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For General Enthusiasts of Badassery
14 years ago
You may think you're a badass. You may think you can create badasses on pen and paper, or even in today's hardcore digital imaging software. You may even fool your friends into believing your badassery, but without a context of what is truly badass you may as well be a babe in the woods.
What makes something or someone badass? Is it lethality? Boldness? Authority? Reckless insanity? Ginormous steel-clad testicles or the feminine equivalent? It is simultaneously all of these things and none of them.
To be a badass in the eyes of the world, one has to have a combination of all of these qualities that is truly rare. Even so, badasses transcend race, gender, nationality, age, and sartorial custom. A man can be a badass even in tights and an ascot that looks like a party favor. A peasant can be a badass given the right equipment and motivation. A 60-year old in the Renaissance or a 15-year old in World War I can be worthy badasses.
Badasses are fundamentally human. They have to be. This is why most people will agree that Batman is way more badass than Superman. They are not immune to failure, and their ultimate ends are not always peaceful or hopeful, yet they persevere and become stronger through intense hardship. They shape history with their often bloody hands, and that is why we love them. The greatest disfavor we can do to badassery is to forget what true badassery is.
And so, if you're in the mood for some re-education on badasses past and present, I can't recommend http://www.badassoftheweek.com/ highly enough. It's an accessible, uproarious look at badasses, many of which will surprise you, and all of which embody the badass ideal in some way or form. The website is simple and utilitarian. You may even question the historical validity of some accounts until you realize that everyone gets a fair shake.
What makes something or someone badass? Is it lethality? Boldness? Authority? Reckless insanity? Ginormous steel-clad testicles or the feminine equivalent? It is simultaneously all of these things and none of them.
To be a badass in the eyes of the world, one has to have a combination of all of these qualities that is truly rare. Even so, badasses transcend race, gender, nationality, age, and sartorial custom. A man can be a badass even in tights and an ascot that looks like a party favor. A peasant can be a badass given the right equipment and motivation. A 60-year old in the Renaissance or a 15-year old in World War I can be worthy badasses.
Badasses are fundamentally human. They have to be. This is why most people will agree that Batman is way more badass than Superman. They are not immune to failure, and their ultimate ends are not always peaceful or hopeful, yet they persevere and become stronger through intense hardship. They shape history with their often bloody hands, and that is why we love them. The greatest disfavor we can do to badassery is to forget what true badassery is.
And so, if you're in the mood for some re-education on badasses past and present, I can't recommend http://www.badassoftheweek.com/ highly enough. It's an accessible, uproarious look at badasses, many of which will surprise you, and all of which embody the badass ideal in some way or form. The website is simple and utilitarian. You may even question the historical validity of some accounts until you realize that everyone gets a fair shake.
Thanks for sharing!