Stallion (sp) was paying us homage with the arctype of the ultimate man and was showing with hard work and determination you can do the impossible.
I agree with this 100%.
bluezulu, you're my moderator and one of the preeminent members of this forum. You have my respect all day long, everyday of the week.
The nazis referred to themselves as the "ultimate man" too, or something approximating that. WWII propaganda movies showing U.S. troops triumphing over the nazis served to illustrate to white America that if they just worked hard and were determined, they could "beat back the hun" and save the world. The same was true for the Russians. Remember the Soviet Red Army Hockey team and the U.S.A. Mike Eruzione-led Hockey team's so-called "Miracle On Ice"? Al Michaels nauseating call, "Do you believe in miracles??? Yes!!!!" If I
never hear that again it will be
too soon.
Yes, the Soviets were great. They were dominant. There is a penchant by many in this country for casting themselves as "David" to someone else's "Goliath". Recall the 1985 NCAA Basketball Championship between Rollie Massamino's Villanova team - which featured black and white players - vs John Thompson's "intimidating" all-black Georgetown Hoya basketball team. They called it "Hoya Paranoia". The game took place years ago, but I can still remember Brent Musburger's enthusiastic call of the game that favored the underdog Villanova Wildcats. I thought that old man was going to have a sexual orgasm on t.v. after Villanova pulled off the upset of Georgetown.
I'm sure you remember the movie "Hoosiers". I never watched the movie all the way through, but I do remember that at the end, the team proved its mettle and redeemed its embattled coach by defeating an all-black high school basketball team in the climactic contest. The movie "8-Mile" was just another version of one of those stupid Rocky movies. The only difference being that the battling was done on a stage rather than in a boxing ring.
Do you remember the 1987 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, game 5 I believe it was, when Larry Bird's steal of an Isiah Thomas inbounds pass led to a Celtic victory over the Pistons and afterward when the mostly-white reporters were gushing about Bird's accomplishment, Isiah Thomas - who had heard more than enough of the praise for Bird - quipped that the reporters (and probably much of white America), must believe that black basketball players emerge from their mother's wombs dribbling basketballs. Thomas was saying that while white basketball players are often credited with being brainy and skilled players, that black players are dismissed as being "naturally gifted". That almost sounds like being called the "archtype of the ultimate man" to me. Many whites always set that standard. They go in to such contests against black opponents in athletic endeavors believing themselves to be the underdog because while they "work hard" and are "determined" they are often going against black athletes who are "naturally gifted, archtypes of the ultimate man."
What? Michael Jordan didn't have to work hard to become the best ever?
Muhammad Ali didn't have to work hard to become "The Greatest Of All Time"?
That's what many white people would have us believe.
Did you happen to watch the movie "Friday Night Lights"? The Dallas Carter High School football team - all-black naturally - were portrayed as big, powerful, athletic, arrogant, naturally-gifted bruisers who probably didn't have to work hard at all to be as great as they were. They were black athletes after all. Conversely, here's poor, "hard-working" and "determined" mostly-white Odessa Permian High School bravely bucking the odds and giving it all they have to defeat the "archtype of the ultimate man" in the guise of high school football players.
I'm going to leave this alone now. As you've said, I should get back to discussing the Panther and Panther-related topics. But I for one will NEVER believe that Stallone was attempting to portray Creed and Lang as the "archtype" of anything other than what much of white America viewed Ali and Tyson to be. One was a flashy, unbeatable big mouth and the other was an unstoppable destroyer. Stallone's intent was to thrill white audiences by allowing them to indulge in the fantasy of watching both of those types of fighters receive their comeuppance at the hands of a white, Italian club brawler.
I'm done now
