Fuck That Meme: No More Norris.

This is apropos of nothing in my tumblr, but something that occurred to me while reading a timeline of violent rhetoric that had bugged me for years.

Everyone and their dog or cat has had fun with the Chuck Norris meme.  But it always bothered me, because Chuck Norris really is a total asshole.  So you know what?  Fuck that shit.  Chuck Norris is not my comically tough martial arts warrior of choice.  You know who has been, since I was a kid?

Bruce. Fucking. Lee.

He was kick-ass. He was awesome. He’s responsible for some of the best martial arts movies in history, he could easily kick Chuck Norris’ white arse and you know what else?

He fought for the recognition of Asian actors in cinema, and displayed a startlingly insightful intelligence behind the mastery of martial arts.  His ideas are so versatile, they can be applied to anything.  Shit, I apply his “Be Water” philosophy to my style as an artist, successfully.  From kick-arse to creation, baby.

So if I’m going to make reference to an awesome 70s martial artist, it’s going to be Bruce Lee.  Not because he broke bones or intimidated the opposition, but because he tried to change the world while he was here, and he was active in sharing his ideas about that with the world.  He was an amazing person.

I prefer the shit out of him to Chuck “Butthead” Norris, at any rate.