Actors We Want (and Don't Want) to See in the New Star Wars Movies

Time for a just for fun post. This list is by no means comprehensive, but it will provide a good overview of what would be "cool". 

Time for the "I hope to see this guy in Star Wars list". Note that most of these actors will not take "hero" roles: famous persons should not play the protagonists in these new movies. If they did, it would turn into, "Oh look, it's (insert name here) acting in a Star Wars movie." Just as the original Star Wars Movies made Harrison Ford famous, so other newer actors should have the chance to distinguish themselves in these films.

I will provide the actor's name, as well as a brief description as to what type of role he/she could play. And just for fun, an existing character in the Star Wars cannon they would play well.

Ready? Here we go...

#1 Tom Hardy

Let's be honest: Tom Hardy is freaky scary when he wants to be. He also has magnificent acting chops. Put those together, and you have a versatile actor who can play villains in many genres. Tom Hardy would make an excellent antagonist, but would be most interesting as the main villain's chief goon. Think along the lines of the TIE fighter captain who terrorizes the Rebellion while the main bad guy camps in his new battle station.

Role types: TIE captain, Crime Lord

Existing character: Baron Soontir Fel

#2 David Tennant 

All my Dr. Who friends are geeking out right about now. But seriously, this one makes sense. David Tennant displayed spectacular acting skills in his stint as the Doctor, going so far as to give the Doctor at least three different personality types that change for the situation. He could go both ways with this one. With his crazy, fun-loving side, he could play a great smuggler or rogue. Think along the lines of a Han Soloish sidekick. The more serious, terrible side would make an excellent chief villain.

Role types: Smuggler, Hacker, Outlaw, Grand Admiral of the Empire

Existing characters: Dash Rendar, Grand Admiral Thrawn

#3 Andrew Scott

Freaky awesome villain. Pretty much says it all. Don't believe me?

Enough said about this. In honestly don't care if he has a big role, just so long as he has one.

Role types: Villain. The intelligent kind.

Existing character: Nom Anor

#4 Hailee Steinfeld 

Ok, so Steinfeld has received a lot of hype over her role in True Grit, but I think it was rare case of deserved hype. The reason True Grit was interesting was Steinfeld's portrayal of her character. She is starting to take off as an actor, but this could be a role that shoves her into the big circles. I'd like to see if she can do a more earthy, thugish type of role. 

Role types: Street criminal, Jedi

Existing character: Jaina Solo

#5 Jason Momoa

While the previous entries have been great actors, Jason Momoa made it onto this list because it's fun to watch him kick butt.

If all else fails, with dreads like his, he'd make a great wookie.

Role types: Rebel Supercommando, Mandalorian Supercommando

Existing characters: Goran Beviin

#6 Nicolas Cage

Just kidding. I just freaked a couple of you out. I would accept a cameo on the "planet of the bees", but besides that... no.

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Now, let's get to people we DON'T want to see.

#1 Robert Downey Jr.

Eesh. He already has his fingers in a bunch of the big pies in Hollywood. His acting ability is good, I'm just tired of seeing him. Let's have a big blockbuster that doesn't have him for a change. 

#2 Johnny Depp

It's getting to the point where Johnny's roles all look like a reincarnation of Jack Sparrow. No Sparrow in Star Wars please.

Agree with my list? Disagree? Want to add your favorite actor? Let me know in the comments!

Chivalry is Dead... and Feminism Killed It.

Sorry for the delay. I wrote this a few days ago, but never got around to posting it. 

Well, here we are again. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be serious or goofy for my next post; serious won out.

Just recently a friend of mine on Facebook posted something close to the following:

“Men should open doors for women. MY man will.”

This got me thinking. Why is it that men tend to not have the same respect for women that they had 60, even 40 years ago? Even small gestures like door opening have been lost. I figured out I already knew the answer: Feminism killed the concept of chivalry.

Now before I lose all my female readers (all three of them), bear with me here. I have the utmost respect for women. I believe that women can perform many of the tasks that men can, and women should have an equal standing in our society. However, I also think that there are tasks that men are more suited to perform, and there are other tasks that women would be able to do better.

Feminists on the other hand tend to think that women can and should be able to do EVERY task that men do. They believe in absolute equality: even if the task is more suited to the stereotypically male skill set. Not only do they believe this, they go out of their way to prove it.

How would this belief destroy the chivalrous ideals that men used to have? I got my answer in a worldview class I took in high school. We were discussing interpersonal relationships, and the teacher asked the girls what a prospective date should do when they came to a door. Much to my surprise, most of the girls said they really did not care, or did not want the guy to open the door for them.

The teacher asked them why they said this, and the general responses were as follows:

“I can open the door myself.”

“It’s awkward waiting for the door to open.”

“I’m not a cripple.”

Here’s the thing ladies, we know we can do it for yourself. We know that you are capable of living your life without men holding doors for you. But as soon as you try to prove you are equal to men, and start telling us that you don’t WANT us to show respect like that, we’ll stop. It’s that simple. Men tend to be lazy, and it’s not like we enjoy opening car doors for ladies. And when we stop performing the little gestures like that, we start to lose respect for said ladies. When respect leaves, chivalry stops soon after.

So ladies: make the men respect you. Expect the small gestures, because when he can’t do the simple things, he won’t be able to do the big ones.

Men: just because the lady can do it does not mean that you should not show her the respect she deserves. Open the door. It’s not that hard.

I most likely will choose a goofy topic for next time, so stay tuned. It should be fun.

Just to be clear... The Groundwork

Welcome to the first post of this blog.

Meh. That was fairly bland so far as introductions go... Let's try that again.

Greetings fellow cyber readers!

Wow. That was pretty geeky. One more try.

If you're reading this, you must either know who I am, or you just tend to be masochistic and enjoy reading the ramblings of a teenager.

Say... That wasn't too bad. Okay, on to the show.

Most of the people who read this will already know me. In case you don't however, my name is Eli. I live in the Southern part of the United States. I am a musician, a lover of fine art in all forms, an older brother to 3 boys, and a cashier in my local mall.

There really is no set purpose for this blog. If you're entertained by my ramblings, then my wildest dreams will have been surpassed. So really, just have fun with whatever I say. I am by no means the smartest guy in the world, so if you ever disagree with me, feel free to send me a message or comment or whatever. I probably won't see it, but if it makes you feel better, then it was worth the effort to type out your message.

As I already said, I really have no goal in mind for this blog. The subject matter is going to fluctuate greatly from post to post. I do want to lay some groundwork down however, just so the readers will understand where I am coming from.

1. I am a Christian.

I believe that man is inherently sinful, and that God sent his only son Jesus to save us from that sin. I believe that men tend towards evil rather than towards good. I believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and God instructs us through his Word. This is what influences my views

2. I am an artist.

I am a musician, so I appreciate art in all of its forms. Theatre (yes, I spell it the snobby way), Movies, Music, Painting, Sculpting. You name it. I do (or will learn to) accept it. There are different levels of art though, with Rap and Modern Paintings being near the bottom, and Musical Theatre and Movies being near the top. Art is one of the main influences on culture, so if people keep up with the arts, they will understand the culture they live in. I'm sure I'll dedicate many posts to art discussion, so more on this later.

3. I am politically aware.

I used to consider myself a Republican, but I began to realize that parties now days are just different names for the same kinds of snakes.  So, I am now a "Conservative with enough Libertarian to be interesting". You have been warned.

4. I am a geek.

Just to clarify: geeks are nerds with social skills. I am an avid Star Wars fan. I like Star Trek. I have watched an enjoyed Dr. Who, but I lost my interest when David Tennant regenerated. Sci-fi is my jam.

5. I am a guy.

This should be a no-brainer, but since this is true, I obviously will think like a guy. Braveheart is better than the Notebook. Meat is better than salad. You get the idea.

6. I strive to have class.

There are very few things more disgusting to me than the concept of "swag". Little boys have swag. Men have class. If it were up to me, no man would leave his house without proper attire. This would include, but not be limited to, collared shirts, ties, suits, slacks, etc. Jeans and t-shirts are acceptable, but only if they fit. No "pants on the ground" in my world.

7. I will not be proofreading this blog.

If you have a problem with sentence structure, misspelled words, or accidental wrong facts, keep said problem to yourself. I proofread my papers, not my ramblings. If it REALLY bothers you, send me a message. I most likely won't read it, but if it makes you feel better...

Now that we have the preliminary stuff out of the way, it will be interesting to see where this blog goes. So without further ado... let's go.