Why do I feel like an era has ended...
Rest in peace.
RIP
Films like Missing in Action ,or delta force where the motorbike fires a rocket were just great at the time
I get he had some funny views later in life - but the films were a laugh at the time
I enjoyed reading the comments here. RIP.
Jokes like “Chuck Norris is able to slam a revolving door.”
Anyway, I “built” this stupid app when I was like 13, copy-pasted like 300 jokes in there and a random one would show every time you tapped the screen.
Chuck Norris’s estate blocked the app from going live. I wish I had printed that rejection out and framed it.
I don’t age. I level up.
I’m 86 today! Nothing like some playful action on a sunny day to make you feel young. I’m grateful for another year, good health and the chance to keep doing what I love. Thank you all for being the best fans in the world. Your support through the years has meant more to me than you’ll ever know.
God Bless,
Chuck NorrisOne of my favorites.
Chuck Norris jumped into a lake. Chuck Norris didn't get wet. The lake got Chucked.
RIP dude, we’d continue the jokes, may your soul laughs as hard as we do.
Chuck Norris once bet 42 is a prime. He won.
My dad had some antiquated views himself too. People can have/be both, I suppose.
For the first time in over a decade he was suddenly relevant in a way. People remembered he existed, and they were playing off his tough guy image.
And what did he do? Try and shut it down and start suing people. Stupid.
It took him a couple of years to come around to it. If it wasn’t for those jokes would he be remembered anywhere as well? Or would he be a much more obscure celebrity by now?
However, so as not to speak (purely) ill of the dead, I will say that he was an accomplished martial artist with a prolific film career.
Was it the part where he wanted public schools to force the Bible on everyone's children, regardless of their family's faith?
Or was it the part where he attacked the Boy Scouts for lifting their ban on gay members, because he broadly hates the LGBTQ+ community?
Or, likewise, when he staunchly supported Prop 8, because he felt that the government should enforce strict "traditional family values", and deny consenting adults he doesn't like to marry each other?
Or was it when he said that a Black president would bring "1000 years of darkness"?
Or was it when he said that Muslims were going to destroy America with Sharia law, merely for existing?
Or was it the part where he supported aggressive ICE action against anyone perceived to be foreign?
Just trying to understand how someone this despicable deserves the compliment you gave him. The only good version of Chuck Norris I know about is the pretend version from memes.
https://github.com/faker-ruby/faker/blob/main/lib/locales/en...
The only one I remember offhand:
"Chuck Norris doesn't do pushups, he pushes the world down."
https://htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2024/20/ (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42468318)
I'm curious on what grounds they blocked the app.
It's funny for a while, in measured amounts, and then it becomes tiresome.
I will have to steal this one for my upcoming valedictorian speech.
The crowd is going to love it.
His round kick, Walker Texas Ranger and his fight with Bruce Lee. In Africa, to this day, some TV channels still play his stuff.
The app probably used his pictures or his name, which are easy candidates for copyright or trademark-claims.
Seeing my dad, who grew up on these actors' action flicks, laugh himself to tears when Chuck Norris appears is one of my favourite memories.
You underestimate how popular Walker, Texas Ranger was. It wasn't pulling ratings like Seinfeld, ER, or Friends, but it was a solid primetime staple for almost a decade.
I never watched it myself, but the 50+ demo loved it.
Isn't that an obligation when you own a trademark? That you sue people, or else you may lose the trademark?
You’re assuming the jokes make people dive deeper. In reality I know the jokes and didn’t have a clue who he was and never cared enough to find out. The reality is the probably didn’t make much of a difference to how well he or his work was actually known.
In 1961, in his early 20s. You get ~80 years on this planet to make mistakes and have views that some other people will dislike. If these are the worst things we can accuse him of, while acknowledging all his charitable work, I'd say he fared OK compared to many other role models we have.
How about "Don't be a bad person when you're alive"?
I looked this one up. It's true. He's been going out of his way to be a political firebrand and claiming milquetoast Democrats are Satan for decades. It wasn't some offhand comment when cornered on stage. He's pushed white christian nationalism hard for quite some time.
Sad, because it was so unnecessary, divisive, and crazy--a black mark on his legacy.
It's been a long time since I read it, but didn't the current Death decide to retire and pass the role on?
They were obviously a bit more niche, but that made them funnier to my mind.
> For Bruce Schneier, all zeros of the Riemann zeta function are trivial.
https://markloveshistory.com/2018/01/06/death-had-to-take-ro...
Chuck Norris, the martial arts champion who became an iconic action star and led the hit series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died. He was 86.
Norris was hospitalized in Hawaii on Thursday, and his family posted a statement Friday saying that he died that morning. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” his family wrote.
“To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family,” the statement continued. “He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
As an action star, Norris had a degree of credibility that most others could not match.. Not only did he appear opposite the legendary Bruce Lee in 1972 film “The Way of the Dragon” (aka “Return of the Dragon”), but he was a genuine martial arts champion who was a black belt in judo, 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 5th degree black belt in Karate, 8th degree black belt in Taekwondo, 9th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and 10th degree black belt in Chun Kuk Do.
Norris was extremely prolific in the late 1970s and ’80s, starring in “The Delta Force” and “Missing in Action” films, “Good Guys Wear Black” (1978), “The Octagon” (1980), “Lone Wolf McQuade” (1983), “Code of Silence” (1985) and “Firewalker” (1986).
Norris joined a bevy of other action stars in the Sylvester Stallone-directed “The Expendables 2” in 2012 after an absence from the screen of seven years.
While he scored high on credibility, Norris did not leaven his work with humor the way Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jackie Chan did. He was nevertheless the action star of choice for those seeking an all-American icon.
In 1984, Norris starred in “Missing in Action,” the first in a series of films centered around the rescue of American POWs purportedly still held after being captured during the Vietnam War. (Norris’ younger brother Wieland had been killed while serving in Vietnam, and the actor dedicated his “Missing in Action” films to his brother’s memory, but critics of Norris and producer Cannon Films maintained that the films borrowed too heavily from the central conceit of Stallone’s highly successful “Rambo” films.)
As Norris’ movie career began to wane, he made a timely move to television, starring in the CBS series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” inspired by his film “Lone Wolf McQuade.” The program ran from 1993-2001, and the actor reprised the role of Cordell Walker in the TV movies “Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion” (1994) and “Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire” (2005). (Also in 2005 Norris made the last film in which he starred, the straight-to-DVD “The Cutter.”)
In his later years, Norris was portrayed in memes documenting fictional, frequently absurd feats associated with him, such as “Chuck Norris kills 100% of germs” and “Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper, but Chuck Norris beats all 3 at the same time.” In his later years Norris appeared in infomercials for workout equipment and became increasingly outspoken as a political conservative.
Carlos Ray Norris was born in Ryan, Okla.; his father served as a soldier in World War II. In 1958 he joined the Air Force as an Air Policeman (AP, analogous to the Army’s MPs). While serving at Osan Air Base in South Korea, Norris first acquired the nickname “Chuck” and began his training in Tang Soo Do (aka tangsudo), leading to his achievements in other martial arts and to his development of hybrid style Chun Kuk Do (“The Universal Way”). He returned to the U.S. and served as an AP at March Air Force Base in California.
After his 1962 discharge, Norris worked for aerospace company Northrop and opened a chain of karate schools; celebrity clients at the schools included Steve McQueen, Chad McQueen, Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond.
Norris made his acting debut in an uncredited role in the 1969 cult Matt Helm film “The Wrecking Crew,” starring Dean Martin. Norris met Bruce Lee at a martial arts demonstration in Long Beach, Calif., and played the nemesis of Lee’s character in 1972 movie “The Way of the Dragon” (retitled “Return of the Dragon” for U.S. distribution). In 1974 McQueen spurred Norris to begin taking acting classes at MGM.
Norris first starred in the 1977 action film “Breaker! Breaker!,” in which he played a trucker searching for his brother, who’s disappeared in a town with a judge who’s corrupt.
The actor proved his box office mettle with his subsequent films, “Good Guys Wear Black” (1978), “The Octagon” (1980), “An Eye for an Eye” (1981) and “Lone Wolf McQuade.”
Norris began starring in movies for Cannon Films in 1984. Over the next four years, he became Cannon’s most prominent star, appearing in eight films, including the three “Missing in Action” films; “Code of Silence” — qualitatively, one of his best films — the two “Delta Force” films and “Firewalker.” Norris’ brother Aaron Norris produced several of these films, and also became a producer on “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
A longtime supporter of conservative politicians, he wrote several books with Christian and patriotic themes.
Norris was twice married, the first time to Dianne Holechek from 1958 until their divorce in 1988.
He is survived by second wife Gena O’Kelley, whom he married in 1998; two sons, Eric and Mike, daughters Dakota, Danilee and Dina; and a number of grandchildren.
I assume that most of the people here aren't considering becoming a homophobe because they think the chuck norris jokes are funny.
Case in point: https://theonion.com/hijackers-surprised-to-find-selves-in-h...
And, as you say, in Chuck Norris' case, it's virtually obligatory.
Of course they both had a change of heart- was it true change or they saw the direction of the political winds? Who knows?
I don’t know Chuck Norris’s views on LGBT. But if he was a self proclaimed “born again Christian” and a rabid Trump supporter, I can only guess. But I no more expect people who were insulted by what he said (which I personally don’t know) to give him more grace or reverence than I do is a Black man who couldn’t give two shits about a dead racist podcaster.
Other people no more need to “contextualize” homophobia than I feel a need to “contextualize” the racism of a dead podcaster.
Also, he fought Bruce Lee! One of my favorite face-offs ever filmed, esp in the martial arts movie genre. Not many actors who could say that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlTyJhbTxxo&pp=ygUZY2h1Y2sgb...
"Friday night is action night with Walker Texas Ranger"
It's not quite as cut and dry as you suggest. Besides, in which way was a trademark being violated? Last I knew merely talking about and referencing a celebrity by name was not a trademark violation.
Just because they hate me, though, doesn't mean I can't disagree with their position.
Not that they actually know about him past the tough guy persona of the jokes.
I struggle with that rule sometimes.
Would the people who grew up in the early 2000s, or especially 2010s, know much of anything about him?
I mean how much do younger people know about Scott Baio or the Corys or Candice Bergen these days?
https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/01/13/chuck-norris-homophob...
Turns out he was a MAGA Christian homophobe. That’s … disappointing. But I guess I was naive to expect something different.
Is there one way to be a good person?
Does being a good person also mean agreeing with your politics?
Facts and copyright is an interesting one, because I'm surprised a fact can be copyrighted, unless it's the wording specifically.
On a personal level, I couldn't agree more. I do hope that culturally we get to that point at some time :-)
Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan were in a completely different league.
Most of the original funny Chuck Norris facts were from the original Vin Diesel ones.
Him liking Trump was a symptom of his regressive, homophobic, and racist beliefs.
It was big internationally. But the jokes made Norris known to a whole different generation than the one watching WTR.
As far as copywriting facts, are you really under the impression that Chuck Norris is the only man who can factually slam a revolving door? :)
Chuck Norris doesn't get deplatformed. Platforms get restructured around him.
DADT was a significant improvement over the status quo of "we ask, you tell, and then you get dishonorably discharged". Considering it evidence of homophobia is revisionism. Did it go far enough? No. Was it a good step towards where we wanted to go? Yes.
His career lasted far longer. He had big movie appearances for 30 years, none of those people accomplished that.
Norris' first movie role was in 1968, first big credited appearance was 1972, Walker Texas Ranger finished in 2001.
Those who cared would/will know him regardless. But obviously those people would be relatively few and far apart.
It is funny because you usually think of Death as something inevitable and people just accept it but then ... some of these guys put up a fight. Mega-LMAO!
Historian, sheriff, war hero, governor, explorer, and a successful President who reshaped America largely for the better. While Roosevelt was human, he led a life that very few have ever matched.
That said, the line does fit them both.
And in spite of his flaws, it's possible that he had some good qualities as well, or at least aspired to them. So maybe those other qualities were what he looked for in the characters he played.
Same with Dallas and The Dukes of Hazzard.
I'd reckon you'd be hard pressed to find a single person that matches every quality/belief you imagined them to have.
Exported media is weird. Like the huge proportion of British/BBC output (usually period, but also often detective in a way redolent of Christie) that is made primarily for export to foreign consumers who think of British upper-class culture as aspirational.
I think that's a hard argument to make.
Candace Bergen's career was just as long. Her first movie role was 1966, she was nominated for an Oscar in 1979, and she was on a popular sitcom from 1988 to 1998 that won her five Emmies and attracted national commentary after criticism from the Vice President.
I was a kid in the 80s and 90s and to me even then Chuck Norris was a B-movie self-parody joke character. He was not an A-list "action star" in the sense that Schwarzenegger, Stallone, or even Van Damme were.
We know the answers to these questions for Norris.
He was an Obama birther conspiracist.
He thought gays shouldn't be allowed to join Boy Scouts.
He was a big supporter of Netanyahu.
This aren't things that are even remotely in the same ballpark as disagreement. If someone is using their celebrity status to cause harm to millions or tens of millions, I think we can say a few unkind words about them when they go.
I have friends and family who I never thought had a hateful, cruel, or belligerent bone in their bodies, suddenly start acting like totally different people, in the span of a few years. This isn’t me holding them to some purity checklist!
Sure doesn't seem like a Clinton issue?
And the monkey's paw curls…
nit: I wouldn't call it "mask off" though, as if it's been there the whole time. I'd say it's more like there is tiny a kernel of that (and let's be honest, who doesn't have this in some form or another?), combined with a lack of willpower and critical thinking, that causes them into give in to the siren song of easy answers from mass-personalized propaganda.
[0] ancap and religious fundamentalism are the only frameworks I've been able to find that fit the maggot movement, and they're not particularly constructive.
Some of them taught me how to behave!? Did they just not believe any of those things?
MAGA is a horrifying movement.
It was gonna be law either way; signing it removed a political weapon from the folks pushing its passage. Arguing this is something Clinton did to gay people is counterfactual.
Would you think it was okay if Tim Scott signed such a law just so his fellow Republicans couldn’t hold it against him in the primary? Well actually I wouldn’t be surprised if he did…
It's a pragmatic excuse.
Not signing changes nothing; clear statements that it's bad law; avoid giving the assholes pushing it more likelihood of winning the next election.
Am I suppose to be okay if he signed a law overturning “Brown vs Board of Education” because it would become law anyway?
Was the fact that he signed off on executing a mentally retarded man because it would show he was “tough on crime” just him being “pragmatic”?
https://jacobin.com/2016/11/bill-clinton-rickey-rector-death...
Getting back on topic, I don’t get to praise Chuck Norris because of his anti-racism stances but then dismiss his stances against non straight people.