Whither Punching?

In what seems like a blink of an eye, Chuck Norris has become a true Internet Phenomenon. Is he a "straight-talking, no-nonsense American hero"? A Jungian archetype? A deity? There are no easy answers.

One thing does seem clear: much of this misplaced adulation stems from Norris's ability to deliver devastating roundhouse kicks to the face. This, good people, perfectly encapsulates the long, slow decline of values in America today. What is with this emphasis on solving problems with violent kicking? Why do the youth of America think that the right thing to do when you're angry is to lash out and kick someone? In short, whatever happened to punching?

Fortunately, Chris Sims of the Invincible Super-Blog has attempted to correct this imbalance with his wistful-yet-uplifting Ode to Punching. It's good to know that some folks in this country still have their priorities straight, and I'm sure we can all look forward to some equally powerful works from this formidable young talent in the very near future. Ode to Stabbing! Explosions: a Retrospective! Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Bludgeoning! That said, if Chris happens to be planning a series on the ancient Japanese art of Kancho, let's just say I'll take a pass.

Comments

This country is all, I say all about the two-finger eye-poke.

Roundhouse kicks and punches may come and go, but Larry, Curly and Moe are with us always.

Posted by Phil Ringnalda on Jan. 31, 2006 at 9:28 PM [#]
Actually, I was just thinking recently that Mr. Norris has some other qualities that he has long embodied in addition to his ability to kick well. He usually finds a way to have some on-sceeen time to teach a young person a lesson about standing up for themselves and fighting bullies. I would place him and Mr. T in a similar category for this quality. Also, he is an older guy guy can still do a roundhouse. This is a plus for the geriatric crowd that likes action films. Finally, he’s got a beard. He always seems to have it. It’s like a trademark. And face it, if you have a trademark, your cool. Just look at Mr. T again. (Gold chains and styled mohawk-sideburn thing)

As a side note, the fact that I was thinking about Norris recently should not be held against me. I was waiting on line and my mind wandered.

Posted by Name withheld on Jan. 31, 2006 at 10:24 PM [#]
Phil, don’t get me wrong — I do have a Y chromosome, so I have nothing but respect for Larry, Curly, and Moe. But are you seriously arguing that eye-poking is more important in this country than explosions? America. Explosions. Like peanut butter and jelly. I think you need to take another look at the definitive work on the subject.

Name withheld - It’s interesting that you would bring up Mr. T. Some of the Chuck Norris Facts include Mr. T., and in fact, Mr. T. has his own Facts page. As does Vin Diesel, who also has a trademark (baldness) and who also serves as a heartwarming role model for children (c.f. Jackie/Kyra in Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick). In fact, I think you might be pointing us towards a Grand Unified Theory of Awesomeness, although clearly there’s much more groundwork to do.

Posted by Evan on Feb. 01, 2006 at 6:34 AM [#]

Whither Punching?

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