Great People

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

Actually, you had mentioned in a thread some time ago that Einstein quotes were your favourites.

What can I say? You're a very memorable fellow

I guess I did. And thank you.

[EEVILMURRAY]

For turning the world of magic on its head.

[Goafer]

For turning the world of magic on its head.

 

All I can think of when I see that is how great Assistant Director Skinner was.

 

[nightwolf]

Lenny Bruce

 

 

A pretty damn controlversial comedian. Mostly making very black and dark jokes about taboos, stigmas that kinda thing.

 

Mother Teresa

 

 

She did a hell of alot in her time, helping the sick, those with AIDS/HIV. Not much is needed to say about her.

 

Eva cassidy

 

 

I adore her music and I'm sadden that I'll never be able to see her in person. Possibly not a great person to some of you, but to me she is!

 

 

[weeyellowbloke]

Hmmm, reading thorough this thread I am struck by the disparity between art and science. I would say football could be classed as an art.To quote moogleviper:

 

As was said on there, (by a guy who could solve multiple digit multiplications sums in his head quicker than people can type on a calculator) what he does is a skill, a genius is creative and imaginative, and can create something out of nothing. (he put it better than I did, but I'm hungry and that guy is a genius very skilful person)

 

Thus, football involves the skills of for thought, strategy, and creativity same as any chess player combined with natural ability. You could argue that they have not had the same impact on the world as great scientists or mathematicians who came up with whole new concepts, but then you could argue what impact did Thomas Hardy haveon the world. Or any classic author. Did their impact on society distract in any way from the beauty of their art in their particular field. So in my opinion Bergkamp's greatness stands. Did it change the world....no. Did he show skill unequalled by contemporaries then and since...yes.But then I'm drunkso what do I know in my current state.

 

For my part I nominate Erasmus Darwin:

 

Utter legend. A fantastic physician, the best of his day in the UK and offered the position of royal physician several times, but declined it to be with his patients in Lichfield. An inventor who invented stablising design for carriages used on cars to this day. Proposed the theory of common descent decades before his grandson Charles, although never declared it publicly for fear of repercussions. Best selling poet of the time. Campaigner for abolition of the slave trade and the education of women. Helped establish Taxonomy in the UK by translating Linnaeus' works. Created the Lunar Society whose members spearheaded many developments of the early industrial society. Basically a stand-up guy.

[Paj!]

Eva Cassidy

I adore her music and I'm sadden that I'll never be able to see her in person. Possibly not a great person to some of you, but to me she is!

 

I like her as much as the next person, but I could have posted x amount of musicians whose music makes my life better...I just assumed we weren't.

 

(This isn't a dig or anything, just a comment. Reading it back it sounds like one)

[chairdriver]

I like her as much as the next person, but I could have posted x amount of musicians whose music makes my life better...I just assumed we weren't.

 

(This isn't a dig or anything, just a comment. Reading it back it sounds like one)

 

I was going to post about Kate Bush (just how every single female artist nowadays is compared to her), but then I tasted sour.

[The fish]

I think the spirit of this thread was not even to be about people who were undeniably essential to the modern world, like, say, Fritz Haber or Alan Turing, but were truly great in the classical sense of the word (so no god damn sports personalities or singers - Eva Cassidy is a possible exception).

 

For turning the world of magic on its head.

 

I wouldn't say he's a true great, but he is a fucking legend. : peace:

[nightwolf]

I like her as much as the next person, but I could have posted x amount of musicians whose music makes my life better...I just assumed we weren't.

 

(This isn't a dig or anything, just a comment. Reading it back it sounds like one)

 

Well it seemed more like great people who made an impact in general, given people assume footballers do, its only fair to post musicians!

[chairdriver]

I'm just in awe at the significance of Lady Gaga.

 

 

She is BIG; 3.3 million followers on Twitter; 6 consecutive US number ones; 1 in 5 videos viewed on Vevo.com is by Lady Gaga. And is working partners with the only person bigger than her in pop music today - Beyonce.

 

And she's a vocal LGBTQ advocate.

 

Just the hugeness of this.

 

If she had been around 5,6,7 or 8 years ago, she would have directly affected my life - she would have yanked open the window that allows that ray of hope in. The media (seen through my eyes) lacked any sort of gay presence [there was Will Young, but realistically...], and she's really brought it to life for young LGBTQ teenagers, and really got the "It's OK" message across to people.

 

Just the audacity of huge for her to risk her American audience in order to pursue this.

 

 

She just needs to officially release the fan-made video to Teeth, which features gay vampires wearing leather.

[MoogleViper]

What's the Q for?

[S.C.G]

What's the Q for?

 

Quadragenarian?

 

Or maybe... just maybe... Queer.

[MoogleViper]

But I thought queer was already under LGBT?

[S.C.G]

But I thought queer was already under LGBT?

 

I'd have thought so too but thinking about it, there are probably a good few fundamental differences between being 'queer' and 'gay' because isn't calling someone who is gay 'queer' offensive in some way I thought?

 

Plus queer could just mean 'odd' , 'different' or 'strange' much like its original meaning... but I digress because we're getting waaaay off-topic here lol.

 

---------------------------------------------

 

Shigeru Miyamoto

 

 

On a Nintendo forum I don't even need a reason to state why this guy is such a legend because a lot of you allready know, but he shall still be posted anyway, simply because Shigsy is awesome.

[Ramar]

I'm just in awe at the significance of Lady Gaga.

 

 

She is BIG; 3.3 million followers on Twitter; 6 consecutive US number ones; 1 in 5 videos viewed on Vevo.com is by Lady Gaga. And is working partners with the only person bigger than her in pop music today - Beyonce.

 

And she's a vocal LGBTQ advocate.

 

Just the hugeness of this.

 

If she had been around 5,6,7 or 8 years ago, she would have directly affected my life - she would have yanked open the window that allows that ray of hope in. The media (seen through my eyes) lacked any sort of gay presence [there was Will Young, but realistically...], and she's really brought it to life for young LGBTQ teenagers, and really got the "It's OK" message across to people.

 

Just the audacity of huge for her to risk her American audience in order to pursue this.

 

 

She just needs to officially release the fan-made video to Teeth, which features gay vampires wearing leather.

 

... And I got grief for posting Bergkamp, way to devalue your own thread you argued to preserve.

[Paj!]

Surely he posted her in reference to her outward stance on LGBT stuff in comparison to her peers (and also considering how popular she is), as opposed to "liking her music"? Which seems like a great thing, and I suppose is important.

 

(If he'd said "GaGa because of her amazing songs!" or something I'd agree with you.)

[Ramar]

Surely he posted her in reference to her outward stance on LGBT stuff in comparison to her peers (and also considering how popular she is), as opposed to "liking her music"? Which seems like a great thing, and I suppose is important.

 

(If he'd said "GaGa because of her amazing songs!" or something I'd agree with you.)

 

I was on a bit of a wind up, but I'll just quote this;

 

She is BIG; 3.3 million followers on Twitter; 6 consecutive US number ones; 1 in 5 videos viewed on Vevo.com is by Lady Gaga. And is working partners with the only person bigger than her in pop music today - Beyonce.

 

Not just about LGBT support...

[chairdriver]

Not just about LGBT support...

 

That's the essential part - I'm saying that the way she's willing to risk all her success to pursue LGBT activism is what makes her great.

 

An important part of activism is visibility. Lady Gaga is probably one of the most visible people out there at the moment, and it's so great that she's chosen to be involved, rather than being neutral (which most stars are). If it were a random pop singer from Norway it would be laudable but would not have the same weight, whereas Gaga has 3.3 million people listening to whatever she says.

 

"It's not what you have, it's what you do with it."

Edited March 29, 2010 by chairdriver

[Jav_NE]

The problem we all have here is we are still alive and breathing at the same time as these 'greats' we are nominating. Case in point, i think of Socrates and the way he thought and challenged what we once believed about things. During his time, they thought he was mad, a corrupter of minds, and they sentenced him to death. Of course, what he said was later a massive influence on others and to western philosophy itself.

 

My point is, we can never truly know who in our generation will be heralded forevermore as great. Only with time can the effects and influences of what anyone does now truly render them as a legend. Its the cliched test of time, but its true.

 

As for football players, popstars etc being great, i personally dont think it counts. Regardless of influence and how they can enrich our lives and bring us together, it never actually leads to anything substantial for human kind. That is key i believe for greatness. Those exploring and researching space and our universe at NASA, scientists discovering cures and advancements for our living, that kind of thing. They really change our world. It is just easy to get mixed up because people in the past, as we are doing now, have heralded entertainers and artists as great (Thomas Hardy etc) and that has continued through the generations (some just doubled up as great thinkers too, like Da Vinci).

 

It all depends on your definition of "great". But i dont think anyone will be writing to tell future generations about our entertainment stars and how they changed mankind as we knew it.

[Shino]

After reading the thread title, I did not expect to see Lady Gaga.

[Paj!]

I think it'd be more fun if we changed the aim of this thread a bit...maybe just let everyone post who they think is great and their reasons, so there's context. So football players would be allowed, as it would be within the context of football, rather than "changing mankind" or whatever.

 

I keep thinking of people to post about but then realise it would be opinion and therefore "not allowed".

 

I think we should just be able to spraff on about whoever we want, without having to make each one line up equally to each other.

[Emasher]

I think it'd be more fun if we changed the aim of this thread a bit...maybe just let everyone post who they think is great and their reasons, so there's context. So football players would be allowed, as it would be within the context of football, rather than "changing mankind" or whatever.

 

I keep thinking of people to post about but then realise it would be opinion and therefore "not allowed".

 

I think we should just be able to spraff on about whoever we want, without having to make each one line up equally to each other.

 

Why not make a new thread for something like that.

[Ashley]

It's great that Lady Gaga is gaga over gays but I don't think she was "risking alienating her audience". Her audience is most likely 99% liberal anyway. I doubt any of her fans are Christian Republicans. Its like the newspaper reader theory (I'm sure there's probably a proper name for it but I forget), people gravitate toward media that already reflects their opinions (and then it helps to build upon and justify those beliefs). There's a bit of leeway obviously but I very much doubt Richard Dawkins reads the Daily Mail.

 

(and I also have some issue with the notion you seem to suggest that everyone that listens to her will embrace her message but that's a more minor thing).

 

In other news, I nominate Jav for honourary greatness.

[Frank]

I came upon this thread randomly after noticing a ghost guest was viewing it.

It made me think of Emily Dickinson.

 

 

Just such an amazing woman and poet. I'm aware that she seems to be the "typical" or even "cliché" poet that teens/young adults full of angst radiate towards.

 

I don't know. Reading her poetry she just sounds so beyond her time. So beyond any time. The imagery conjured in her poetry leaves my imagination suffer diarrhea. Recently I've escaped the constraints of my school poetry book and have just begun to read some much lesser known work.

 

To me, it feels as if she's helped poetry in so many ways.

 

One of my favorites that I've read,

 

I DIED for beauty, but was scarce

Adjusted in the tomb,

When one who died for truth was lain

In an adjoining room.

 

He questioned softly why I failed?

“For beauty,” I replied.

“And I for truth,—the two are one;

We brethren are,” he said.

 

And so, as kinsmen met a night,

We talked between the rooms,

Until the moss had reached our lips,

And covered up our names.

[The Bard]

Its like the newspaper reader theory (I'm sure there's probably a proper name for it but I forget), people gravitate toward media that already reflects their opinions (and then it helps to build upon and justify those beliefs).

 

Confirmation bias.