Stargate Sideblog

They've been immortalised as heroes but its been so long they've fallen into legend. They're the King Arthur of this planet, said to return when they are needed most.

The sg1 characters have been bastardised beyond belief. Jack is an Odin figure. A wise leader but also a trickster. Sam is said to contain the knowledge of the universe. Teal'c is said to be able to lift mountains and, perhaps if his age came up originally, be as old as the universe. Daniel is said to be a kind a generous soul who can speak to all things, people, animals, rocks, everything.

Idk where I'm going with this but I just couldn't get the idea of SG1 becoming immortalised in myth and legend, their adventures told to children as bedtime stories.

There's no denying that he is a masculine person. The ultimate ideal of what a man is. He's played by Richard Dean Anderson, the man semi-responsible for the term "MacGuyver" being part of our everyday lexicon.

But as a man, he doesn't fit the modern ideal of masculinity. He doesn't have a six pack. He's of average height. He's in his 40s, with greying hair and wrinkles. You don't get to be a Colonel in the Air Force and stay a fresh faced 20-something. Overall, he just looks like some guy you'd see down the pub. Not making a podcast on how men need to be dominant.

On the surface O'Neill appears to be emotionally unavailable who uses his humour as a defence mechanism. This is partly true, but it's not the whole story. His humour is a defence mechanism to stop himself from being overwhelmed by everything that has happened to him as a career soldier.

When it comes to those under his command, he's compassionate. He asks for advice and ideas from his team before offering anything of his own. He LISTENS and pays attention!! He's willing to offer hugs when needed. He's good with kids, giving an adorable shiba Inu to a girl in mourning to provide her with emotional support and joy. His advice is often to try to be friendly and smile. He never tells anyone to suck it up and get over it, and if he does tell someone to put their feelings aside it's so they can focus on saving lives.

He sends Daniel a tissue box as a message that he needs contact, rather than an intrusive probe.

Episode SIX we also see him (well, a crystal that had taken over his form) sitting in a ball, clutching the pillow of his dead son, crying his eyes out. You would NEVER see that in a modern day drama that early on.

This was made in 1997, and yet I am left with the intense feeling that we need to have more characters like Jack O'Neill around today. We need more men who want to emulate his version of masculinity. The kind who attends his doctors appointments, listens to what she has to say, and will follow her orders as a medical professional.

We need more men whose character is partly defined by his complete lack of knowledge. He regularly says "I don't know about this so I'm going to ask Captain Samantha Carter about it."

Also, I want to point out that MacGyver is also not a stereotypically masculine character! Yes, he's sexy and his mullet was apparently a feature not a flaw, but he was also very specifically NOT a shoot-em-up alpha male. He hates guns! He solves problems with his wits, not with his fists! When he does get into a fistfight he looks borderline ridiculous!

have some todd stickers for today!

Diary of a Would-Be Stunt Woman

By Amanda Tapping

Yeah! 'Smoke and Mirrors'! O'Neill is charged with murder and Sam goes off to the NID. I got to wear more normal clothes, sort of Men in Black stuff, and a nice pretty skirt. See - what's really important about this episode is that I actually, for the first time ever in the history of six years of Stargate, got a stunt operator. I probably should have gotten some in the past because of the outrageous things I've done. You should see some of the ridiculous things I've flung myself at! But with this one I went up to our assistant director and said, "I'm charging down concrete steps, leaping over a wall and a building is exploding behind me. I'm pretty sure that's a stunt." So we, (Peter Flemming, who played Barrett, and I) practiced. We run to the end of this wall and we have to do a leap. Now, there is a mat in one position and there are cameras positioned all around it and there's this whole 'Don't hit the camera, leap over here, land on this big fluffy mat' vibe. But every time we rehearsed it, as soon as I get close to teh wall, I'd do this little gymnast-style hop, skip and leap. And people were like, "Amanda- just run and leap. Run, and leap. What's with the gymnast thing?" So I keep landing on the mat and I'd spring up and go, "Whoo Hoo! Six point four from the Russian judge!" which I thought was quite funny, but the crew were getting nervous: "She's gotta get this right. She has to get it." I mean, God bless the crew. I think they really like me, but they also know that I'm completely uncoordinated and therefore a great source of entertainment on a daily basis.

Anyway, I'm scared. I have to run down these concrete steps and they weren't built to code if you know what I mean, they're too narrow, but I can't back out becuase it's this huge shot and the whole neighourhood has turned out. The spectators are all going, "Wow! They're going to blow up this house!" and though we won't actually blow it up, there is going to be a big explosion, which has taken all day to set up.

So - its the last stunt of the day. The crew is trying to reassure me: "No worries, Amanda!" One of the stunt guys has grabbed hold of the end of the mat, to hold it up, so that when I land I don't come sliding off the end. However on the last rehearsal I come flying at him, I land . . . and he litterally punches me in the face because he's holding the mat and I collide with his fist. Then I'm holding my nose going "Oh crap" and he's all apologetic, saying "I was trying to help you" and I'm like "No! No! I'm an accident waiting to happen!" I then remember I have a gun in my hand, and that's something else I have to contend with.

Finally, we're all set to shoot. Go! I'm running down the stairs, everyone is watching. There's five cameras rolling - it's just the huge-est thing. I do the leap. I'm all good. I realise the camera is in front of me so I have to tuck in. I do it, land . . . and as I land . . . I smash myself in the face with my gun! I'm lying stunned and I can feel the heat of the explosion and I'm like "Oh Boy!" I touch my face, which is all wet, and I thought it was blood. Turned out it wasn't - it was just snot. But my eyes are watering because I smashed myself on the nose.

Everyone is going, "Wow. That was fantastic!" I turned to Jack from creaft service and said, "You know, just once I would like to do a stunt where I didn't incur some sort of injury." Then Dan Shea, our stunt co-ordinator and big wrench carrier comes up and says, "I've never worked with an actress who does her own stunts." I say, "Ya think I should stop?" and he replies, "Yeah. Amanda God is sending you messages." You know what? I think next time, I'll listen.

@sga-owns-my-soul Done

I have only seen one, in his cave. Hanson may not know he needs the second device.

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