o captain my captain
Sunday, 15 July 2012 04:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Various wamblings in the comments of my last post have vouchsafed me an Insight, or possibly a Revelation, or at very least a Brainstorm. Which is to say, gawsh, but there are an awful lot of really rather attractive men prancing around contemporary popular culture under the sobriquet of Captain. Is this officially a Thing now? have we all succumbed to the appeal of militarism, or authority, or uniforms? Also, boots. Captains wear good boots. And, judging by the evidence, a lot of them wear good coats.
I have naturally been led to this insight because of the recent ComicCon Firefly reunion panel, which has caused loyal Browncoats the world over to shed a tear and retreat into a Firefly rewatch in sheer denial. And Firefly, of course, features Captain Malcolm Reynolds, whose appeal I find I am totally unable to sum up in a sentence. Possibly because his particular balance of debonair, wounded, embittered, heroic, decent, capable, loyal, quixotic, authoritative and accident-prone is so delicate. Also, spaceship. It trumps fast cars.

Bonus Captain Hammer, although he doesn't really fit into the Desirable Men category. Captain Hammer is a tool. Also, he doesn't have a coat. Hmmm. Maybe I'm onto something here.

Captain Jack Sparrow, of course, needs no justification, and besides, will make
schedule5 happy. The only possible thing which might mitigate the Johnny Depp effect - debonair, capable, accident-prone with a side order of confident eccentricity - is Captain Jack's personal hygiene.

Ah, Captain Jack. The other Captain Jack. Pity the American Torchwood was such a dud. Captain Jack Harkness hits some of the authoritarian/capable/military buttons, although I find him overly smooth, but mostly he's fun because he's such a slut.

And, finally, the ultimate clean-cut all-American boy, Captain as superhero, very heavy on the decent/capable/loyal/quixotic/heroic/authoritarian front and only slightly wounded. Captain America, in the recent Avengers iteration. Awwww.

I am open to further submissions in the Captain category in the comments. Likewise, further theories as to the appeal. Counter-argument: three of the above Captains fall in some way under Joss Whedon's ambit, so perhaps it's a personal fetish. It still seems odd.
I have naturally been led to this insight because of the recent ComicCon Firefly reunion panel, which has caused loyal Browncoats the world over to shed a tear and retreat into a Firefly rewatch in sheer denial. And Firefly, of course, features Captain Malcolm Reynolds, whose appeal I find I am totally unable to sum up in a sentence. Possibly because his particular balance of debonair, wounded, embittered, heroic, decent, capable, loyal, quixotic, authoritative and accident-prone is so delicate. Also, spaceship. It trumps fast cars.

Bonus Captain Hammer, although he doesn't really fit into the Desirable Men category. Captain Hammer is a tool. Also, he doesn't have a coat. Hmmm. Maybe I'm onto something here.

Captain Jack Sparrow, of course, needs no justification, and besides, will make
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Ah, Captain Jack. The other Captain Jack. Pity the American Torchwood was such a dud. Captain Jack Harkness hits some of the authoritarian/capable/military buttons, although I find him overly smooth, but mostly he's fun because he's such a slut.

And, finally, the ultimate clean-cut all-American boy, Captain as superhero, very heavy on the decent/capable/loyal/quixotic/heroic/authoritarian front and only slightly wounded. Captain America, in the recent Avengers iteration. Awwww.

I am open to further submissions in the Captain category in the comments. Likewise, further theories as to the appeal. Counter-argument: three of the above Captains fall in some way under Joss Whedon's ambit, so perhaps it's a personal fetish. It still seems odd.
Happy
Date: Sunday, 15 July 2012 06:19 pm (UTC)Re: Happy
Date: Thursday, 19 July 2012 09:17 am (UTC)I am happy to improve your day in some small way. Or perhaps some eccentrically appealing way. Not that one needs an excuse for dishy captains :>.
no subject
Date: Sunday, 15 July 2012 09:28 pm (UTC)Captain America is likeable but a little staid.
Did you see this? ;-)
http://nerdbastards.com/2011/08/11/top-10-fictional-captains-who-dont-have-a-starship/
no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 10:41 am (UTC)Totally with you on the smug, too. As I said, too smooth.
no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 09:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 10:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 03:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 09:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 10:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 12:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 10:18 am (UTC)http://hansolosblaster.blogspot.co.uk/
Don't think it's a real blog, but handy for pics.
no subject
Date: Monday, 16 July 2012 10:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 19 July 2012 09:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 23 July 2012 02:53 pm (UTC)I am wambling through London or environs on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd September, do I have even the faintest chance of coinciding with you in your mad military whirl? I still need to meet your Ladies, TM.
Gasp!
Date: Monday, 23 July 2012 02:30 pm (UTC)Sheesh, y u snub the Star Treks?!
Re: Gasp!
Date: Monday, 23 July 2012 02:51 pm (UTC)