I was truly saddened to hear of Chuck Norris's passing this week.
Like David Bowie and many other long-established stars, Chuck meant different things to different people.
My 'Chuck' was his earlier Karate champion self, gracing the covers and pages of Sixties and early Seventies Karate magazines and eventually culminating in his pivotal screen role as the karateka famously fighting Bruce Lee in the Coliseum in the Way of the Dragon, one of the most iconic martial arts battles ever put on film.
Bruce's other film, the definitive Kung Fu flick Enter the Dragon, changed the course of my childhood and I became immersed entirely in the the early 1970's Kung Fu craze.
Chuck was always there too and after Bruce's untimely death it's fair to say Chuck wore his illustrious crown for a while.
All this is before his Missing in Action/ Lone Wolf McQuade/ Texas Walker career, which I have to be honest, I missed out on and have never really checked in on it since, but I know they're important to later generations of Chuck fans.
Perhaps the strangest facet of Chuck's later career were the internet memes. The only one I ever really came across was the early Google reply to Where's Chuck Norris? The witty response came back as you don't look for Chuck Norris, Chuck finds you. I was always amazed that Chuck's massive persona was able to sway an entire machine like Google to give a memed reply.
Maybe the memes are his legacy. A Meme machine.
But he's more than just a meme.
For me, his legacy is the hard yards he put in as a Sixties American Karate champion, his pioneering presence when Eastern martial arts were just dawning in the West and his fabulous work with Bruce.
How I would have loved to have been that cat watching him scrap with Lee in the Coliseum!
RIP, Chuck.
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I honestly didn't know much about Chuck Norris other than the internet jokes.
ReplyDeleteI saw a few of his movies, but I don't remember much.
But, mainly, I gather that he was a good person.
And that's something that's rare and precious these days.
Rest in Peace.
It's sad state of affairs when being a good person is a rare thing Scott.
DeleteI saw a few of his films on TV through the years, and he was simply one of those stars who was always there. It was a real shock to read of his passing. Still, 86. Well done, Sir. RIP.
ReplyDeleteYes, Chuck was part of pop culture Paul.
DeleteBettina and I really enjoyed watching 'Walker Texas Ranger' a few years back when it was hitting the reruns circuit.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. Sadly I've never seen it Ed.
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