Maybe circa his involvement with the Free to Be … You and Me project?
I mean, I can sort of picture him being a narcissist in real life in his M*A*S*H days (though I haven’t read much about him one way or another). But I can also see how he might be perceived as sensitive based on aspects of his Hawkeye character and on some of his other work, by fans who didn’t know him in real life.
I think I’ve spoken about it before—“MASH” was funny for the first three years, the Henry Blake / Trapper John era, then steadily went downhill, with unbelievable elements in the final season and final episode.
As for “sensitive male,” television acting success is a matter of what you project, not necessarily who you-the-actor are as a person. Projected warmth has often been the key to TV success—but the actors don’t have to be personally warm, they just have to project warmth. (You younger people here might not remember Arthur Godfrey, but he was the apex of this trend—projecting warmth while not being warm.)
I’ve heard two actors in particular, neither of them Alda, were the polar opposites of the characters they played.
Agree totally on the first three years of MASH being the best.
As for Alda, even his character, Hawkeye, was a self-described egotistical, womanizing, lecherous martini guzzler. Other than Hawkeye’s absolute dedication to saving lives, he really was a big jerk.
And Alda himself? It was said that he bordered on megalomania, believing that anything he said was literally the gospel truth, and heaven help you if you disagreed with him. Whether he was a “feminist” is irrelevant to him being sensitive. I’ve met plenty of feminists who are downright horrid people to be around.
And yes, I agree that actors are not necessarily like the characters they play (and we hope not, for those who play villains). I can think of two off the top of my head who have used firearms extensively in their movies, but in real life, they are very determined anti-gun activists.
(Feminism would’ve worked out if the man-haters hadn’t hijacked it.)
Lots of actors in hit show or movies have let their egos get the better of them. I remember Grace something-or-other (I forget) from “Grace Under Fire.” I never read any specific details, but I’ve read that nobody would work with her after that show ended, even to this day.
Hollywood has a long history of “do as I say, not as I do.” A few years ago, it was said that Hollywood pyrotechnic movies were the second-biggest polluters in California—only the smelters polluted more.
“(Feminism would’ve worked out if the man-haters hadn’t hijacked it.)”
Ew. Take it elsewhere please. There are plenty of places on the internet to be shitty about women’s rights; you can refrain from doing it on my tiny website.
Again, that’s fine, but you have to talk about it elsewhere, because right now you’re making sexist comments and insulting me. I expect basic manners here. There are plenty of places online that don’t have that requirement; you can gripe about women there.
On the one hand, it’s nice to see Nick have some confidence. On the other hand, he definitely needs to cut it out with that retrograde “alpha” nonsense, and maybe also avoid putting Virginia up on a pedestal with terms like “goddess”.
Speaking of Tigerlily, I fear The Man (in the form of NASA) may have finally co-opted her: they are working on designs for a clockwork rover to explore Venus (the Planet of Love), powered by a wind turbine whose energy is stored in… springs. Of course, if Tigerlily got involved, she’d probably have the planet terraformed (by spring-powered robots within the first week…
And just what’s so wrong with Nick thinking of Virginia as a goddess? Even Hitty referred to her as “War Goddess from Robot Heaven” and also “Pain Goddess”.
She does, after all, create life as a matter of course, often with absolutely minimal care taken and completely at whim. What could be more godly than that?
From darkstarling: “(Really, this is just him being petty in Tip’s general direction for sleeping with Doctor Lee when he was trying to date her way back when)”
Well, no doubt that plays a part in Nick’s dislike for Tip, but I maintain that Nick’s primary dislike for Tip is because of Tip’s narcissism and general cluelessness.
Now, Nick is being more than a bit juvenile in crowing about “scoring” with Dr. Lee. However, Dr. Lee was the first to crow about the change in the nature of her relationship with Nick, so one might argue that “she started it”, which suggests that she probably won’t care about Nick’s current (and admittedly somewhat dickish) behavior.
Basically, I would say Tip “asked for it”, so to speak. Nick obviously has some growing up to do as well, but he’s got to get some *meatballs* out of his system first.
Seeing her as a goddess isn’t the same as having a madonna/whore complex. Just because she’s his goddess doesn’t mean he’s got any illusions about her past or her personality. If anything he, as much as anyone else in the strip, loves his SO for who she is and not for who he imagines her to be.
Regarding the goddess status of Ginny, I’m reminded of a cool line from the (very) old game Bioforge (not -shock), where the evil scientist says to his creation:
“Am I your god, because I created you? Or are you my god? For you are the attainment of everything I believe in.”
She did “create” Nick – gave him his first true body, and then a meatbody again (he was “reborn”).
If not the work of a god, then what is this? 😉
So when did he run out and get those scented candles? Besides all of them being kind of on the lam, I would’a thought nailing an actual goddess (I presume Dr. Lee) would’a taken up all his spare time. Are scented candles stocked somewhere in Annex One?
I think it’s Chamucka Man, which was the name of the campus superhero in Shaenon’s much-missed college-set webcomic Smithson. Apparently he’s doing well enough in-universe that he now has his own comic.
Yeah, I think Nick thinks he’s made over enough already.
Surprised Nick didn’t just repeat his previous response: “I will kick you in the marbles.”
At one time, Alan Alda was the epitome of “the sensitive man”. And I can totally see Hawkeye offering an identical response. 😉
And the closest he ever got to an actual goddess was a night cowering in a hut with Hot Lips Houlihan.
I can see him applauding Nick’s response, and adding a few quips of his own about the miracles of enlightenment.
Alan Alda was the epitome of “the sensitive man”?! When was that?!
There were people who couldn’t stand working with him on M*A*S*H because he was so narcissistic.
Maybe circa his involvement with the Free to Be … You and Me project?
I mean, I can sort of picture him being a narcissist in real life in his M*A*S*H days (though I haven’t read much about him one way or another). But I can also see how he might be perceived as sensitive based on aspects of his Hawkeye character and on some of his other work, by fans who didn’t know him in real life.
The ’70s, based on his being a forthright feminist, and I think the image lingers to this day. (Citation needed? Google “sensitive man Alan Alda”)
I think I’ve spoken about it before—“MASH” was funny for the first three years, the Henry Blake / Trapper John era, then steadily went downhill, with unbelievable elements in the final season and final episode.
As for “sensitive male,” television acting success is a matter of what you project, not necessarily who you-the-actor are as a person. Projected warmth has often been the key to TV success—but the actors don’t have to be personally warm, they just have to project warmth. (You younger people here might not remember Arthur Godfrey, but he was the apex of this trend—projecting warmth while not being warm.)
I’ve heard two actors in particular, neither of them Alda, were the polar opposites of the characters they played.
Agree totally on the first three years of MASH being the best.
As for Alda, even his character, Hawkeye, was a self-described egotistical, womanizing, lecherous martini guzzler. Other than Hawkeye’s absolute dedication to saving lives, he really was a big jerk.
And Alda himself? It was said that he bordered on megalomania, believing that anything he said was literally the gospel truth, and heaven help you if you disagreed with him. Whether he was a “feminist” is irrelevant to him being sensitive. I’ve met plenty of feminists who are downright horrid people to be around.
And yes, I agree that actors are not necessarily like the characters they play (and we hope not, for those who play villains). I can think of two off the top of my head who have used firearms extensively in their movies, but in real life, they are very determined anti-gun activists.
(Feminism would’ve worked out if the man-haters hadn’t hijacked it.)
Lots of actors in hit show or movies have let their egos get the better of them. I remember Grace something-or-other (I forget) from “Grace Under Fire.” I never read any specific details, but I’ve read that nobody would work with her after that show ended, even to this day.
Hollywood has a long history of “do as I say, not as I do.” A few years ago, it was said that Hollywood pyrotechnic movies were the second-biggest polluters in California—only the smelters polluted more.
“(Feminism would’ve worked out if the man-haters hadn’t hijacked it.)”
Ew. Take it elsewhere please. There are plenty of places on the internet to be shitty about women’s rights; you can refrain from doing it on my tiny website.
I’m going to stick by what I said.
“I’m going to stick by what I said.”
Again, that’s fine, but you have to talk about it elsewhere, because right now you’re making sexist comments and insulting me. I expect basic manners here. There are plenty of places online that don’t have that requirement; you can gripe about women there.
On the one hand, it’s nice to see Nick have some confidence. On the other hand, he definitely needs to cut it out with that retrograde “alpha” nonsense, and maybe also avoid putting Virginia up on a pedestal with terms like “goddess”.
Damn straight. Tigerlily Jones is the only goddess in this neighborhood.
Speaking of Tigerlily, I fear The Man (in the form of NASA) may have finally co-opted her: they are working on designs for a clockwork rover to explore Venus (the Planet of Love), powered by a wind turbine whose energy is stored in… springs. Of course, if Tigerlily got involved, she’d probably have the planet terraformed (by spring-powered robots within the first week…
And just what’s so wrong with Nick thinking of Virginia as a goddess? Even Hitty referred to her as “War Goddess from Robot Heaven” and also “Pain Goddess”.
She does, after all, create life as a matter of course, often with absolutely minimal care taken and completely at whim. What could be more godly than that?
Nick actually has the right idea. Pedestals are fine, so long as you climb up alongside your inamorata.
Nice thing about putting your lover (regardless of gender) on a pedestal – depending on the height it can offer several new options for intimacy…
Anyone who studies mythology knows that goddesses (and gods) may be wonderful, but are also far from perfect.
That “Alpha Man” nonsense, though, definitely needs to get smacked out of his head. I know just the goddess for it…
(Really, this is just him being petty in Tip’s general direction for sleeping with Doctor Lee when he was trying to date her way back when)
From darkstarling: “(Really, this is just him being petty in Tip’s general direction for sleeping with Doctor Lee when he was trying to date her way back when)”
Well, no doubt that plays a part in Nick’s dislike for Tip, but I maintain that Nick’s primary dislike for Tip is because of Tip’s narcissism and general cluelessness.
Now, Nick is being more than a bit juvenile in crowing about “scoring” with Dr. Lee. However, Dr. Lee was the first to crow about the change in the nature of her relationship with Nick, so one might argue that “she started it”, which suggests that she probably won’t care about Nick’s current (and admittedly somewhat dickish) behavior.
Basically, I would say Tip “asked for it”, so to speak. Nick obviously has some growing up to do as well, but he’s got to get some *meatballs* out of his system first.
Seeing her as a goddess isn’t the same as having a madonna/whore complex. Just because she’s his goddess doesn’t mean he’s got any illusions about her past or her personality. If anything he, as much as anyone else in the strip, loves his SO for who she is and not for who he imagines her to be.
Regarding the goddess status of Ginny, I’m reminded of a cool line from the (very) old game Bioforge (not -shock), where the evil scientist says to his creation:
“Am I your god, because I created you? Or are you my god? For you are the attainment of everything I believe in.”
She did “create” Nick – gave him his first true body, and then a meatbody again (he was “reborn”).
If not the work of a god, then what is this? 😉
I see Lee is having a civilizing influence on Nick (for a near-mad scientist’s value of “civilized”)
Define “near”, please.
This side of raving.
So when did he run out and get those scented candles? Besides all of them being kind of on the lam, I would’a thought nailing an actual goddess (I presume Dr. Lee) would’a taken up all his spare time. Are scented candles stocked somewhere in Annex One?
Tip worked there for years before Tigerlily moved in and made it mobile. Of course there are closets full of scented candles.
Stealing office supplies, then.
Normal cubicle dweller practice. Nick must be getting acclimated. 🙂
What are they gonna do? Fire the (now) heavily armed sapient transport ship?
For all I know, he can order stuff online in between his busy times with Dr. Lee.
The question isn’t so much where he bought them from as it is how they got delivered to a relatively fast moving building with no fixed address.
What’s the title of the book Nick’s reading?
I think it’s Chamucka Man, which was the name of the campus superhero in Shaenon’s much-missed college-set webcomic Smithson. Apparently he’s doing well enough in-universe that he now has his own comic.
Chanucka MAN, apparently. A Jewish superhero mag in this universe?
That’s not any accepted transliteration of Hanukkah, so it’s probably Chamucka Man.