Teddy Roosevelt, Chuck Norris and American Values

8/8/2012

TEDDY ROOSEVELT, CHUCK NORRIS AND AMERICAN VALUES BLOG
(due by Friday, August 10th)

Read all of the instructions below and then post your blog entry as a COMMENT.

Please read the following articles about Teddy Roosevelt and do a little OPVL analysis of each article. Also think about the discussion we had in class about Teddy Roosevelt, his values and what he represented in terms of “American-ness” as the US entered the 20th century (often called “America’s Century). Then think a bit about Chuck Norris—a fictional character that (like Teddy) is also a bit larger than life and quintessentially American. If you need a refresher course on Chuck Norris, please Google. Oh, wait a minute, Google won't search for Chuck Norris because Google knows you don't find Chuck Norris, he finds you. All jokes aside, for more Chuck Norris info, please see:

http://www.chucknorris.com/ or http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

Teddy Roosevelt Articles

Time Cover
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20060703,00.html
The Making of America--Teddy Roosevelt (we read it in class)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1207820-1,00.html
Newt Gingrich-Why we should study Teddy?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1209230,00.html
Karl Rove--Lessons from Larger than Life President
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1207825,00.html
River of Doubt
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1207799-1,00.html

Now, in a 200 word minimum blog post, based on your reading and our discussion in class, please write about what you think Teddy Roosevelt and Chuck Norris teach us about the United States, US History, US at the turn of the 20th Century, American values, and why do they or the values they embody matter? What are the implications of these values on US culture, history, foreign policy, etc.?

You may also consider the readings (and Teddy v. Chuck Norris) in relation to their historical or theoretical context; you may bring up different political issues the readings might apply to, you may write about an aspect of the readings that you don’t understand, or something that jars you, you may formulate an insightful question about the readings and then attempt to answer your own question, or you may respond to another student’s post, building upon it, disagreeing with it, or re-thinking it.

A few basic Blog rules:
1. Be respectful.
2. Please type your full name, a creative title, and the page numbers or chapter your blog entry is responding to on the top line of your comment. This will help us keep track of who is responding to what.
3. You may write in the first-person, informally. That being said, please write in complete sentences and keep your comments relevant and appropriate.

11 Comments

Athavan Balendran

9/8/2012 08:12:59 am

Teddy Roosevelt and Chuck Norris can teach us a lot about U.S history and life during the 20th century. Both today and during their primes Roosevelt and Norris have been examples of the manliest the United States has to offer. Teddy is often looked upon as one of the only presidents to actually command the congress so that bills and laws he wanted could be passed. Daily people make jokes on how Chuck Norris is a god amongst men in terms of strength and abilities further showing our belief that he are very manly. Even though no one can give a clear definition to what manliness is, Theodore Roosevelt always did things that the majority of men would agree and call manly such as, hunting big game in Africa, getting shot and still continuing to give a speech, and so on. What I think can be said by our worship of these men and their extreme masculinity is that they reflect what America is all about. Many people of the U.S believe that the U.S is the strongest, toughest country out in the world and that we should be the ones guiding the other countries by our example. Teddy Roosevelt even felt this way, also characterized by his “big stick policy”. Even though much of their masculinity might be exaggerated, Teddy Roosevelt and Chuck Norris are role models, but not for the average American, but the country as a whole in terms of foreign policy and self-esteem.

Gabriella Freeman

9/8/2012 09:36:21 am

Theodore Roosevelt and Chuck Norris, despite being two completely different people from completely different origins, represent one common undefined trait. The similarity between the two that made them stand out so much could in fact be considered masculinity, power, respect or even self-esteem. Teddy has appeared on the cover of Times Magazine with the caption of ‘’how Teddy invented modern America’’, which only comes to show the amount of credit he was given. Roosevelt is deeply respected as when he was president, he commanded the congress in order to get his laws and bills passed, a privilege that Obama doesn’t really have. Chuck Norris is often referred to in jokes as someone greater than the average person, or in other words, someone who is pretty much capable of everything possible and impossible. That is the aspect that ties these two extraordinary people together. Both are known to be capable of things that most people are not, which make them out as extremely strong and important role models for the American Citizen to go and try to reach these extraordinary levels suppressed by these two extraordinary people. Since both of them are so different, they show how the average person can reach the amazing in different forms, as Roosevelt represents a political role model, Chuck Norris represents something I personally cant really define as anything more than some sort of a very strong and important ‘’joke’’.

Rodrigo Pereira

9/8/2012 10:14:09 am

American Figures

Teddy Roosevelt and Chuck Norris are two important figures in America’s history. Both of them are figures, which show the world and their country how a true American should be; always fighting and defending their country at all time. Politically, Roosevelt passed to the Americans a brave, patriotic, and perseverant personality, which gave the impression he was putting USA always in first position. As the only president to actually “command “the congress to pass his bills, the only president to go hunting in Africa and the only president to get shot and still keep giving a speech show how he was a strong, always defending USA’s causes and masculine he was. Chuck Norris in the other hand, even being a fictional figure, always shown the American population of what being an American really means. Just like Teddy, he fought for his country and defended it at all causes no matter what. Chuck Norris strength, patriotism, courage and will always shown the Americans the way to fight and defend their country, that they should never negotiate with terrorists for example, and should always “Carrie “the US flag in their chest. Both figures are known to have saved the US and fought impossible problems but they are not the only one. Superman and Captain America are other examples of figures that show the American personality. Teddy and Chuck are both consider role models or even legends to the American population, both have shown the American way of life.

Thiago Gatto

9/8/2012 10:49:10 am

America’s Inspirations

First of all, Roosevelt was the first president to actually see that the United States development had got to a point where it was so strong that they needed someone to lead the country and take actions in order for the country to become a world leader. With an iron fist, Roosevelt was the first president to enhance its role and the capabilities of what his post could do. By “excluding” in a way the bureaucracy part in the government, which was the need of Congress’s approval, Roosevelt was able to conduct the US in his fashion, and his actions such as the creation of minimum wage, regulation of stock trading and the breakup of monopolies were essential reforms that increased government’s role and generally set better working and living conditions for the population. Furthermore, his actions had a great impact at the time because he was a republican, which now I understand is a more conservative but also liberal type of politic. As for his image, Teddy definitely raised the standards for following presidents, by being courageous, “authoritarian” in his way, visionary and concerned about environmental and social problems; he established the type of president that Americans need and started to have as a model since then.
Chuck Norris has become the ultimate imaginary character to boost America’s steem and in a certain way try to convince them of their superiority and capacity to do everything. It might just sound like simple jokes such as “Chuck Norris was once shot. The bullet died”, but in a subconscious level, all the things that people say about Chuck Norris and the way he is deeply admired as a model of a patriot and a devoted citizen of the U.S, ends up reflecting the United States vision of itself because Americans see him as an idol and Chuck Norris’ image is used in a way for them not only to be like him, but to act as he acts towards his country. Teddy Roosevelt has many aspects of his personality similar to Chuck’s, at least in the way Americans see it, because just like Chuck is always shown doing what is best for his country no matter what, always exercising a duty of respect and honor, always a hardworking person and dedicating himself to the maximum for his country. There are still people who say, “If you stare at an American flag long enough, a 3-D image of Chuck Norris will appear”!

Pedro Paulo Magalhães

9/8/2012 01:30:51 pm

Teddy and Chuck Norris…Well, it’s not a Joke After All
Theodore Roosevelt was beyond just another of the 44 Presidents in the history of the United States, “Roosevelt’s years in the White House were one of those hinges upon which the whole American history sometimes turns” (Richard Lacayo). Likewise, Chuck Norris was not only an actor and a karate champion; he was the personification of boldness and mettle. At first glance, comparing these two men might seems as one of the thousands of jokes regarding the emblematic and sort of comical figure of Chuck Norris. However, both of these unique characters in the history of politics and society are crucial for the comprehension of the values inherent in the American citizenry of the 20th century. First, let’s start with what Teddy Roosevelt can tell us about the American identity. After Roosevelt came to power by September 14, 1901, America entered a completely new era. The United States had been exponentially growing as the industrial exports of the nation by the early 1900s were thrice as big as in the mid-1800s, making the country one of the wealthiest in the world. On the other hand, the United States was far from acting as a global power over international affairs. As a consequence to this passive position, Roosevelt called upon the Americans to act across the seas through the Big Stick Diplomacy. Roosevelt argued that America should, as a global power, fight for the expansion of democracy and prosperity through the globe, threatening with “the big stick”, or its strong military force, all the nations that opposed the foreign affairs of America. Therefore, the United States started to impose restrictions and enable the developments of countries in Latin America such as the establishment of the Platt Amendment in Cuba and the creation of the Panama Canal, respectively. The new foreign policy established by Roosevelt strongly influenced the American national identity, due to the reason that as the United States became committed with its role of being a global power, a sense of active battle for freedom, liberty and civilization aroused in the American citizenry. Also, the Big Stick Policy led to the eminent leadership role of the Americans in international events, committees and conflicts, such as could be seen in the Vietnam and the Iran-Iraq War. Moreover, Roosevelt’s stress upon the cautious use of the world’s natural resources, and the creation of approximately 50 national parks, directed the Americans to have a much more developed environmental awareness than most other nations world-wide. Furthermore, Roosevelt’s courageous conduct was able to eternalize, within the American values, the ideas of standing up against the flaws in the systems in vigor and having an active civic life. Roosevelt’s mettle can be exemplified as he “took the Isthmus, started the canal and then left the Congress—not to debate the canal, but to debate me”, therefore defying the historic control the Congress had over the Presidency. Nevertheless, Chuck Norris was very important to the development of a sentiment of active enrolment with foreign affairs in the American citizenry, as he represented the almighty nature of the American people in his pure action movies. As Americans were able to see themselves being represented by a man that never gave up or lost a battle, the idea that the Armed Forces would never fail gradually was summoned, leading to the substantial growth of the American courage and the nation’s pride. Therefore, it is impossible to point out America’s most important figures, without mentioning Roosevelt’s and Norris’s impact over the American identity.

Anna Pearson

9/8/2012 03:07:30 pm

At first, it is weird to think about comparing Chuck Norris and Teddy Roosevelt, but surprisingly they have a lot in common. Teddy Roosevelt can teach us much about US History especially because he played a huge role in shaping the past. He improved many aspects of American life and government making him known as one of the best presidents to have lived. Chuck Norris was an actor whose name has now become the embodiment of an even greater fictional character. Both Norris and Roosevelt also served the US during war which could contribute to their shared value of patriotism and courage. Other shared values they have are determination, perseverance, strength, and bravery. As an example, Teddy Roosevelt exemplified strength and being the most powerful when he continued to give his speech even though he was shot. This also relates to his beliefs of imperialism and his expansionist ideals. He believed that the US was the best and its influences should be spread around the world. This was his “Big Stick” policy on imperialism. Chuck Norris has become a figure that embodies superhuman abilities and strength that ascend past any human’s capability. Chuck Norris has become an American figure and as a result his superhuman powers and courage have become reflected values of America. These values are the same as they were at the turn of the 20th century, so as a result, both Roosevelt and Norris teach us about the age of imperialism and the beliefs that many Americans had. The values that these two men possess are important because they have now become stereotypically American values. As a result of the popularity of these two figures, people in other countries view America partly with the ideas of Chuck Norris and Teddy Roosevelt in the back of their minds. It is debatable whether or not these values accurately represent America, and it is your own personal opinion if you think that these values are the right or wrong ones. Personally, I think there are better values and better reputations that the US should be known for. The implications of these “all-mighty” values have caused an increased feeling and support for imperialism which at the same time has hurt other country’s images of the US. foreign policy. The history and culture caused by imperialism in the US have also been implications by these values.

Anna Pearson

9/8/2012 03:09:33 pm

The Wrong Values for US?

At first, it is weird to think about comparing Chuck Norris and Teddy Roosevelt, but surprisingly they have a lot in common. Teddy Roosevelt can teach us much about US History especially because he played a huge role in shaping the past. He improved many aspects of American life and government making him known as one of the best presidents to have lived. Chuck Norris was an actor whose name has now become the embodiment of an even greater fictional character. Both Norris and Roosevelt also served the US during war which could contribute to their shared value of patriotism and courage. Other shared values they have are determination, perseverance, strength, and bravery. As an example, Teddy Roosevelt exemplified strength and being the most powerful when he continued to give his speech even though he was shot. This also relates to his beliefs of imperialism and his expansionist ideals. He believed that the US was the best and its influences should be spread around the world. This was his “Big Stick” policy on imperialism. Chuck Norris has become a figure that embodies superhuman abilities and strength that ascend past any human’s capability. Chuck Norris has become an American figure and as a result his superhuman powers and courage have become reflected values of America. These values are the same as they were at the turn of the 20th century, so as a result, both Roosevelt and Norris teach us about the age of imperialism and the beliefs that many Americans had. The values that these two men possess are important because they have now become stereotypically American values. As a result of the popularity of these two figures, people in other countries view America partly with the ideas of Chuck Norris and Teddy Roosevelt in the back of their minds. It is debatable whether or not these values accurately represent America, and it is your own personal opinion if you think that these values are the right or wrong ones. Personally, I think there are better values and better reputations that the US should be known for. The implications of these “all-mighty” values have caused an increased feeling and support for imperialism which at the same time has hurt other country’s images of the US. foreign policy. The history and culture caused by imperialism in the US have also been implications by these values.

Anna Pearson

9/8/2012 03:11:04 pm

Anna Pearson

9/8/2012 07:58:54 pm

The Wrong Values for the US?

At first, it is weird to think about comparing Chuck Norris and Teddy Roosevelt, but surprisingly they have a lot in common. Teddy Roosevelt can teach us much about US History especially because he played a huge role in shaping the past. He improved many aspects of American life and government making him known as one of the best presidents to have lived. Chuck Norris was an actor whose name has now become the embodiment of an even greater fictional character. Both Norris and Roosevelt also served the US during war which could contribute to their shared value of patriotism and courage. Other shared values they have are determination, perseverance, strength, and bravery. As an example, Teddy Roosevelt exemplified strength and being the most powerful when he continued to give his speech even though he was shot. This also relates to his beliefs of imperialism and his expansionist ideals. He believed that the US was the best and its influences should be spread around the world. This was his “Big Stick” policy on imperialism. Chuck Norris has become a figure that embodies superhuman abilities and strength that ascend past any human’s capability. Chuck Norris has become an American figure and as a result his superhuman powers and courage have become reflected values of America. These values are the same as they were at the turn of the 20th century, so as a result, both Roosevelt and Norris teach us about the age of imperialism and the beliefs that many Americans had. The values that these two men possess are important because they have now become stereotypically American values. As a result of the popularity of these two figures, people in other countries view America partly with the ideas of Chuck Norris and Teddy Roosevelt in the back of their minds. It is debatable whether or not these values accurately represent America, and it is your own personal opinion if you think that these values are the right or wrong ones. Personally, I think there are better values and better reputations that the US should be known for. The implications of these “all-mighty” values have caused an increased feeling and support for imperialism which at the same time has hurt other country’s images of the US. foreign policy. The history and culture caused by imperialism in the US have also been implications by these values.

Sarah Godoy

10/8/2012 02:10:35 am

2 Good to be True

Teddy Roosevelt and Chuck Norris. In one side, lays the most popular American president of the 1900s, a man whose visionary policies led the United States of America to a path of ample prosperity. On the other, lays a man who, like Teddy, influenced the lives of Americas, mostly in what refers to values. The values promoted by Teddy Roosevelt extend above and beyond what any other president of the US had ever done to its country, and his influence is pretty much present nowadays- look at Microsoft as an example, if Teddy Roosevelt had not prohibited the creation of monopolies that could have threatened the American government in the 1900s, then Lord! Bill Gates would have won from Obama in the presidency elections! Jokes apart, he would have become the most powerful man not only in the United States of America, but also in the world, as his computer software would have reached a status more influential than the US gov. itself. Teddy Roosevelt developed a new sense of patriotism and American paternalism (not in vain his policy was called the "Big Stick"). Indeed, Teddy was viewed as such a great character that for an irony of the destiny, he was once shot while delivering a speech, but the shot did not kill him due to a folded piece of paper he held in his pocket. Chuck Norris is not different- one of his most memorable facts is "Chuck Norris does not die. He kills". Chuck, similarly to Teddy, model the American society. The power and influence of their characters were essential in the construction of the American values of the 21st century.

Mari T.

3/9/2012 08:14:39 am

Teddy Roosevelt and Chuck Norris both can show us a lot of the American history. Teddy Roosevelt is commonly known for being one of the only presidents that was able to convince the congress to pass the laws that he wished to. Chuck Norris on the other hand is known for his strength and a ‘god’ in today’s world, he became known as such because of things like, getting shot and keep going with his speech. These men can be said to reflect the ideal America. The American citizens, commonly believe that the American nation is the stronger, better nation in the world and, as Roosevelt and Norris, are to lead the world. Both have an exaggerated image of masculinity, however they are the mirror of the image Americans want for the U.S.A.

Teddy Roosevelt, Chuck Norris and American Values

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