Jan 30, 2008 2
Rambo
Long, somewhat overdone, philosophical analysis of the cult of Rambo. I remember reading the book First Blood as a young boy scout, before seeing the movie, and really liking it. Had no idea back then that this book was originally published in 1972. Rambo was the coolest male survivalist role model for young boys with corporate dads. He’s a good loner that minds his own business…but if you fuck with him, whoa boy. Come to think of it, Stallone really does have a knack for playing the downtrodden loner. And I can’t wait to see the new Rambo movie, honestly.
Which of those two Rambos prevailed? When the Cold War ended, Sylvester Stallone’s movies lost their hold on the culture and decayed into ’80s kitsch. But that distrust of the government didn’t disappear; if anything, it intensified and crossed what used to be sharp ideological lines. (In the early ’90s, it wasn’t that unusual to hear left-wing radicals pondering the possibility of a POW coverup—or right-wing radicals touting the powers of hemp.) Since 2001, the balance has tipped back and forth. When the wounds of 9/11 were fresh, the outrage of the heartland populists turned outwards again; since then, the failures of the Iraqi occupation have driven many of them back to an anti-government stance.
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