Four More of the Greatest Jobbers in Professional Wrestling History

Goliath.com recently posted an article about the 10 greatest jobbers in professional wrestling history.  It was a great list listing greats like The Italian Stallion, Special Delivery Jones, Jim Powers  and of course the three greatest of all time Iron Mike Sharpe, Steve Lombardi and Barry Horowitz.  When it comes to enhancement talent, and guys who went out of their way to help make other guys shine as much as they could, no one did it better than those three guys.  That's for sure.  However, there are some other jobbers, who Goliath did not include on their list, that I feel deserve recognition.  The role of a jobber has all but disappeared in the world of professional wrestling. A lost art, that is only displayed through the memories of those of us who were around when they were performing.

Phil Apollo

25-30 years ago, us wrestling fans didn't have the internet to look people up and find out about their past. All we had was what we saw on television, what we read in magazines and what we were told by fans who were alive before we were. While Apollo had a fairly successful career in the independents before joining the WWE in the early 1990's, I never knew anything about it. To me he was simply a guy that when I saw him standing in the ring, I knew might get in one or two offensive moves in a 5-7 minute match that would always end with him taking a butt whopping. Apollo was a man's man, who simply got into the ring, did his job, got paid his money and went home.  It's funny to think that in this day in age, where wrestlers are more "normal" sized individuals that he would probably be a mid-card contender. Never had much of a gimmick or a personality, but that seems to be the trend of today's superstars.

Big Bully Busick 

I don't know how you can make a list of "Greatest Jobbers of all time" and leave Big Bully Busick  off of it. Here's a guy that was always fun to watch. For many years of his career, he was a weekend jobber. A wrestler who had a day job as a police officer, who would work matches on his days off and on the weekends when he wasn't busy being a cop. What I loved about Busick, was that despite losing nearly every match, he always gave his opponents a decent match. Looking back, I hate watching matches where the star wrestler, just goes out and destroys  his opponent. I realize that it is supposed to make him look invincible and unstoppable but I enjoyed  the "Busick" type jobber matches much more.  The times when he'd look to have an upperhand, then make a mistake and end up pinned, looking around all confused, "What? Wha?!? What happened!!?!?"  Busick was a very entertaining wrestler, who didn't get all bent out of shape about losing. He made the most of his opportunity and always gave the fans something fun to watch.

Damian Demento 

It's hard to believe, as crazy, out-there and eccentric as the character Damian Demento was, that the person who played him Phil Theis is even crazier. Despite how insane, Theis may or may not be, there is not questioning his talent as a professional wrestler.  Most of the time, jobbers were regular people, with regular names, wrestling in either a plain colored singlet, tights or trunks. They had no personality, no colorful ring gear and there maneuvers and mannerisms were very plain and uneventful. Not Damian Demento. Here's a guy who took the characters of Papa Shango, The Warlord and The Legion of Doom smashed them together and created a very memorable gimmick.  While other jobbers resembled your local school bus driver, Demento made your turn your head and pay attention with his lunatic interviews and whacked out attire.  Despite the fact that he used to do jobs for Virgil, I always took him seriously because of how intimidating his look and personality were. I used to think he was one Hell of an actor, and I still do to an extent. Yet the more I learn about the real life Phil Theis, the more I question if he wasn't simply being himself to a large extent.

Sonny Rogers 

Now I realize that to be fair, Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi are unarguably the best enhancement talents of all time. However, my personal favorite and one that I feel gets the shaft is Sonny Rogers.  I love watching Rogers wrestler, and don't understand why he isn't remembered and loved by more hardcore professional wrestling fans like myself. There have been many wrestlers throughout the years that were great at selling. Mr. Perfect, for example comes to mind. Yet, I don't know if anyone knew how to sell better than Sonny Rogers. He would flop around the ring, taking bump after bump for anyone. When you hit him with a big move, he would act like you shot him with and AK-47.  Hit your finisher on him, he sold for you as if you shoved a grenade down his pants.  I remember once he wrestled Stone Cold Steve Austin  in a match when Austin has first made his transition from The Ring Master to Stone Cold. Austin hit him with the Stone Cold Stunner and Rogers flopped around the ring like a fish out of water as Steve crawled around the mat trying to get a hold of him to pin him. It was hilarious.  There is nothing that Sonny Rogers  wouldn't do to help you get over and make you look like $1,000,000.  He's extremely underrated and someone that some of today's talent should be watching. Professional wrestling is all about entertainment, and Rogers was a top notch entertainer, even though he lost all the time.

Top 10 Wrestlers Who Were Great As Both Faces and Heels

Professional wrestling is an art form that is often depicted by the outside world in unfavorable terms. Yet, one thing that nearly all critics would agree upon, is that it is also a profession that would take an enormous amount of talent, both athletically and creatively to be good at. Some professional wrestlers have a gift at getting people in the crowd to cheer them, care about them and love them. The moment their music hits and they step through that curtain the crowd erupts in applause. Others, have a knack for getting everyone in attendance to hate them. They have the ability to crawl under anyone's skin, making fist clinch and faces frown.

Their have been many professional wrestlers over the years that have had the ability to be great at one, but not the other. As a face, they're one of the all time best, but they failed as heel or maybe it was that they were a tremendous heel, but only mediocre as a face.  For example Ted Dibiase.  He spent his early years as a mediocre babyface, winning the now defunct, never recognized and rarely mentioned WWE North American title. Had he have stayed a babyface, he wouldn't be remembered as the legend he is today. It was turning heel, and becoming the hated Million Dollar Man that allowed Dibiase to showcase his abilities. He is an example of many who never amounted to much as faces, but became immortal as heels.

 Bret Hart, at least in my opinion, would be an example of someone who was a tremendous face, and an at best mediocre heel. Even though he is one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time and in the minds of many the best in ring wrestler of all time, his days of glory were during his face runs. While as a heel in WWE, he seemed to lack the passion and the realism that he had as a face. His words as a face were genuine and sincere, yet forced and scripted as a heel. He seemed very comfortable and in place as a face, and very uncomfortable and out of place as a heel. In WCW, it was even worse. Bret is one of many wrestlers, who shined beautiful and bright as a face, and turned dull as a heel.

So who are the wrestlers who had the ability to make the fans love them as much as they hated them or make the fans hate them as much as they loved them? There have been many.  Here are 10 of my favorites.

10. Hulk Hogan 

It almost seems like cheating. If you count the AWA years, the WWE years and the WCW years altogether Hulk Hogan was the most loved and popular professional wrestler from 1981 to 1996. That's 15 years, of being millions of people's favorite wrestler. It'd be like Jesus joining forces with the devil. That is how serious fans took it, when Hogan turned heel. There will never be another heel turn as effective. Nothing will ever duplicate it. That's why it almost seems unfair to put him on this list. He had to work his ass off to develop the Hulk Hogan character that everyone loved. And because he was so loved, it made being a heel easy. All he had to do was leg drop Randy Savage. That's it. He didn't have to say or do anything else. That alone ripped the hearts out of Hulkamaniacs all over the world. The greatest thing WCW ever did.

9. Razor Ramon 

Annoying, arrogant and obnoxious, when Razor Ramon first came to the WWE in 1992, he was easy to dislike and boo. Fans didn't like him and Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) often had him in the top 5 or higher for their monthly "least favorite wrestler" lists. He posed an immediate threat to Bret Hart's world title and his sneak attacks on Randy Savage, during Savage's matches with Ric Flair drew a ton of heat. Yet a short time later, Ted Dibiase and IRS began making fun of him and "The Bad Guy" soon became a good guy. What's funny, is that his persona didn't change much. He was still arrogant and obnoxious, only he was that way to heel wrestlers and not to face wrestlers or the fans. His energy level was contagious and fans easily gravitated to him. While he never held the WWE world's title, he helped to elevate the WWE's popularity by becoming one of their greatest intercontinental champions ever, and holding the title multiple times. While WCW used his heeling skills to full advantage, it would have been interesting to have seen him get turned on by his fellow NWO members and seek revenge. It seems an interesting angle that WCW missed the boat on, that could have worked, especially when considering his face skills.

8. Bob Backlund

Wholesome, good natured, kind, friendly, honest and true, Bob Backlund was every grandma's and grandpa's favorite wrestler. A little too tame for some, but most loved him, admired him, respected him and looked up to him. He was the type of role model that parents were more than happy to see their kid plopped down in front of the TV watching. He took what could be the violent world of professional wrestling and gave it the touch of respectability and dignity that it needed to appeal to older fans. If you watch wrestling matches from Backlund's heyday throughout the late 70's through the mid 80's, you'll notice a lot of 60 plus year olds in the audience. He was the flavor of Andy Griffith that made them hand over their retirement money, to get a seat at the show. He didn't seem like he had an ounce of meanness or indecency within him. The idea that he could even entertain the idea of being a heel seemed astronomical. Yet, he did it and he did it well. The over the top, strict, crazy and rude Mr. Backlund character that would snap and injure people with his infamous cross face chicken wing, was an immediate heel that the fans loved to see get beat up. Many who doubted whether Backlund had it in him to be a heel or not, later commented that they thought he was more excited and interesting as a heel, than he was as a face.

7. Rowdy Roddy Piper 

Ole Hot Rod. When it comes to the story of the first Wrestlemania and what made it a success, Hulk Hogan's name is always the first to come up. He was the face of the company, the man everyone in the area came to see. The man everyone watching on Pay-per-view had sat down to watch. You know the other name that had just as much to do with Wrestlemania being a success as did Hogan's? Rowdy Roddy Piper. Not to make too many more Christian references, but a Jesus is only as good as his devil, when it comes to drawing crowds and Piper was the man the fans came to watch get beat by Hogan. They hated him and they handed their money over and they eagerly sat in their seats praying that Hogan would get his hands on him. Two years later, in a feud with Adrian Adonis, Piper would turn face and soon become as loved as he was hated. Piper proved that when you pour energy, love, passion and charisma as you can into it, that the fans are going to respond. What made Piper so great, as both a heel and as a face was his emotion.

6. Shawn Michaels

Regardless of the type of person he is in real life Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Good person or bad person in the real world, there's no doubt that in the world of professional wrestling, face or heel, he makes the top 10 list regardless of who's writing the article. As a Rocker with tag team partner Marty Jannetty, everyone in the audience loved him. The girls, young and old loved him for his boyish good looks. The guys loved him cause he was a party animal and the kids loved his cause he was colorful, exciting and fun. When he turned on Jannetty and became the heartbreak kid, every girl wanted to slap him and every guy wanted to jump the railing and deck him right between the eyes. Then when it was time to turn face again, he went right back to being a heartthrob for the ladies, a man's man with the guys and the fun, lovable character for the kids. Then when he became heel again, he somehow managed to be even more irritating than he had been as the heartbreak kid. He was never mediocre during anytime of his career. People either absolutely loved him or they outright loathed him. With Shawn, there was never an in between.

5. Doink The Clown 

Most heel wrestlers simply annoy, irritate and anger fans. Few downright scare them. Doink did. When his eerie music began to play, the smiles on the faces of boys and girls quickly turned to frowns as they grabbed for their parents and held on tight. He'd even make a few cry every now and again. His character was so real, so believably evil that kids were changing the channel when he came on the TV. Many parents didn't let their kids watch horror films, out of fear that it'd give them nightmares. Doink was no different and that's probably why his heel run was cut prematurely and he turned face. Now he was a better heel, but his face fun was still pretty successful. How he was able to go from the clown that made kids cower and cry, into the face that made the laugh and smile was nothing short of impressive. For most people clowns are either entities of phobia or triggers of laughter. Doink was able to capture the essence of both with impeccability.

4. Jerry "The King"  Lawler

In other parts of the world, the debate on the most popular wrestler of all time will forever wage between Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ric Flair, the Rock and a handful of others. In the state of Tennessee, in particularly in the cities of Memphis and Nashville, the most popular wrestler is without question Jerry The King Lawler.  It is said, that even during his first run as WWE heavyweight champion, that Hogan found himself being out-cheered by Lawler when he wrestled against him in Memphis. If you ever want to hear a loud pop, find video of Lawler wrestling from the 80's and you'll hear cheers that are deafening. Yet, when he went to WWE in the early 90's, he rightfully earned "most hated wrestler of the year" in PWI's 1993 rankings. Somehow or another, even though fans had to have seen his behavior on WWE television, he was still cheered as a fan favorite in Tennessee for years. It took a long time after his initial heel turn in WWE, before he turned heel in the volunteer state. It's a shame that most professional wrestling fans only seem to know, care and pay attention to things that happened in nationally televised wrestling promotions, because overall, heel and face, Lawler was one of the best.

3. Goldust

One of the most underrated wrestlers of all time, Goldust was immensely popular as both a heel and as a face. When he first came to the WWE in 1995, he pushed the envelope and he pushed it hard. Even if you weren't homophobic, he shoved a gay, creepy, perverted persona uncomfortably into your face as hard as he could. As a result, fans absolutely hated the guy and WWE did a  great job of building up the tension as he mowed through Marty Jannetty, Bam Bam Bigelow and Razor Ramon for the intercontinental championship. Fans wanted to see him get his brains bashed in and he escaped one beating after another through cheating or sly cleverness. When Roddy Piper and Ahmed Johnson finally gave him the beating he deserved, fans went ballistic with pleasure. A short time later, he began a feud with Hunter Hearst Helmsley and the fans went from wanting to see him get his ass kicked, to wanting to see him kick ass. He soon became a fan favorite and fans were cheering him just as loudly as they had been booing him.

2. Jake "The Snake" Roberts 

He could be a heel on Monday, turn face Tuesday, turn back to a heel on Wednesday and then back to a face on Thursday. Friday he could be a heel again, take the weekend off and easily come back on Monday as a face. That's how good he was. Throughout his WWE career, he had many runs as both a face and as a heel. One would think as many times as he turned that fans would have stopped forgiving him after a while and stopped cheering him as a face. Yet, when you're that good, as mentioned before, you could change from face to heel, heel to face on a daily basis and still get over with the fans. People through around the word psychology in the world of professional wrestling, like raindrops in a storm. Yet few are able to capture the meaning of the word in the way Roberts was. He understood how to get into the minds of people and into their hearts. How to draw emotion in the fans. They may like another wrestler, but when Jake was a face, they loved him. They may dislike another wrestler, but when Jake was a heel, they hated him. Only one wrestler that could do it better.....

1. Randy Savage

Intensity, passion and emotion. Randy Savage had it all.  He could draw huge crowds as a heel and he could draw huge crowds as a face. Whether they came to see him cause they loved him or they came to see him cause they hated him, the fans came to see Randy Savage. His initial heel run in the mid 80's, saw him the top heel in the WWE. He quickly turned that into a late 80's run as the WWE's top face, the first face may it be added that the WWE trusted to hold the world's title instead of Hogan. Then, he turned around and became a top heel again in the early 90's, only to turn face again a short time later. Fans often point to his match with Ricky Steamboat as being the all time greatest match, and it certainly is in contention. It should also be noted that he had the best match at Wrestlemania VII (against The Ultimate Warrior) and Wrestlemania VIII (against Ric Flair) as well. Heel or face, he could be used in any which way, to draw a ton of money.  Few may have been better faces and few may have been better heels, but when combining the two, Randy Savage takes a backseat to no one.

OWN IT!

I've experienced it many times in my life. Two times, in the last two weeks. I've been guilty of it before too. People acting/behaving in a way that others would label in an unfavorable or negative way, and not taking ownership in that label, because of the negative connotation associated. The only thing I hate worse than a person lying, is when that person is caught lying, it has been proven that they lied and the continue to deny that they lied. On top of it, they become angry with you if you call them a liar.

People want to lie, but don't you dare call them a liar. People want to contradict themselves, but don't you dare call them a hypocrite. People want to use ever racial slur and refer to minorities with only negative comments, but call them a racist? What?!? Them!?! NEVER!!!

My roommate Joel occasionally smokes a cigarette, but he gets antsy with me if I tell people that he smokes. His response is, "I don't smoke. I just occasionally have a cigarette."  It drives me nuts.  I'm turning 31 years old on May 22nd. I had a cigar on May 22nd, 2006 and then I had another cigar in mid December, 2015. At this rate I have a cigar once every 10 years, far less than the one or two a week that Joel smokes. If someone ask me if I smoke or not, my response is, "I've had two cigars in my life." To me responding, "No" means that you do not smoke. Or at best you have smoked in the past, but you do not now and you don't plan to in the future. Not, "Well, since I don't smoke two packs of smokes a day, I'll say that I don't smoke."

I went in circles the other day with a friend of mine who insisted that I was out of line when I called him discriminatory against homosexuals. He kept on insisting that he wasn't. Finally our conversation ended with me saying, "So, let me get this straight. You are ok with anyone adopting a child, just as long as that someone is not gay?"  To which he replied, "Yes."  Bang.My.Head.Against.The.Wall.

Then another discussion where I called someone a hypocrite and someone came to the defense of that person with excuses....albeit justifiable excuses...as to why the person did what they did. I agreed with the defender that the person had justifiable reasons for doing what he did. I agreed that many people in his position would have done the same thing. I even agreed that others have committed sins far greater than him. But you know what? I still referred to him as a hypocrite.  Why? Because HE IS.

I had a guy in Iowa City I was friends with for a few years. I am no longer friends with him. He is one of the most not liked human beings in Iowa City. People would ask me all the time, "Why are you friends with that guy?"  "He's a prick!"  Yes, he was a prick.  You know what I liked and respected about him the most? He admitted it!! He OWNED it.  All the time? No, but he would on more than one occasion say, "Oh yeah, I'm a total asshole." That's more than most people are willing to do.

Two years ago, I called UBER out for underhanded moves and monopolization tactics that undermined the integrity of capitalism. This past September, I joined the UBER team. C.J. Wurpts, one who demands a respect he's unwilling to show within his own right, called me out. He called me a hypocrite. It crossed my mind to defend myself. I thought of justifications. Then I asked myself to be honest.  You know what? C.J. was right. My response back to him was, "I agree. In this particular case, I am a hypocrite."  I OWNED it.

I'm not attracted to overweight women. I do not find obesity to be sexually stimulating or attractive. For years, I would deny and strongly resist anyone referring to me as shallow or superficial. I knew people far more shallow and superficial than myself. People I love and admire more than I do most people, were heavier people. I didn't want them to think of me as shallow or superficial. You know what? Not wanting to be romantically or intimately involved with someone because of the way their body looks is STILL shallow. It is STILL superficial.  So am I superficial? Am I shallow?  To a degree, you bet I am.

Of course this can be a rather subjective discussion, but there is a difference between having a difference of opinion and being in crystal clear denial.  You think that white, heterosexual Christians should be treated  with superiority and granted rights, privileges and advantages over others? Well, great! But don't say, "No, I'm not" when someone calls you a bigot. Yes, you are.  OWN  IT!

My Top 10 Most Satisfying Movie Endings

10. The Departed

Let's tap into the part of my psyche that gives people merit to call me strange. Truth is, I didn't care all that much for The Departed. I'm not much of a Mark Wahlberg fan and the movie didn't do much for me. It's ironic, because I often complain about movies that are generally good overall, but are in partial ruined because of a bad ending. An example would be Stephen King's It. Now I'm doing the exact opposite. I'm mentioning a movie I find mediocre in general and praising its rewarding and satisfying ending. Towards the end of the film, you are left to think that Colin Sullivan is going to get away with it and suddenly out of left field Dignam shows up and as John Lennon would say, "Instant Karma."  The reason why this scene is so rewarding to me, is because the rest of the film hands us one injustice after another, thus making the moment of justice all the more rewarding.

9. Free Willy

I love this ending. I love everything about this ending.  From the story, to the acting, to the cinematography to the musical score.  Everything about this ending is right. To me the whole movie and this scene especially, is about freedom. Jesse freeing himself from fear and doubt and learning to trust his adopted parents. Glen freeing himself much in the same way Jesse did. I love it when Jesse ask Glen to help him and Glen backs the truck straight into the water. I realize Michael Madsen has a huge arsenal of roles to his name, but his role as Glen is by far my favorite. He almost always plays sleazeball gangsters in films, and I don't get why, as he was excellent as the tough-love father figure here. Then of course, I have to mention the literal freedom of Willy.  There are many times in my life where I've felt trapped. I've felt as Bruce Cockburn would say that I'm, "pacing the cage."  When Willy takes that risk and he jumps over those rocks and into freedom I feel as if a locked door has been opened.  It makes me feel free.

8. Teen Wolf 

Teen Wolf is one of my top twenty films of all time. When I was little there was a spin-off cartoon series I used to watch on a regular basis. I was unaware of the film. Yet one day when my mom took me up town to rent a film, there it was. I took it home, watched and I've watched it over 100 times since. The film's ending has always been special to me, but as I've gotten older it's gotten even better. When I was little, it was all about Scott showing Mick up and winning the basketball game. Now it's more about Scott becoming a man and discovering the true rewards in life. I can't think of a movie that has a more clever way of portraying puberty. When Scott brushes past Pamela and goes to find Boof, I want to reach through the screen and give him a high five. We don't win that often in life, but God when we do, does it feel good. Teen Wolf's ending reminds me of that.

7. The Best of Times 

I think film makers made the right choice by making this film a comedy, but it could have just as easily been made a drama. Matter of fact, I've always watched the film as a drama. I've never seen the film as the hilarious, comic relief that most do. To me the character of Jack Dundee is all to real. It hits very close to home. It seems far fetched to think that the ending of a football game would bother someone twenty years after it happened and that they'd think about it all the time and let it bother them on a daily basis. That's why the film needed to be a comedy in order to have an audience. Most people couldn't relate to a character who would do such a thing. I can. I know what it's like to want let past failures haunt you. I know what it's like to often find yourself wishing you had something to do all over again. For me it wasn't football, it was high school wrestling, but the feelings are the same, even if the activity is different. Jack would give anything to be able to go back and catch that ball and I'd give anything to step on the mat again with Daniel Garrett. It's why the ending of the film is so rewarding to me.  Watching Jack catch the ball and finally let go of the pain and regret that has burdened him most of his life. I'm much more over the fact that I wasn't the great high school wrestler that I wanted to be, now, than what I used to be. Yet, it still bugs me. There are days when it downright depresses me. Yet, I know that there will be a day when like Jack, I catch that pass and I score that touchdown. I think that day will come when I professionally publish my first novel. Matter of fact, I'm certain of it.

6. Rudy 

I like Joe Montana and I put him as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of football, but I think he was out of line with his negative comments about Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger and Rudy. We're not all born with immense talents and abilities. Montana can claim that he worked extremely hard to be as good as he was, and he probably did. Yet, he worked hard as an extraordinarily talented man, who was born with natural gifts and abilities that most people don't have. In some ways I think Montana is jealous or angry that someone not nearly as talented or as good as he was, is just as recognizable a name in Notre Dame football history as is he. Maybe Montana feels that because Rudy wasn't talented, that he didn't deserve his moment in the sun and that glory should only be granted to the gifted.Well, he can feel however he wants to feel, but success cannot be denied to those who will do anything to get it. Never give up, that's the message of the story.  And the ending, exemplifies why.

5. JAWS

"Smile you son of a bitch!"  Is there a more epic line? I have no problem thinking deeply and getting all philosophical on why an ending is captivating to me with a sophisticating explanation, but sometimes it is no more than because it is exciting and it is fun. The stakes are extremely high, Brody knows this is his last chance and it's either him or the shark. Even though I've seen the movie 1,000 times between owning it and not changing the channel when I run across it on TV, and I know what is going to happen, I still experience a sense of urgency. It's a fun ending.

4. Leon: The Professional 

Usually endings either piss me off or they make me happy. Rarely do they ever do both at the exact same time. Matter of fact, I can't think of any other film that does. The bittersweet ending of injustice and justice colliding to give us such a unique ending, is rather satisfying in a strange way. It's heartbreaking to know that this isn't going to end happily for Leon and Matilda, yet it's rewarding to know that Stansfield is finally going to get what we've wanted to see happen to him the entire film. Great films toy with our emotions, and few do as well with that technique as Leon: The Professional. 

3. Rocky III

I haven't seen Creed yet, but out of the other six films, Rocky III is my favorite. I love the story of a man who has lost his mentor and his edge, his killer extinct and his hunger and how he gets it back through the help of an old enemy who turns out to be one of his best friends. To watch him walk into the ring, already knowing he's won the fight before it even takes place is inspirational and motivational. One of the worst feelings is to give up on yourself and lose the fire that burns within you to succeed. Seeing that fire relit as Rocky takes it to Clubber Lang, knocking him out is a rewarding experience every time I watch the movie. Having been involved in a competitive one on one sport like boxing (amateur wrestling) I know the truth in developing friendships and strong bonds with your opponents. The friendship between Balboa and Creed, I think is one of the things that makes this film work as well as it does for me. Watching Apollo, his former greatest enemy in the ring, push him and refuse to give up on him, wanting to see him succeed.....Love this film, love its ending.

2. Superman II

To be clear, I'm talking about the original theatrical release directed by  Richard Lester. As a more liberal minded individual who usually tries to solve conflicts diplomatically, I have to say that sometimes it feels good to kick ass. I still believe that all other avenues and solutions should be exhausted before one resorts to violence but sometimes it is the answer. I can remember the first time I saw Superman II. I was only four years old at the time, but I remember it well. All hope was lost and the bad guys had won. Then suddenly Superman starts to crush Zod's hand and all hope is restored.Some people like Richard Donner's version better where Zod and his gang are once again imprisoned and prefer it over Lester's version where the three of them are killed. They say it goes against Superman's nature to kill and they feel it is out of character. Normally I would agree, but Superman knew the probability of Zod's escape and the dire consequences that would result if he were to have won. He could not put the Earth or the people of the Earth in such jeopardy again, thus in this particular case killing Zod was a decision of thought,rather than personal vengeance. This film reminds me of my childhood and how watching great films like this helped me to develop my imagination and create my own stories. Sometimes when watching it, I forget that I'm a 30 year old man with my own home in my own living room. Sometimes I still picture myself back at my old house in Sigourney, Iowa, with my Dad, sitting on the living room floor watching Superman kick ass. It's very nostalgic for me.

1. The Princess Bride 

I've seen The Princess Bride 100's of times in my life, and each time I fall in love with the sub-story of Inigo Montoya and his determination to avenge his father's murder. I admire dedication, and I admire those who dedicate their lives to achieving their goals, working extraordinarily hard to make them happen. The character is written so well, and played so impeccably by Mandy Patinkin, that I find myself wanting him to succeed in his quest, as much as he wants to succeed. From the moment he tells his story to Westley, up unto the final confrontation between him and Count Rugen, the movie builds the anticipation. My heart sinks, every time I watch the scene where Count Rugen throws the knife into Montoya's belly, and it seems that failure is inevitable. I cannot stop my eyes from tearing up when Montoya utters the words, "I'm sorry father, I tried." I feel cheated. I feel wronged and for a moment I hate life for how cruel and unfair it can be. Then out of nowhere Montoya continues to fight, because his determination is greater than even he knew. He continues to fight because the will to succeed is greater than the force of fate that tries to stop him. He refuses to lose, even if it is subconsciously. When he finally gets his revenge and says, "I want my father back you son of a bitch" it is the most rewarding thing I've ever witnessed in cinema. He does not experience the moment of relief and the moment of victory alone. I am there, sharing it with him.

  

Welcome to the Fourth Reich (Parody)

(PARODY OF BAD MOON RISING BY CCR) 

I see a fourth Reich arising
I see racists have their say
I see animosity heightening
I see our nation in decay

Don’t be gay tonight
Well he’s bound to take your rights
welcome to the fourth Reich

I see hostility a growing
I fear minorities are doomed
I see liberties forgoing
I see white males a constant shoe-in

Don’t be a woman tonight
well he’s bound to take your rights
welcome to the fourth Reich

Justice is about to leave altogether
Equality, is about to go bye-bye
Hell, a result of his bellwether
This is the Fourth Reich

Don’t be non-Christian tonight
well he’s bound to take your rights
welcome to the fourth Reich 

The real racism in Hollywood.

One of the hot topics so far in early 2016, is that of racism in Hollywood. The annual Academy Awards and how they're racist. Now of course everyone has their opinion on the subject. Some agree that indeed their is racism in Hollywood, the Academy Awards in particularly and others disagree saying that there is no racism in Hollywood. Still others fall somewhere in the middle, with their views on the subject.

Nevertheless, regardless of where you stand.... the issue of racism in Hollywood is primarily...I could actually get away with saying solely...focused on the black community. Are blacks treated fairly in Hollywood or are they not? Personally, I see why the black community feels discriminated against. However, comparatively speaking, they are not nearly as discriminated against as other minority groups. 

If asked to name as many black male and female actors as I can off of the top of my head, I can easily come up with 28 and I can easily put together a top 10 favorite black actors list. Matter of fact, two black actors, Eddie Murphy and James Avery, are easily in my favorite actors of all time list. I will say that male black actors have more of a strong presence and acceptance in Hollywood, than female black actors, but overall compared to other minority groups in America, the only ones who have it better than blacks, are whites.

Which raises this question: Should we take into account that blacks only make up 13.2% of Americans?  Does that have something to do with why they are underrepresented in Hollywood?  I think it's a fair question to ask.

Now Latinos/Hispanics, I think fall into a similar category to blacks. At 17.4% of the American population, they too have a similar position in Hollywood. Once again, I can come up with a top 10 favorite Latino/Hispanic actor list and I can think of 25 Hispanic/Latino actors off the top of my head without too much effort. Do they deserve more credits and recognition? Absolutely, but again comparatively speaking in regards to other minority groups, they have it not too bad.

So where does racism in Hollywood really rear its ugly head? Against Asians and especially against Native Americans.  I can't come up with a top 10 list of favorite Asian Actors. I can only come up with a list of seven. Overall if I really rack my brain and try extremely hard, I can come up with damn near 20 Asian actors altogether.

Native Americans are even worse. I can't even come up with 15. As far as my favorites, I can only come up with six.  When it comes to Asian and Native American actors, I'm not going to just throw a name out there because I did a quick google search on "Asian Actors" or "Native American" actors and the names were provided.  I'm going to go based on performances I've seen, and thought were very good. 

You know what I've noticed?  That once again, men, like they did in the black community, also have it better in the Asian and Native American community than women do.

You know what else I've noticed? That even the really good Asian and Native American actors, don't have a lot of major credits to their names. Matter of fact, unlike the Denzel Washington's, the Will Smith's, the James Earl Jones', the Eddie Murphy's, the Whoopie Goldberg's, the Danny Glover's, the Halle Berry's, the Wesley Snipes', and the Louis Gosset Jr's they don't have the respectable list of hit movies, with respectable leading and/or supporting roles. Matter of fact, their acting credits are more of a mixture of maybe one to three larger roles, mixed in with a bunch of minor roles in A list films and then a ton of television show appearances and B films.  And this goes for actors who are extremely talented.

Want some examples?  Here you go.

Let's start with the Asian community.

B.D. Wong

Now, I'd imagine that you are fairly familiar with the actor B.D. Wong, as he's one of the few Asians to be granted a respectable and notable career in Hollywood. I'd say that is strongly because of his work on the highly popular Law and Order: Special Victims Unit television series. Other notable roles that he has played include parts in Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. I personally adore him in Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride Part II. He showed off his versatility to play both serious parts as well as hilariously funny parts. Yet comparatively speaking, even though he's a well known Asian actor, his list of credits pales in comparison to that of any major white actor and even of most major black actors.  Why is that? Are parts written primarily for white and black actors, and not for Asian actors?  Some like to claim that when they write a character in a film's story, they do not give him/her an ethnic background. So, essentially the part could go to anyone, regardless of their race. If that is the case, then why doesn't this gifted actor have more top notch films on his resume?

 

 

Jason Scott Lee

You know who has it even worse than B.D. Wong?  Jason Scott Lee. After his Oscar and Academy worthy appearance in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story it would have seemed that JSL would have had an illustrious career full of one major credit after another. Instead, his work has been sporadic and most of the films he has been in have been forgettable to say the least. Personally I don't get it.  The guy is exceptionally talented, especially at dramatic acting. He's every bit as good as a Kevin Costner or a Leonardo DiCaprio. So why don't his credentials reflect that? Because he's Asian. There's really no other way around it. He's Asian and because he's Asian those major parts in major films, don't get offered to him.



Other Asian actors I feel are extremely talented and have gotten the raw end of the deal.....

Now, we move on to Native Americans, who out of all groups in Hollywood are most certainly the most underrepresented. Now you may argue that statistically and demographically that it would only make sense that they would be. Native Americans only make up 1.2% of the American population. I think that's a fair statement, but once again, there are Native American actors who fall victim to the same fate as B.D. Wong or Jason Scott Lee.


For example....

 

Graham Greene

Graham Greene may very well be the most recognizable Native American actor amongst Americans today. In my opinion, he is not only one of the greatest Native American actors of all time, he's plain one of the top 50 actors. His work in Dances With Wolves and The Green Mile help to illustrate that, but it also helps to illustrate the discrimination that is in Hollywood.  What else has he really done besides those two films? The lackluster film North exploited him as a novelty and other than that, he hasn't done a whole lot other than work on the television series Northern Exposure. Again, a classic example of someone with immense talent, not being used, simply because he isn't white or black.

Adam Beach

Adam Beach is probably the closest to a B.D. Wong that the Native American population has. He is fairly well know, again ironically because of his work in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and he has had a fairly respectable career in Hollywood with credits to his name such as Squanto and Smoke Signals, but his career does not even come close to reflecting how good of an actor he is. Why? Because once again, he's a Native American and that alone is keeping him from getting parts. If a white man or even a black man, had the talent he possesses as a Native American, that person would have twice to thrice the number of notable credits to his name.



Let's bring up Litefoot. Are you familiar with Litefoot?  Here is a picture of him.......

Litefoot

 

You may not recognize this Native American rapper upon first glance, but I guarantee that if you were a kid in 1995, you most likely know him.  He's Little Bear from the hit film The Indian in the Cupboard.  It was clear to see from that film alone, that Litefoot had talent and that he should have at least had a working career in Hollywood. Yet, he didn't.  And as a result of struggling to find work as an actor, he has since taken his talents into other endeavors. Should he have had to though? Should someone of his talent had to have gotten out of the acting gig and into the rapping gig, partially because of how hard it was to find work? I don't think so. But, it is the way that it is, because opportunities for Native American actors in Hollywood, are few and far between.



Other Native American actors that I feel have gotten the short end of the stick in Hollywood.....

 

 

Now you may think to yourself, "August Schellenberg and Will Sampson are both dead."  And that's true, they are. It's also true that Sampson died way too young and may have had another 10-15 years left in Hollywood, if he had not passed away so prematurely.  Yet, I still think it's safe to say that his opportunities would have been limited because he was Native American.



So overall I conclude this.  Yes, racism, whether blatant or accidental exist. Or perhaps if we don't want to call it racism, we can at least say that it is racially insensitive or in the very least, set up to opportune the white community more than it does any other.  We can also say that while members of the black community face oppression and an assortment of other challenges in Hollywood, that it is unfair and irresponsible to primarily focus on the black community on issues of race in Hollywood. The Latino/Hispanic and especially the Asian and Native American communities need to be a part of that discussion as well. The discrimination they have had to endure is far greater in many respects, and it should not be overlooked or ignored.





Books read in 2016

1 - Guitar Notes - Mary Amato

2 - Call Me By My Name - John Ed Bradley

3 - Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes - Chris Crutcher

4 - Does my Head Look Big In This - Randa Abdel-Fattah

5 - Sasquatch in the Paint - Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld

6 - Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

7 - Wired for Story - Lisa Cron

8 - The Game - Mike Lupica

9 - Cowboy Up - Kim D. Parrish

10 - Every Exquisite Thing - Matthew Quick