your Role Models?

[Paisley]

The Lost Art of Manliness thread inspired me to ask this question: who are your role models? They can be living, dead, people you know or never met, even fictional people. They're people you have real or imagined conversations with when you need--you stop and think, "What would this person do?"

Here are some people I admire:

Dave Cribari, one of the partners where I work
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2006/10/23/focus1.html

Judge Judy--watching her show taught me to demand better.

When I am really stumped, I talk to my 80-year-old friend Opal, who has more common sense than anyone else I know.

 

[avedwards]

Broadly speaking I have three.

1. Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes. I know he's only an actor playing a character, but I still appreciate him and his intelligence. However, unlike the book Holmes he is portrayed as more of a human being rather than a thinking machine, which I like as it makes it easier to empathise with him. And just to point out, he's the one on our left.

2. Humphrey Bogart. The way I dress is loosely based on his films (I got into fedoras from him). I don't try to be a "tough guy" like him as only he can pull that off, but I still like his manor.

3. Sean Connery's James Bond. Again, I don't copy his womanising manor, but I like his dry sense of humour which I occaisionally attempt to use.

 

[C-dot]

Ann Sheridan.

This lady was beautiful, talented, classy, and didn't take rigmarole from anyone!

 

[Jennifer Lynn]

A cheesy reply, but my parents.

 

[vintage68]

Two men from the Victorian period, which I just can't get enough of. One fictional, one real:

Sherlock Holmes. His mind is his superpower. I gotta say, even though I'm a huge Jeremy Brett fan, I think the new one coming out on Christmas this year with Robert Downey Jr. will be the one truest to the character as created by A.C. Doyle.

Sir Richard Burton. He lived one heck of an adventurous life: "Do what thy manhood bids thee do, from none but self expect applause".

This from Wikipedia:

Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS (19 March 1821 – 20 October 1890) was an English explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, ethnologist, linguist, poet, hypnotist, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia and Africa as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian, and African languages

 

[Panache]

Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac

He is dashing, uncompromising, intelligent, witty, poetic, romantic, fearless, with incomparable style, and above all embodies panache.

He is a hero for the ages

Cheers

Jamie

 

[HadleyH]

No role models here. I try to follow my own heart.
Why copy our brothers and sisters? Be yourself and enjoy it!

 

[Paisley]

Oh, I love Cyrano de Bergerac! Holmes, too.

Maybe a good one for the Lounge is the Scarlet Pimpernel: rescuer of his French friends during the Reign of Terror. He hid his identity by making everyone think he cared for nothing but clothes, hunting, clothes, cricket, clothes, sailing...and clothes.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

My Grandfather, My Father, Glenn Beck, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Ronald Reagan.

 

[Paisley]

No role models here. I try to follow my own heart.
Why copy our brothers and sisters? Be yourself and enjoy it!

I don't seek to be a copy of someone else. Rather, thinking about people I admire helps me to hold myself to higher standards. Every day, we see and hear people who have less and less dignity. I believe that has an effect on us, and if we don't deliberately swim against the tide, we start acting the same way. My role models help me be who I want to be.

 

[Diamondback]

In deference to his portrayer's recent passing, I'm gonna bump Robert "The Equalizer" McCall to the top of the list.

Maybe I'll post the rest after Thanksgiving...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Not an individual, but a class: the Depression/wartime housewife. She gritted her teeth, and did what had to be done to survive.

 

[dhermann1]

Winston Bloody Churchill!!!

 

[Paisley]

Did you know there is a new biography on Chuchill by Paul Johnson?

 

[dhermann1]

ANOTHER new bio?! I wonder what new information he's dug up. I've read the Manchester books, "My Early Life", the Roy Jenkins bio, Jock Corville's "At the Fringes of Power", and a few others, plus memoirs of many if not most of his contemporaries. Can't get enough of WSC!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Just one, Uncle Claude:

 

[Viola]

My Grandfather, My Father, Glenn Beck, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Ronald Reagan.

Clint Eastwood the man or Dirty Harry/assorted Westerns Clint Eastwood? Just curious. And comparing him with the other celebrities you mentioned.

I guess if I'm going to use actors I should go with Paul Newman - that said, I'm not trying to look like him, I haven't got the blue eyes. lol

 

[Djupis]

If I could only choose one it would definitely be my grandfather, he is truly inspiring.

If I had to choose someone famous though I'm not too sure. There are always elements I admire, but never enough to have them as role models I suppose.

(There's always this guy whose birthday is in a month or so though )

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"I only have Sartorial and Decorating role models, as I do a controlled stagger through life, totally unable to accept sound advice"

"Lord Peter Wimsey"

"Captain Hastings"

"Tommy Beresford" ( Oh that tie belt Polo Coat!!!)

"Lord Merlin" (on right)

"Noel Coward"





Now the decorators

"Syrie Maugham" early 1930's" (Yes she was married to him)

"Jean-Michael Frank" late 1920's

"Biba" Kensington 1973 with the lovely "Twiggy" (Leslie Hornseby)

 

[Shangas]

Sherlock Holmes and James Bond are certainly two.

Holmes shows you to keep your eyes and your mind open to observe the trifles, the little details which are important. Thanks to him, my deductive powers are actually quite good! Yes, it can actually be done - it's not just a literary device invented by Doyle. I've done it myself and it does work.

James Bond showed me one thing, and that was how to dress good.

Another big one is my dad. If my dad taught me anything later on my life, it's to wear what you like, when you like it, and not to give a damn what other people think...because I can assure you, he don't...

I think I should also add George Carlin to my list of role-models. A legendary comedian and one of my favourites. He taught me never to be afraid to say what's on your mind, not to sugar-coat the truth...because it doesn't help it in the long-run anyway...and to face up to the facts, however bad they might be.