Reality Check and Uncle Tom

[T.Q.]

I’ve had a stream of 20-something relief workers into my house since Hurricane Dorian blasted through the area.

I have a picture of Magnum on my fridge from when I lost 70 lbs (motivational) that says “Kitchen closed 7pm - 7am.

One young guy said “who’s that... Chuck Norris”.

After giving him the business (feigned outrage)... I showed him my signed picture and he said “who’s that? Your Uncle?”.

Anyways, I was shocked how many young guys don’t know who Tom Selleck is.

With Blue Bloods on the air also shows how few watch network TV let alone reruns of 80s series.

We’ve lost the battle Gents... We’re officially old.

[K Hale]

I would have asked him who Chuck Norris was.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

I would have asked him who Chuck Norris was.

LOL! Good question. Why do so many kids and teens know who Chuck Norris is? Walker ended in 2001.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I would have asked him who Chuck Norris was.

LOL! Good question. Why do so many kids and teens know who Chuck Norris is? Walker ended in 2001.

The answer is simple... tropical madness!

But really, folks, Chuck is a legend. When the boogyman goes to sleep he looks under his bed for Chuck Norris. When Tom reaches that immortal status then maybe we can discuss this more appropriately.

But aside from WALKER TEXAS RANGER... THE OCTAGON, AN EYE FOR AN EYE, FORCED VENGEANCE, LONE WOLF McQUADE, CODE OF SILENCE, INVASION USA, MISSING IN ACTION 1, 2, 3, THE DELTA FORCE 1 & 2, HERO AND THE TERROR, THE HITMAN, etc.

My 2 personal favorites are THE DELTA FORCE and BRADDOCK: MISSING IN ACTION III. Yes, folks, I was weened on Chuck in my formative years. As well as Ah-nuld and Sly and Van Damme and Seagal. Then later I got into James Bond big time (but that's a different story). But there was something about Chuck that made me gravitate towards him. Of course being able to catch a new episode of WALKER every Saturday night on CBS certainly helped.

[ConchRepublican]

I would have asked him who Chuck Norris was.

LOL! Good question. Why do so many kids and teens know who Chuck Norris is? Walker ended in 2001.

The answer is simple... tropical madness!

But really, folks, Chuck is a legend. When the boogyman goes to sleep he looks under his bed for Chuck Norris. When Tom reaches that immortal status then maybe we can discuss this more appropriately.

But aside from WALKER TEXAS RANGER... THE OCTAGON, AN EYE FOR AN EYE, FORCED VENGEANCE, LONE WOLF McQUADE, CODE OF SILENCE, INVASION USA, MISSING IN ACTION 1, 2, 3, THE DELTA FORCE 1 & 2, HERO AND THE TERROR, THE HITMAN, etc.

My 2 personal favorites are THE DELTA FORCE and BRADDOCK: MISSING IN ACTION III. Yes, folks, I was weened on Chuck in my formative years. As well as Ah-nuld and Sly and Van Damme and Seagal. Then later I got into James Bond big time (but that's a different story). But there was something about Chuck that made me gravitate towards him. Of course being able to catch a new episode of WALKER every Saturday night on CBS certainly helped.

I loved Chuck Norris! Lone Wolf McQuade was a fave as was the oft forgotten Silent Rage.

[K Hale]

Guys — I know who Chuck Norris is.

But it begs the question, how would someone be familiar with Norris, but not even recognize Tom Selleck? Both are cultural icons.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

But it begs the question, how would someone be familiar with Norris, but not even recognize Tom Selleck? Both are cultural icons.

Yes they are for Baby Boomers and GenX, but what I want to know is why do they make back to school supplies with Chuck Norris on them? Are grade schoolers and high school kids into Chuck Norris movies or Walker?

[T.Q.]

Was never a huge Norris fan (don't kill me).

Arnie, Sly, Segal, Selleck and Harrison Ford.

[Pahonu]

They know him from the Chuck Norris memes. I’d bet they’ve never seen him in an actual movie or TV episode.

[K Hale]

We need more Selleck memes.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

They know him from the Chuck Norris memes.

Must be a Facebook thing.

We need more Selleck memes.

Agree!

[T.Q.]

They know him from the Chuck Norris memes. I’d bet they’ve never seen him in an actual movie or TV episode.

[Steve]

I'm a baby boomer yet I still knew who the movie and television stars of my parents were and couldn't imagine not knowing the classic films and TV shows, too many to list here. My son is 22 and in College his 2nd year when he told me he was taking a Cinema class I was thrilled beyond belief as I imagined discussing the racism of Birth of a Nation, the brilliance of Charlie Chaplin, the incredible movie Citizen Kane and the genius of Hitchcock movies. The class studied two movies: Pleasantville and Platoon????

[Pahonu]

I'm a baby boomer yet I still knew who the movie and television stars of my parents were and couldn't imagine not knowing the classic films and TV shows, too many to list here. My son is 22 and in College his 2nd year when he told me he was taking a Cinema class I was thrilled beyond belief as I imagined discussing the racism of Birth of a Nation, the brilliance of Charlie Chaplin, the incredible movie Citizen Kane and the genius of Hitchcock movies. The class studied two movies: Pleasantville and Platoon????

Platoon was a great film. It was a game-changer in terms of its shockingly realistic depiction of the war for the foot soldier. I remember news stories at the time describing many vets, like two of my uncles, as being unable to watch the film entirely. One had to walk out and the other avoided it completely. It was still a very raw and controversial topic at the time, largely avoided. Magnum was the first TV show to even touch on it indirectly.

I was a film major and learned about all the films you mentioned and so much more. One class can’t come close to touching on the incredible depth of film history. It seems the class was not a general survey but more an in depth analysis of specific films. I took one class just on the avant-garde like Truffaut and the French New Wave and the neorealism of De Sica.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

I'm a baby boomer yet I still knew who the movie and television stars of my parents were and couldn't imagine not knowing the classic films and TV shows, too many to list here.

Same here, except I'm a GenXer. It's mind boggling that there are adults out there that don't know who Clark Gable, or Bogey, or Gary Cooper are; but they exist. LOL!

I also studied film in college (late 90s) and Citizen Kane was the first movie we watched in Intro to Motion Pictures, but I had already seen it. In that class there were only 3 I hadn't seen before: Seven Samurai, Harold and Maude, and John Sayles' Lone Star (why we watched that one, I still don't know).

Re: Platoon, a few years ago I read a combat narrative written by a Marine who was in Vietnam and he specifically called out that movie as total BS. I was a little surprised since Oliver Stone is an actual Vietnam veteran.