Fictional Role Models

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Basically, are there any fictional characters out there that you try to emulate, or wish you were more like?

After recently reading the book version of Thank You For Smoking (BTW, the movies is better), I realized just how much I admire Nick Naylor's ability to argue any position effectively regardless of his personal feelings. The book goes into greater detail about what he does, such as when forced to put a skull and crossbones on cigarettes, he has an advertising agency use forensics tools to recreate what Mr. Rogers's skull would look like, to create a "friendly, neighborly skull" for their product. I strive to emulate his attitude when it comes to debating, since emotional detachment creates more effective arguments.

I've borrowed my user name from Barry Eisler's excellent Rain series of novels, about a half Japanese assassin that always makes his work look like natural causes. Dox is his occasional sidekick, an extremely loyal but unorthodox sniper for hire. I liked his nom de guerre because I too am extremely unorthodox, like to crack wise, and am pretty good with a rifle. 47, for the record, should be expressed as 4 7, the number of letters in my first and last names.

I'm very influenced in my fashion choices by films, at various times I've worn one spur (Desperado), long duster coats (Tombstone), a steel gray suit (Collateral), and have been wearing my black jean jacket that I bought for my Anton Chigurh Halloween costume lately. I like the black jean jacket because it's so out of style that it isn't even ironic, and it goes with the rest of my wardrobe (every piece of clothing I wear is black). The trick to me is to never be obvious about it, I've usually picked up something from a movie years after it came out, so no one thinks it's a reference. I also only wear things that fit my personal style, I loved the sound that wearing one spur made, for example, even though it was completely affected it didn't seem out of place on me.

Vincent, the character Tom Cruise plays in the movie Collateral, really motivated me to improve my shooting skills. I've always tried to shoot regularly, but the way that movie was shot really made me want to improve my gun handling. In particular, the scene in the alley when some thugs make a most unwise choice of mugging target, inspired me and some friends to set up a whole ton of drawing from concealment drills, to try to shave our times down as much as possible. Incidentally, that is a great movie for people like me that know guns and how to use them, it has some of the most realistic and impressive use of a handgun in a film that I've seen, and Tom Cruise is signifigantly improved with gray hair and stubble. He also plays a mean villain, though I didn't like the way they had to end it.

""Basically, are there any fictional characters out there that
you try to emulate, or wish you were more like?""

Not that i know of myself - for me movies is a
different thing, for example if i see shooting in
a regular action movie, i dont connect that very
much to real life, knowing how they make movies,
so it doesn`t make me want to try or do anything
in perticular. For me wishing i was more like a
character in a movie...not sure i can do that,
its hard to relate to a fictional charachter on
a screen, played by a guy i dont even know.
Too many factors there that has nothing to
do with me and my life i feel. To deliberatly
try to look like some character from a movie
is something that would just never strike me
to do, i would feel like i was trying to copy
someone and i dont know, i just dont do
that or think about it, its not something that
fits in my life.

I seem to identify with a lot of the misanthropic characters like catwoman or batman or really really akward characters that're somewhat out of place.

I sort of look at them as role models since we all know that Batman's a hero but has some issues and Catwoman's a good manipulator but she has some issues.

I only say Batman and Catwoman cos those r the only ones I can think of on top of my head right now....

I dont think i could be an actress and i dont deliberately copy people but subconsciously I do, i think. Like the psych was curious to know how well i could copy other people as a child and that is how i got through school. I didnt ever concentrate on what the Teacher would say so i learnt to copy what other children was doing. I never got in trouble. Junior high, no i couldnt concnetrate maths, english any school work really except for PE, cooking, Art and speech and drama. I was like the producer and i got every one acting how they needed to be and our play won.
I can understand catwoman. She is no badder than other characters. She is like cat and some people dont understand cats, thats all. I dont really understand batman and he doesnt look anything like a bat. He looks more like a cat to me.
Cat woman and batman actually act like they have autism, when you think about it. They dont really know how to talk properly and so they act expressive in other ways.
Though, i dont really know Batman that well. I like Spiderman movie.

Freaky plastic surgery people ^ They think they look good but I dont think so.

good eye
he did get surgery and he looks even worse now

I notice some of the actors that're much older look terrible with those plasic surgeries and botox implantations. They look like aliens or something especially the ones that get those big lip jobs.....

(I agree MissConstrue...they look awful!)

Or hillarious....

that-wasn't plastic surgery-just makeup and whatnot Phil had for the video
it looks convincing though

Part of my interest in this is that I've read a number of Autism/Asperger's books that have mentioned this tendency to get through social situations through mimicry, and I'm curious if I might be more influenced by fictional characters because of an impulse to mimic. I do have sort of a talent for it, I remember dialogue from films verbatim without any conscious effort, and can often recite whole scenes with the correct inflections and tones. I was always one of the toughest players to beat at movie trivia games because I remember scenes so perfectly.

Gort

Actually Dox, that's what my social worker and I are framing things as; analyzing my favorite characters to determine what I can emulate from them.

The one I said I want to be like is JP Shibayama from Digimon Frontier. Initially he tries too hard to get friends, which causes him to be rejected (the kids he's trying to win over don't even see it as such since they think he's just performing because he likes to put on shows) and he gets really distrusting. But then he finds out he's the Warrior of Thunder (don't ask me why "Thunder" is an element rather than "electricity" or how even "lightning would have worked better; that's how the show rolls), and he gradually becomes a hero. He gets his confidence, and he learns not to be so over the top about it. And he never gives up himself either--in the last shot of the series, he's standing with the others in a showman stance with streamers out. He got his friends, and is happy with himself.

Plus he saved two worlds. Ya gotta respect.

There are a lot of characters I enjoy, but there are only a handful whom I actually want to emulate:

Integra Hellsing (Hellsing): She's much more logical than emotional; she doesn't let feelings get in the way of what needs to be done. And when she's angry with someone (particularly Alucard), she isn't afraid to let them know.

Seras Victoria (Hellsing): She's very brave in the face of adversity, and clings to her moral values even after being turned into a vampire.

Esther Blanchett (Trinity Blood): Like me, she is on a journey of self-discovery. I admire how kind and altruistic she is.

Miranda Lotto (D. Gray-Man): Even though she is constantly in the throes of depression and low self-esteem, she strives to become a better person and a useful member of the team.

Nia Teppelin (Gurren Lagann): She is always kind and cheerful towards others.

Nunnally Lamperouge/vi Britannia (Code Geass): Despite all the hardships she's endured, she is still a sweet and gentle person.