Not literally, I have a pretty good who I AM, but on a deeper level, who am I? Life is full of wicked twists and turns and without showing all of my cards, things are different. Most of them are already tapped out on the table, a series of events and incidents, but that's not really WHO I AM.
I began thinking one day what prototypical type of person I am and started thinking about the contemporary models for adult men that I'm exposed to on a daily basis. These men are:
- Homer Simpson
- Hank Hill
- Hubert Farnsworth
- Stan Smith
- Peter Griffin
- Sterling Archer
Yes, I'm fully aware that they are all animated - and this could easily be a joke post that is full of throw-away references such as Homer choking Bart in each episode, but more to the point, what features of these individuals could be considered substantive enough to make me want to model myself after them in some way.
Model myself after cartoon characters? Surely you jest? No, I don't, because I feel that each of these men, most of them buffoons of some magnitude, have some redeeming character traits. Let's examine them in deeper detail.
Homer Simpson. Ah, yes, the grandest of the buffoon cartoon dads. He makes significant mistakes on a constant basis. He walks a very wobbly line between inane pratfall artist and a doting, deeply devoted father. I suspect that Homer J. actually suffers from adult ADHD. I wonder if Matt Groening and crew would be willing to have Homer see a psychiatrist and get some proper medication. Put him on Adderall XR, and see what the result would be. I bet he'd stop being such a schlub at work, and be super focused on the life that is going on around him, that he's blissfully unaware of. This was the sort of awakening I had not that long ago.
Hank Hill. Dammit Bobby! I had to include Mr. Hill of Arlen, TX, simply because he's the one of the group that I can actually impersonate the best. Another man that wouldn't ever really admit that he's not a perfect husband or father, Hank is always concerned with doing the right thing - no matter the personal cost it brings to bear for himself.
Hubert Farnsworth. The dreamer of the group. Hubert invents things to solve problems that nobody ever knew existed. Hubert is by far the smartest and oldest member of the group. He is inventive, creative, and quite mad by all measures. He's also probably one of the more interesting characters in this profile.
Stan Smith. Works for the government, and is insanely proud of it, no matter how dysfunctional and unethical the group he works for might be. He is blind to the needs of his family, and is quite impaired when it comes to communicating with them. He's totally black and white.
Peter Griffin. Peter Griffin. He sure does like to have fun, doesn't he? He's a big dude... I'm really stretching to find any redeeming characteristics. He loves his wife, not so sure about his kids - as I think he'd sell their souls for a twelver of Pawtucket Patriot beer.
Peter Griffin. Peter Griffin. He sure does like to have fun, doesn't he? He's a big dude... I'm really stretching to find any redeeming characteristics. He loves his wife, not so sure about his kids - as I think he'd sell their souls for a twelver of Pawtucket Patriot beer.
Sterling Archer. No, not really. He's a profane alcoholic lout of a spy, and I don't have anything in common with him. I do love his car, and his quick wit, but neither of those fit me very well. Maybe a freudian desire to have a hot car, hot women and guns, while serving a secret organization doing spy stuff, but I know that's not really me.
So, gentle reader, who am ? That's my problem, I don't know. I'm 48 years old. I don't know who I am. I think honestly that I've got little slices of each of the fictional characters that make me up. I obviously have Homer's hair and belly, like Hank, I'm a Texan, and I have concerns about doing the right thing. Hubert, yes, Hubert Farnsworth, the mad scientist. I actually really do identify with him, quite a bit. I would love to spend my days coming up with solutions to problems that don't really exist.
Stan Smith? I do work for the government, but hope I don't have his worst traits. I probably do have some of his communication problems, but hope it's not because I'm blind to everybody else around me. I'm not touching Peter Griffin. Not even a little.
Sterling Archer - he's probably the least real of any of the animated heroes. I do like his car, and taste in women. :)
Think about yourself. Who are you? If you can figure it out, maybe you can steer me down the right path to discovering who I am.
So, gentle reader, who am ? That's my problem, I don't know. I'm 48 years old. I don't know who I am. I think honestly that I've got little slices of each of the fictional characters that make me up. I obviously have Homer's hair and belly, like Hank, I'm a Texan, and I have concerns about doing the right thing. Hubert, yes, Hubert Farnsworth, the mad scientist. I actually really do identify with him, quite a bit. I would love to spend my days coming up with solutions to problems that don't really exist.
Stan Smith? I do work for the government, but hope I don't have his worst traits. I probably do have some of his communication problems, but hope it's not because I'm blind to everybody else around me. I'm not touching Peter Griffin. Not even a little.
Sterling Archer - he's probably the least real of any of the animated heroes. I do like his car, and taste in women. :)
Think about yourself. Who are you? If you can figure it out, maybe you can steer me down the right path to discovering who I am.
