---
title: Tools in the Brain-Attic
abstract: In praise of effective genius heroes.
categories:
- culture
- personal
content-tags:
- film
- technology
---

True to my geek nature, I've always identified more with intellectual protagonists than with the physically powerful.  Hollywood seems to prefer the "mad scientist" flavor of smart guy, with either an [antisocial][1] or self-absorbed.  It seems the stereotypical genius must have such a rich mental world that they prefer it to reality, or are at least easily distracted by the goings-on of their own thoughts.

I want my heroes to be role models, though, and my own path to self-actualization calls for more focus and application than expansion of knowledge or practice of reason.  [Conan Doyle][2]'s Sherlock Holmes is remembered fondly as a disciplined wielder of thought.

Guy Ritchie managed to preserve that essence in [Sherlock Holmes][3].  Maybe credit is due to Robert Downey Jr., since [Tony Stark][4] is a similar hero genius.  Regardless, it's a pleasure to see the practiced employment of intelligence glorified in public entertainment (if not [politics][5]).

   [1]: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/asocial.html
   [2]: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2448.Arthur_Conan_Doyle
   [3]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/
   [4]: http://marvel.com/universe/Iron_Man_(Anthony_Stark)
   [5]: http://www.hanlonsrazor.org/2009/03/30/fox-news-obama-is-too-smart-to-be-president-once-again-i-am-not-shitting-you/
