I was kinda disappointed that I couldn't post on the other thread, due to my post count being so low, but I did want to voice my thoughts on Paul Walker's tragic passing this past weekend.
Honestly, I didn't remotely expect to be so upset about PW's passing. I wasn't a giant fan of his, I never had any F&F memorabilia, and I certainly didn't think about him other than when I watched his movies.
But, over these past couple days, he's been on my mind, and as I try to figure out why his passing is having an unexpected effect on me, I'm sure that I'm not alone in saying that Paul Walker/Brian O'Connor has had a significant impact in my life as a car guy. I never met him, never knew him, never really gave a second thought to him. He wasn't even a great actor, in all honesty. But he was a car guy, through and through, and if any of us had a chance to live his life, I doubt many of us would think twice about it. His love for Japanese cars-a real, genuine enthusiasm-really resonated with me, especially his affinity for the BNR34 chassis; he even visited Mine's engineering in Japan to take a ride in their cars.
I think more profoundly than any of that was the simple fact that I related to him. He was accessible and real, and I'm sure that's what shone through, why so many of us are in the same boat (didn't know him, watched his movies, and can't figure out why we are so upset by his passing). Truth be told, I find Vin Diesel and his characters cold, kind of an overdone machismo meathead. In contrast Paul, with his charm, warmth, and real-life nice guy demeanor, made me feel like car guys could be nice like that. I'm not at all surprised that his off-screen life seems to fit that image.
Finally, he was a true car guy, who wrenched, raced, and talked shop with a true passion. He wasn't caught up in his own fame, wasn't distorted by it, and din't do that whole "celebrity self-promotion" thing a whole lot. I don't feel at all like I'm exaggerating when I say that, in terms of true Hollywood motorheads, he's up with Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Granted, the "Hollywood" bit is lacking, his body of cinematicwork being much less Iconic and memorable than the other two.
Nevertheless, his influence and part in the import tuning revolution of the 90s and 2000s has been undeniable, and if it weren't for the F&F movies enkindling in us a passion and desire for cars when we were kids, many of us wouldn't be a part of this scene to begin with. Granted, there are some OGs who would be a part of it without the influence of the movies, but one would be an idiot if he denied the fact that the F&F franchise made our art, our passion accessible and desirable for the masses, thereby bringing many new enthusiasts into the fold. It brought our scene up from the underground, much like Nirvana and Kurt Cobain did for the grunge/alternative scene in the early 90s. Since then it has developed, grown, shrunk, and evolved into what it is today.
We must remember that as a human being, he did not have any more or less worth than anyone else who dies tragically: soldiers who die in the line of duty, the Kurt Cobains who get consumed and destroyed by their lives, Dan Wheldons who lose the ultimate gamble in their high-stake jobs, or the neighbor’s granddaughter who did nothing wrong and got hit by a drunk driver. However, Paul Walker’s life has irrefutably impressed itself on millions of lives, and the breadth of his impact on our industry and hobby is undeniable. Because of Paul’s passion, the tuning world will forever be a vastly different place.
Honestly, I didn't remotely expect to be so upset about PW's passing. I wasn't a giant fan of his, I never had any F&F memorabilia, and I certainly didn't think about him other than when I watched his movies.
But, over these past couple days, he's been on my mind, and as I try to figure out why his passing is having an unexpected effect on me, I'm sure that I'm not alone in saying that Paul Walker/Brian O'Connor has had a significant impact in my life as a car guy. I never met him, never knew him, never really gave a second thought to him. He wasn't even a great actor, in all honesty. But he was a car guy, through and through, and if any of us had a chance to live his life, I doubt many of us would think twice about it. His love for Japanese cars-a real, genuine enthusiasm-really resonated with me, especially his affinity for the BNR34 chassis; he even visited Mine's engineering in Japan to take a ride in their cars.
I think more profoundly than any of that was the simple fact that I related to him. He was accessible and real, and I'm sure that's what shone through, why so many of us are in the same boat (didn't know him, watched his movies, and can't figure out why we are so upset by his passing). Truth be told, I find Vin Diesel and his characters cold, kind of an overdone machismo meathead. In contrast Paul, with his charm, warmth, and real-life nice guy demeanor, made me feel like car guys could be nice like that. I'm not at all surprised that his off-screen life seems to fit that image.
Finally, he was a true car guy, who wrenched, raced, and talked shop with a true passion. He wasn't caught up in his own fame, wasn't distorted by it, and din't do that whole "celebrity self-promotion" thing a whole lot. I don't feel at all like I'm exaggerating when I say that, in terms of true Hollywood motorheads, he's up with Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Granted, the "Hollywood" bit is lacking, his body of cinematicwork being much less Iconic and memorable than the other two.
Nevertheless, his influence and part in the import tuning revolution of the 90s and 2000s has been undeniable, and if it weren't for the F&F movies enkindling in us a passion and desire for cars when we were kids, many of us wouldn't be a part of this scene to begin with. Granted, there are some OGs who would be a part of it without the influence of the movies, but one would be an idiot if he denied the fact that the F&F franchise made our art, our passion accessible and desirable for the masses, thereby bringing many new enthusiasts into the fold. It brought our scene up from the underground, much like Nirvana and Kurt Cobain did for the grunge/alternative scene in the early 90s. Since then it has developed, grown, shrunk, and evolved into what it is today.
We must remember that as a human being, he did not have any more or less worth than anyone else who dies tragically: soldiers who die in the line of duty, the Kurt Cobains who get consumed and destroyed by their lives, Dan Wheldons who lose the ultimate gamble in their high-stake jobs, or the neighbor’s granddaughter who did nothing wrong and got hit by a drunk driver. However, Paul Walker’s life has irrefutably impressed itself on millions of lives, and the breadth of his impact on our industry and hobby is undeniable. Because of Paul’s passion, the tuning world will forever be a vastly different place.
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