The person who I try to emulate to be cool is Captain Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I do not honestly know when I began looking up to Picard as a cool person. As long as I can remember, I have listened intently to the words of Picard so that I could try to emulate the presence that he has in the universe of Star Trek. His coolness comes from his control of any situation that arises. He has a kind of cool intellect that makes his words flow as if he was constantly speaking in prose. From the title of the show to the most stressful situations, he always speaks in a way that makes everyone listen and respect everything he says. In addition, although Picard is alone in his love life, he has a way with women that makes them nearly faint at his appearance.Until recently, I have never questioned why Picard's voice resides in my head. However, when thinking about it, I quickly realized that Picard has qualities that I lack. For example, people do not generally listen to what I say. Whenever I try to make a point or discuss something with someone, people tend to either completely dismiss what I am saying or ignore me, but when Picard speaks, everyone listens whether they like him or not. Although Picard's voice is not in my head all the time, I tend to hear him whenever people start ignoring me. I try to use the way he speaks to make people actually listen to what I say, regardless of if they agree or disagree with me. I am not sure why I emulate Captain Picard over other cool people like House or Will Smith. I suppose it is because I have been watching Star Trek since my early childhood. Because of this, Picard has been a constant presence of cool throughout my life.
Unfortunately, much like how Woody Allen finds out that following Bogart is not always the best idea, I have discovered that emulating Captain Picard does not help my life much. Regardless of how I try to talk like Picard, people still ignore me because much of what I say is about esoteric topics like chainmail and computer science. Ultimately, for people to start listening to me, I must simply talk about things that are more interesting to more people.
I always just thought Picard was a horrible actor... oh well. People listen to you, sometimes they just think you're a little crazy. Nothing wrong with that, though.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you are just imitating the wrong part of what makes Picard so cool... Other than his voice, what else is there that makes him seem so cool and confident?
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ReplyDeleteI can answer FJohn's question and reinforce what you're thinking, Jason. Just like Bogart appears to Allan, Picard has a surety in his step, his decision-making, his manner, that make him seem like an entire person worth respecting. His voice is part of it, yes - but the rest of it is a confidence that runs deep. He not only has it, but radiates it.
ReplyDeleteBut just as the female lead in a Bogart movie is a set up for a Bogart punchline, Picard's environment benefits his cool. He's surrounded by hotheads like Worf and Riker who make mistakes - their very personalities are a liability. This is echoed in the rest of the main crew, most of which are brought down and entangled in emotions and personal quagmires that are related to their faults more than their strengths.
So perhaps you see that Bogart is to Allan what Rick is to Ilsa, and Picard is to you as Bogart is to Allan. But doesn't this all seem to be an art not of confidence, but of company? Anybody can look sophisticated when next to those who cannot rise above their own personal faults and struggles. Perhaps these people we see as cool are no more than illusionists who knew how to surround themselves with those who would drown out their faults with the static noise of their own problems - a magic trick if there ever was one.