...and more on the badass normal thing

[kattahj]

So, I got tangled up in discussion and ETAs in my previous post on Badass Normal moments, trying to explain what I meant and in what way it differed from the official tvtropes definition

Comments

[bookelfe]

I meant to comment on this and then forgot! But, while not quite as badass as snapping someone's neck with their ankles, I think Riza Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist might count - how is "when surprised by a disembodied unkillable serial killer on her way home from grocery shopping, pulls a gun out of her shopping bag, another out of her holster, shoots him TWELVE TIMES at point-blank range without batting an eye, and within short order has him obeying her every whim"? (Admittedly I guess that is kind of like 'suddenly pulling a weapon out of her ass'; on the other hand, I would argue she qualifies by sheer virtue of keeping a gun in her grocery bag.)

Alternately, like half the characters in Baccano! - 50% of the cast are immortal, and all the toughest ones are in fact the other 50% of the cast . . . actually, I think this whole series would hit your kink just about perfectly. How about the scene where a guy is pointing a revolver at a hapless railroad conductor - who promptly kicks it straight out of his hand? Or the part where

[kattahj]

I don't remember that moment (maybe it's not in the first anime version or maybe I just have a lousy memory), but it sounds fairly awesome and of course Riza is MADE OF WIN.

And Baccano! sounds really cool, do you know where to find it?

[bookelfe]

It might not be in the first, I'm not sure - I have a vague idea that the whole Barry the Chopper plotline was different, but I could be wrong. Anyway it is TOTALLY awesome.

I do! I don't know if you can access the streaming video on funimation.com in Europe, but I thiiiink you can; you can check here, and if that doesn't work, they also have all the episodes up on their youtube channel here. Warning that the first episode or two is really confusing, but it starts to coalesce pretty fast!

[kattahj]

Awesome, coolness! I'm watching Leverage right now, but I'll get back to those links!

[roniabirk]

So, Badass Normal is a person with no superpowers who is awesome in a world with people with superpowers, right? Don't Jacob and the Black Smoke Monster count as supernatural?

Other than that, I wanted to comment on your other post, but when I went to that web site I immediately got lost. TOO MANY CHOICES!

I am also glad to see someone else appreciate Sayid. Avoiding saying anything else for fear of spoiling people.

Oh hey ... if it is the opposite scenario. People without superpowers in a world with other superpowerless people, then what about Echo and Alpha?

[kattahj]

So, Badass Normal is a person with no superpowers who is awesome in a world with people with superpowers, right?

Apparently, yes.

Don't Jacob and the Black Smoke Monster count as supernatural?

In my book, yes they do, especially when you toss in Miles and Desmond into the mix. So I'd still count Sayid, but I guess it's debatable since most of the protagonists don't have superpowers. I don't know. (And how can I accept a definition that doesn't include Robert Hawkins taking on the army guys? *g*)

Other than that, I wanted to comment on your other post, but when I went to that web site I immediately got lost. TOO MANY CHOICES!

Always the danger with tvtropes. :-)

I am also glad to see someone else appreciate Sayid. Avoiding saying anything else for fear of spoiling people.

Sayid is FREAKING AWESOME. I've always claimed that he'll be the one taking over the world, because he'll be doing his move when no one is looking, unlike the rest of the schemers on that show. :-)

Oh hey ... if it is the opposite scenario. People without

[roniabirk]

I haven't seen Dollhouse, so you'll have to explain!

Oooh, you might like Dollhouse. Are you familiar with the concept of the show? Briefly, a super secret business exists (apparently) world wide that takes in people for a variety of reasons and maps their brain, then wipes it, storing everything about them on hard drives. When someone with enough money comes along and wants to hire one of these "dolls," they then get programmed with whoever/whatever that rich person wants (within some reason).

Echo is the Doll Eliza Dushku played. Alpha is played by Alan Tudyk, aka Wash from Firefly. Their characters are unique in that they both "evolve" despite the programs and processing they are put through. Some might call what they have a superpower. You should watch. Even if we only got two seasons, knowing the second season was it kicked the show into high gear, and the audience got a ton of Joss theory crammed into a handful of episodes.

[kattahj]

I'm familiar with the concept, yes (that's how I knew what the names were referring to), but I have Issues with Joss Whedon and an unhealthy attachment to the original Doll's House, so I've never been remotely tempted to watch, sorry.

So is the badassness that they evolve from their programs? Are there specific moments?

[therru]

So, your definition of Badass is "prevailing impressively from a position of severe disadvantage"?

[kattahj]

Well, there are more definitions of Badass than that, but until I properly re-read the tvtropes page and understood my misunderstanding, that was my definition of Badass Normal. :-)

[therru]

That's what I meant. :)

[kattahj]

Good. :-) I just wanted to clarify, because obviously just because people are superpowered or have flamethrower guitar cases, that doesn't mean they're not badass. It just makes it a tad easier for them. ;-)

(I'd show you the awesome that is Monami from Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl, as an example of superpowered badassery, but I'm not sure I could bear to watch that level of gore again, so I'm not going to inflict it on you.)

[selenak]

1. A person without superpowers, who, if s/he lives in a world where no one has superpowers, must still be
2. severely outnumbered or outpowered, yet who
3. manages victory on sheer awesomeness alone, i.e. not by suddenly pulling a weapon out of his ass a'la Jack Harkness. (If you think that's a metaphor you don't know Jack Harkness.)

If we do this for Lost, I have to say for me Benjamin Linus has made this his regular modus operandi. (Step 1: Infiltrate group of physically superior enemies. Step 2: Get beaten up a lot, let them think you're utterly helpless; meanwhile, mess with their minds. Step 3: Get your captors to do exactly what you want. Step 4.: Make several of your captors your tools and minions.) (To the degree that they complain when they're fired, which Sayid does. Seriously, I'll never stop being shamelessly gleeful about the "but...what am I to do now?!?" flashback because it's so not what the fans expected, who all thought Sayid was the one to quit in moral indignation.) If I have to point to one scene which does

[kattahj]

Yeah, Ben is definitely a brain-version of this, especially now that we know he's not as buddy-buddy with Jacob as we assumed.

Actually, Lost tends to do this kind of a lot, with a bunch of people, which is one of the reasons it's such a kick-ass show.

Also, I position Ben is more awesome than Sayid with this kind of thing because he's physically unimposing.

Point - though I'd counter with saying that being bound and gagged makes you rather physically unimposing. :-)

[roniabirk]

OT: at wlfman and saw trailer for Repomen with Jude Law. Interesting!

[kattahj]

Okay, cool. What was it about? And was Wolfman any good?

[roniabirk]

Sorry for the poor typing skills. The lights were going down, and I had to share my excitement at that moment because man does that boy look yummy in this role, lol.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/repomen/

I will let the trailer speak for itself. :)

[kattahj]

Heh. Interesting idea, though I think I'll wait and read the reviews. :-)