h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This journal entry doesn't really have a point to it, just thinking out loud. It's a lot better than talking to myself, I don't worry I'm going mad when I post these...

I was originally going to post this in the role model thread but it would either derail it or just not fit, so I'm sticking it in here.

It got me thinking about the people I look up to/admire/whatever. Not sure whether they'd be role models though. I'm not really sure I think of people in that way.


Just some idle thoughts here, but people I look up to and respect.

Tom Francis - Games journalist turned games developer, podcaster
Chris Thursten - games journalist, podcaster
Philippa Warr - games journalist, podcaster

and break for thinking

Alan Rusbridger
Stephen Fry

more thinking

Ben Allen, friend of mine on skype
Cjros - blogger I talk to
Rhianna Pratchett - games writer, journalist, author etc

more thinking and checking twitter

David Mitchell
Victoria Coren-Mitchell

more thinking

Tim Edwards - games journalist, runs PCGamesN

more thinking

Hugh Jackman
Charles Dance
Ian McKellen
Patrick Stewart
Tom Hiddleston
J.K. Rowling


Okay, so I'm definitely missing some that should be on here so I'll add them whenever I think of them.


Some I know better than others, but one thing that holds true for all of them is that I've not met anyone from the list. There's a few people I am more likely to meet than others, and would really like to one day. It's interesting how you come to find people and why you look up to them though. Also interesting is that the list is mainly white males, although whether that balances out as I remember more people will be something to watch for.

I know that I used to like some of those people because they were people who were gay and doing well in life. These days it's not so important to me, more that the person is a decent individual. I'm fairly sure that everyone on the list couldn't really care one way or the other, it's just not a big deal to them.

Stephen Fry and Ian McKellen are obviously gay, but it's not the sole reason I look up to them, they also do all manner of works that help a variety of different people. Obviously it helps that there are successful people out there of any sexuality, it gives people the evidence that it doesn't matter who you want to toss into bed and have fun with. :P

But that rolls onto the next bit of thinking, most people on that list are white (and male). The exception is cjros who is Chinese (and also gay). He lives in Canada. It's a topic on which he has blogged before and made for an interesting read about his feelings and so on. So why are there less people of varying ethnicities on there? I don't think that there are less role model of other ethnicities, that'd be mad. Have I just not come across them, for whatever reason? Or as I mentioned above, will I remember more later? It's a similar pattern with females as well, the list is mainly male.

I think part of the answer is where I draw the line for inclusion on here, it's utterly based on gut feeling and that's based on how much I know about them. It could be that I find out information about someone on the list and I rethink it, it's happened before. I could find out information about others I know that suddenly makes me think them worthy of inclusion.



Anyway, it's interesting how you come to know people and you get to see them. I guess that's my final thought (for now) in this mess of an entry. Let's hope I didn't say anything stupid or insensitive.

And of course as soon as I post it I think of two more.

Both of them were my university lecturers. Julie Gunn and Judith Moss.

Me, me. Don't forget me!

oh did you mention Tom Hiddleston? flipping overachiever...

God Hiddleston is so classy, I love that guy. Not going to get anywhere close to being him, but one can dream (that can be taken in more ways than I intended it to be ...)

you and me both, penguin boy, you and me both (the dreamig, I mean)

Interesting thoughts

I'm not sure I have role models as such either, but there are people who I do admire and look up to.

Many of them I have actually met, and meeting them in person made them even more impressive:

Prof Stephen Whittle (Law)
Prof Marcus Du Sautoy (Mathematics)
Michael Wood (History)
Laurence Clark (Comedy)
Liz Carr (Comedy)

Some people I haven't met:

Sandi Toksvig
Stephen Fry
Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Brian May, Roger Taylor
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe

And probably quite a few others I can't think of just now...

And there are many h2g2ers I admire as well - Icy North will be pleased to know he's one of them

Not sure I have role models either... as such... People one might 'like' or 'admire' for what they do/who they are etc, maybe... I guess having role models, in my mind anyhow, kinda makes me think, of it being a thing, where one is trying to emulate, or be like them... Which... well, isn't soemthing I think I've ever wanted to do, as it were I think, though, if I picked just one person, who I admired/adire, so much, it'd be one of my lecturers from university, a former GP, who lecturerd at the University, but, when he couldn't get funding for some quite 'outside the consensus' research he wanted to do, on multiple sclerosis, took about £5 K of his own money, and funded it himself, so he could do it Sadly haven't seen him in years, and not even sure if he's still at that university or not... guess he's way past retirement age now anyhow

Is it bigheaded to admit that I am also my own role model?

I don't think so... and actually... I think I know what you mean... and ... yes, to an extent

Just going to drop Idris Elba onto that list as well..

I agree with that definition of role model 2legs, I'm quite happy to be me, but to look at how other people deal with situations etc and learn from what they do.

Oh... Definately.... l learning from others, where one can is always a very good thing....