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Post by malfunkshun on May 19, 2010 8:43:35 GMT -5
Growing up as a wrestling fan, I quickly realized that wrestling was a 'man's world.' Most importantly, there weren't many outlets for a young, blossoming, luxurious female like myself. However, upon catching that first glimpse at Torrie Wilson, I knew it was (fangirl) love at first sight. I just thought she was so sexy and so sweet and so charismatic. Not to mention, her body is to die for! I wanted to be just like Torrie. It warms my heart to know that she is such a lovely/inspirational lady after all these years (although, her tweets are at times questionable). I like to think it's modeled me into the Beautiful Person I am today. Anyway, who did YOU look up to growing up, NHB?  Torrie thanks you for your time. |
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Post by bfizzle on May 19, 2010 8:53:40 GMT -5
For starters, there was Jason, the Red Ranger. Those were probably the years when I was the nicest I ever was. Giving the other kids in the classroom a turn with the toys and what not. I often thought to myself, WWJD?
Then, when I was six years old, my life changed. I watched Clueless. I realized then that there was a world out there bigger than my little town, and that I was meant for it. Plus, I totally wanted a computer that would pick my outfits out for me.
And lastly, Sarah Michelle Gellar. Through Buffy I realzed that people's predetermined judgements of me could be used to my advantage. People may brush me off or not take me seriously, but that only catches them off guard and gives me the lead when I send for that ass.
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Post by b_Pooly on May 19, 2010 9:20:47 GMT -5
Jason Voorhees.
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Post by BigFaker on May 19, 2010 12:33:52 GMT -5
Shawn Michaels - Was the first wrestler that I liked, I liked his attitude and was inspired by how he was the 'little guy' beating all the big guys. No doubt about it, I absorbed a lot of inspiration form the 1990's HBK, and it wasn't always easy. My house was predominately a Bret Hart house, my brother and sister preferred him and my dad quite liked the Hitman too. Naturally with me being the youngest they'd love to wind me up about Shawn, keep calling him gay, shit etc. etc. which would always result in me busting out some rogue 'chin musics in his defence.
Lucas Radebe - I'd be surprised if any of you guys know who he is, but we refer to him simply as 'The Chief'. Played for the Kaizer Chiefs (Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs are named after him), Leeds United and South Africa. World-class defender and one hell of a gentleman to boot. I met him once when I was about 6 or 7, I'd just bought his picture from the club shop. He stayed and talked to me and my dad and brother for about 20 minutes! Granted I could barely understand anything he said to me at the time, but he was patient and made sure we were looked after. Even got me in as a ball boy for Leeds United. He's also overcome a lot of hardships in his time, getting shot in the leg and hip in South Africa near the beginning of his career, his wife dying young of cancer and he passed out a couple of years ago due to heart complications. Always has a smile on his face and is an ambassador for South Africa, looking to help kids and get them out of gangs and violence and into sports. Nelson Mandela even called him his hero.
Sir Bobby Robson - Always had a lot of time for Sir Bobby, was a great manager, friendly approachable person and beat cancer numerous times before it sadly claimed him. He was like the nations favourite Granddad.
And this will seem a bit mushy but it's true - My Dad. He's always been there for my me and my sister and brother. Harder to find a nicer, easier-going funny guy IMO. He was solid as a rock by us 3 when my mum walked out on us when we were young, gave up his career to ensure we were fully looked after and made sure we were never found wanting. As a bloke to single-handedly raise 3 children I think he's done a great job. While doing so he had to deal with the loss of his own mother, his step-dad, and 2 of his elder brothers within a matter of months, but he still kept it together. My biggest hero, and he does know it. He even found it in his heart to take my mother back after years of her absence, despite what we warned him!!
That's enough soul-searching for now, it's starting to make me feel sick. Think I need to take a shower now....
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Post by malfunkshun on May 19, 2010 14:12:27 GMT -5
Think I need to take a shower now.... Take pictures if possible. I need a new signature to rival BFizzle's. |
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Post by burke211 on May 19, 2010 17:26:11 GMT -5
To follow Big Faker’s lead, my parents and my Grandfather. I’m not one to get overly sentimental (I'm sure you’re all shocked by that  ), but I have to mention them here. I’ve always been and always will be a huge Glasgow Rangers fan, but in the mid-late 90‘s my obsession with football was at it‘s peak. So guys from that era like Ally McCoist, Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne and Walter Smith. Especially “Super Ally”. He took my school football team for a coaching session and he was a brilliant guy. If you’ve ever seen him on A Question of Sport or any of his other TV appearances you know that he’s funny as hell. The guy can’t take anything seriously, that’s why I’m stunned that he’s now getting into management with all the stressful shit that comes with that. He’s expected to be our next manager, and a damn popular one he’ll be. I was kinda obsessed with Terminator 2 when I was 5-6 years old and would watch it like 3 times a week so I guess you could say I idolized Arnold, or at least his character in that movie. I would still get pissed every time he “terminated” himself at the end. It’s like I thought if I watched it enough times, the ending would magically change and he would survive.  Lucas Radebe - I'd be surprised if any of you guys know who he is, but we refer to him simply as 'The Chief'. Played for the Kaizer Chiefs (Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs are named after him), Leeds United and South Africa. World-class defender and one hell of a gentleman to boot. I met him once when I was about 6 or 7, I'd just bought his picture from the club shop. He stayed and talked to me and my dad and brother for about 20 minutes! Granted I could barely understand anything he said to me at the time, but he was patient and made sure we were looked after. Even got me in as a ball boy for Leeds United. He's also overcome a lot of hardships in his time, getting shot in the leg and hip in South Africa near the beginning of his career, his wife dying young of cancer and he passed out a couple of years ago due to heart complications. Always has a smile on his face and is an ambassador for South Africa, looking to help kids and get them out of gangs and violence and into sports. Nelson Mandela even called him his hero. I didn’t know all that about Lucas Radebe. I only knew him as a great defender. He sounds like a great guy and now that I think about it also one of the few who came across like that on the pitch. I remember always signing him for Rangers in the old Championship Manager games, haha. |
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Post by lol on May 19, 2010 18:53:52 GMT -5
Ooh, nice idea for a thread. Firstly I'll be all cheesy and admit that my biggest idols and inspirations were and are my mum and dad. I don't think I could have asked for better, more understanding and loving parents. No exaggeration.
Just for what it's worth, I'm still growing up, so a lot of these are still heroes in my eyes. I absolutely adore Kelly Clarkson - I think it's amazingly admirable that someone so fantastically talented can be so ridiculously humble and down-to-earth. I love how she doesn't take herself too seriously; she knows she has a voice and she just sings her heart out. There's no pretence there.
Also AI-related is Fantasia Barrino. One of the best voices of our generation, yet hidden for so long. A teenage mother who went through so much crap early in her life and who was genuinely illiterate for so many years has been able to shine and prove herself. She's totally a case of rags-to-riches in the best sense possible.
Given that I grew up with Harry Potter, it's kinda natural that those books provided me with a load of inspiration. Obviously I loved Harry himself, but Dumbledore and Hermione were always the two big ones for me. Dumbledore because he's representative of purity, love/agape and the power of humility and peace, combined with all of the magic and mystique that surrounds him. Hermione because she was incredibly relative…I’m not quite as smart obviously, but I share a lot of her mentalities, I guess. I have a pretty big fear of failure, both in the academic and general sense, and I tend to cling onto certain aspects of work/music/whatever to compensate for this. But at the end of the day I think I’m a pretty cool person, just like Hermy. This actually gets me worked up, because Harry Potter and everything associated with it just kinda touches me. Again, cheesy, but still.
Oh, and I totally fell in love with half of the Dawson's Creek cast, haha, for different reasons. Obviously I can relate to Jack because of the whole gay thing, and his character was so monumental in that sense as far as mainstream entertainment goes. Then there's Andie, who overcame so much adversity. Pacey because he rises above expectations/assumptions/stereotypes. Joey because of her loyalty, values and sense combined with her romanticism. Dawson because of his naïveté. And Jen (my favourite) who is such a deep, mysterious, wonderful character with such a dark backstory, yet is able to embrace her happiness and sense of self-worth despite all of this. Best TV character ever.
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Post by astrozombie50 on May 19, 2010 19:10:11 GMT -5
When I was younger it was Jason the Red Ranger. Not only did we have the same name, but red was my favorite color at the time. And then as I got older, my brother bought a Playstation and bought Resident Evil 2. I'd watch him play all the time, and when he started Claire's disk I was inspired. She was calm and collected, and she got a magnum! As I got older I started venturing out into music. I went to my first show at the age of 13 (The Vandals) and was even more inspired. Then the second show I went to was a Sum 41 show. That was when I picked up a guitar and started to play (and still play to this day). It's been a dream of mine to start a band because of them, just with school I've got no time  (this is where it becomes sappy) And then in high school I was contacted by a cousin, Melissa, I used to hang out with when I was little. I didn't remember who she was. But she was a year younger than me. Anyways we started talking a lot, hanging out occasionally. She told me she had cancer. And how hard life was for her, but she always kept on a smile and knew she'd pull through it. In late July of 2007 I got a text from her mother saying she only had two weeks to live. So we saw her and she was on a lot of painmeds so wasn't very coherent. But one of the last things she said was, "The cancer may have taken my body and organs but, it didn't take me, God did." I'm not very religious, but it proved to me how strong of a person she was. At her funeral her mother came up to me and told me thank you for everything I had done, and in all honesty I hadn't done much. But I guess she'd reach out to other family and they'd all shut her out. I wouldn't say she's my idol (I don't really have one), but she's definitely a hero and inspiration to me. |
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Post by Mutant Crouch on May 20, 2010 0:22:45 GMT -5
I tended to go the opposite route. Instead of idols, I had people I knew for sure I didn't want to be anything like. So, I took their example and tried to be as different from them as possible. For instance my uncle and not just because he didn't know snakes were animals. The closest thing to an idol I can think of would be Ralph Nader.
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Post by bfizzle on May 20, 2010 0:25:42 GMT -5
I tended to go the opposite route. Instead of idols, I had people I knew for sure I didn't want to be anything like. So, I took their example and tried to be as different from them as possible. For instance my uncle and not just because he didn't know snakes were animals. The closest thing to an idol I can think of would be Ralph Nader. Haha. Is this the same uncle you're always talking about? He sounds like quite the character. |
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Post by Mutant Crouch on May 20, 2010 0:34:08 GMT -5
I tended to go the opposite route. Instead of idols, I had people I knew for sure I didn't want to be anything like. So, I took their example and tried to be as different from them as possible. For instance my uncle and not just because he didn't know snakes were animals. The closest thing to an idol I can think of would be Ralph Nader. Haha. Is this the same uncle you're always talking about? He sounds like quite the character. Sadly, no. That one is a great-uncle. This one is probably worse and a little embarrassing. |
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Post by BigFaker on May 20, 2010 3:05:39 GMT -5
Lucas Radebe - I'd be surprised if any of you guys know who he is, but we refer to him simply as 'The Chief'. Played for the Kaizer Chiefs (Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs are named after him), Leeds United and South Africa. World-class defender and one hell of a gentleman to boot. I met him once when I was about 6 or 7, I'd just bought his picture from the club shop. He stayed and talked to me and my dad and brother for about 20 minutes! Granted I could barely understand anything he said to me at the time, but he was patient and made sure we were looked after. Even got me in as a ball boy for Leeds United. He's also overcome a lot of hardships in his time, getting shot in the leg and hip in South Africa near the beginning of his career, his wife dying young of cancer and he passed out a couple of years ago due to heart complications. Always has a smile on his face and is an ambassador for South Africa, looking to help kids and get them out of gangs and violence and into sports. Nelson Mandela even called him his hero. I didn’t know all that about Lucas Radebe. I only knew him as a great defender. He sounds like a great guy and now that I think about it also one of the few who came across like that on the pitch. I remember always signing him for Rangers in the old Championship Manager games, haha. Yep, and as if he even needed it, he rejected moves to Man U numerous times in order to stay with us, and even moves abroad to AC Milan and what have you. The man is as high up as a legend in Leeds folklore as you can get without being called Billy Bremner |
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