Cowboy or pirate?

[Raiyuu]

[color=DarkGreen][size=1]In my experience, people can be divided into two categories, based on what they wanted to be when they were little. There are people that wanted to be pirates, and people that wanted to be cowboys. As I type I'm starting to realise this is likely to be mostly a male phenomenon as I can't imagine many girls playing pirate, but hey ho, here I go anyway.

Which did you want to be when you were small? Did you ever have a birthday party themed around either of these? Does anybody have any knowledge that could help us explain why (in my experience at least) [i]everybody[/i] falls into one of the two camps? And is anyone the exception that proves the rule? (or proves me wrong, I suppose)

I was a pirate. I played pirates with my friends at primary school and my sixth or seventh birthday party (I forget which) was pirate-themed, we pushed the sofas together and pretended they were a galleon. They were never the same after that :rolleyes:
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[Annie]

[color=darkslategray]Okay, I grew up in Oklahoma and saw cowboys everywhere. Naturally, one would assume that I wanted to be a cowboy[girl], yes? No! I hate cowboys!

I wanted to be a pirate so badly. I wanted to see the world; not in some ranch, herding cows for the rest of my life. You'd never go anywhere as a cowboy. Pirates are just full of adventure, stories to tell, memories to share. Ah, I would love to be a pirate.

Besides, who wouldn't want to be a pirate alongside the OB's original pirate, Drix? Hell, that would be the sexiest thing to grace the face of the earth.....well, sort of.[/color]

[Shinmaru]

I was neither.

I've always been a science-fiction nut. Not just stuff like Star Wars, but anything science-fiction related I can get into pretty easily. Star Wars was probably always my biggest love, though. I always wanted to be someone like Han Solo, exploring the universe in a kickass ship without a care in the world. How much would that rock?

The universe has always been a place of wonder and mystery, to me. Looking up at the stars and the deep blue sky at night, I was always in awe of just how beautiful it was. I gobbled up everything I could learn about it, just because I was so damn [i]fascinated[/i] by it all. Hell, if I had the opportunity right now to go into space, I'd probably go for it no matter how hard I had to work at it.

I think what best represents the feeling I had (and still have, actually) for outer space is the second episode of Futurama, "The Series Has Landed". The Planet Express crew had to make a delivery to the moon, and most of the crew was pretty apathetic about it, because they'd all been there before. To them, it was just a big rock floating in space. But Fry, who grew up in the 20th Century, always looked upon space with this sense of awe and majesty. He'd never had the opportunity to fly into space before, and he was positively giddy to be able to go to the moon.

By the end of the episode, the rest of the crew's apathy sort of gets to Fry, and he gets a bit depressed because he's really done nothing at all during his trip to the moon. He just visited a theme park, and roamed around on the surface a bit. But at the very end of the episode, he and Leela find the original spot on the moon where Neil Armstrong landed, and they go into the lunar lander and scope out Earth rising from behind the shadow of the moon. It's a really beautiful sight, and finally Leela realizes why Fry looked upon the moon as this really romantic thing.

That's the long-winded explanation of how I've always felt about space lol. Cowboys are cool, and so are pirates, but I always wanted to be a sci-fi hero.

[Black Moon]

I'd want to be a pirate, always have. They always looked so sexy, with their black make up. Plus, I'd get to sword fight, shoot guns, and haves lots of money. Mind you, I'd want to be the old-fashioned kind of pirate, not the ones these days with their little speed boats highjacking big yhats. I'd really like to live in a boat on the ocean. And I'd have an all-girl pirate crew, me being the captian, of course. And we'd pit up hot guy pirates until I married one and our crew got smushed together in one big boat. Uh. Hehe. Not that you care, or anything.

[Panda]

[quote name='Shinmaru']I was neither.[/quote]
Shin, you aren't foolin' anyone. I know you are a Pirate Pimp deep down inside. ;)

I live in an area where there are tons of cowboys. Wrangers and Carhartts. Gallons of Stetson. Rodeo and country music. I live in a very rural area so the "romance" of cowboys is a bit lost on me. Now pirates on the other hand, I love pirates. Pirates rock my socks. What other criminal is so sexy and uber-cool? None. They totally rock. Cowboys can't hold a candle to the suave-ness of pirates!

Pirates all the way. After all we have an official "Talk like a Pirate Day" in September!! Do we have "Talk like a Cowboy Day"? I don't think so! Pirates > Cowboys.

[dMage]

[COLOR=DarkGreen][FONT=Arial]I must agree with Shin in that I fell into neither of these camps. I was a ninja. A green-shelled ninja with MAD bow staff skillz!!!

Yes, my youth was spent cavorting from one side of the house to the other, being incredibly brainy and treading softly with a big stick.

The TMNT were my idols, my greatest heros back in those days, and I loved watching episode after episode, and then mock-fighting with my cousins. We had the whole quartet back then, and the Foot soldiers were no match for our wicked ninja grace and strength. My parents humored me with the most excellent TMNT themed birthday party ever. The cake was a cowabungalicious Michalangelo (though Donny was my favorite, I could never bring myself to eat him, so Mikey it had to be) and we had streamers, turtle-shell ballons...the whole she-bang. My cousins and I spent most of the day defeating Shredder though, as the party would not have been safe had he shown up.

I'm not sure why it is that I never really picked up on pirates and cowboys when I was little. Maybe the fact that they just weren't as interesting as those hero's in a half shell. I mean, living in a sewer, eating nothing but pizza, having a rat for a sensei, and being able to beat up just about anybody seemed more important to me in those days than traveling the world, or riding a horse. I think what drew me the most though, was the fact that somebody so smart could be so freaking cool. Do you ever see any smart cowboys? Nope, most are dumb, and you do have your occasional bold and courageous hero, but he's just that, all about courage (and some luck) but no smarts their. And as for pirates...well, the coolest ones are dashingly handsome and stupid, or funny looking and clever...but never smart. But with Donatello, you had a dude who could convert a funky looking van into a sweet ride, and still wipe the floor against the foot with a sweet bow. All while looking awesome too.
í í íTURTLE POWER! ! ![/FONT][/COLOR]

[elfpirate]

[quote name='Blackjack][color=darkgreen][size=1] As I type I'm starting to realise this is likely to be mostly a male phenomenon as I can't imagine many girls playing pirate, but hey ho, here I go anyway.[/size'][/color][/quote]
[b]Are you ever wrong about that, Blackjack. There are plenty of girls that played pirate and dreamed of becoming one.[/b]

[b]I have always had an affinity for piracy and the sea... though I must agree with dMage about being a ninja. I guess I wanted to be both when I was a kid... (okay... I never really grew out of it, I admit).[/b]

[b]Edit: Oh, my... I forgot GI Joe! I always played GI Joes... there are some seriously cool characters on that...[/b]

[Black Moon]

[quote name='elfpirate'] I guess I wanted to be both when I was a kid... (okay... I never really grew out of it, I admit).[/b][/quote]

Do we EVER grow out of it? I still sometimes put on thick eyeliner, put a big earing in one ear, and steal my dad's sword and go around, saying "Arrg!" ... Of course, I still also put on the short pink wig, red lipstick and pink eye shadow on occasion, so maybe I shouldn't be talking ...

[Juu]

[size=1]Yeehaw, mateys.

I was neither. I remember disliking both for ages because they were filthy. Also, Lion King leik rawked my world for a good three or four years. [/size]

[elfpirate]

[quote name='Black Moon'] I still sometimes put on thick eyeliner, put a big earing in one ear, and steal my dad's sword and go around, saying "Arrg!" ... .[/quote]
[b][color=navy]I don't really understand your association between pirates and eyeliner... I'm a little confused by that, but I do know that the purpose of the gold earring was to pay off debts and/or burial fees if the pirate met a sudden demise... [/color][/b]
[b][color=#000080][/color][/b]
[b][color=#000080]The first "pirate" that I know of that was known for their eyeliner was Johnny Depp in POTC... so I don't really know if I'll ever think "makeup" or "eyeliner"when I think "pirates". Nope... missing teeth and sallow cheeks from the scurvy, permanant dirt and stench... remorseless, criminal types-yes... [/color][/b]
[b][color=#000080][/color][/b]
[b][color=#000080]I just can't see a real pirate standing there with a shaving mirror (on a rocking boat, no less) applying their eyeliner... it seems quite unlikely.[/color][/b]
[b][color=#000080][/color][/b]
[b][color=#000080]I'm not trying to be a jerk- I just don't know where the association comes from... unless it comes from Johnny Depp....:confused: [/color][/b]

[Sara]

[color=#ff6600]I was definitely a cowgirl.

Of course, I was also an artist, an astronaut, a cat, an indian princess, an explorer, a scientist, a ninja turtle, a "lost boy," a mermaid, a sphinx, a lion cub (Lion King! Juu, rock on!), a Power Ranger, a dinosaur (triceratops, stegasauri, and brontosauri--may their memory rest in peace :(), and dozens of other things, I'm suure. Pirates never really came into things--well, actually, that's untrue.

One of the most enduring "Pretend" games of my childhood was playing Neverland. Years, I played that game. YEARS, I SAY! Peter Pan, Wendy, Smee, Tiger Lily...oh, the memories! Pirates were definitely the bad guys of my childhood years. (Although there were one or two occasions when some convoluted plots necessitated cooperation with the scurvy dogs.)

I had white cowbow boots when I was in second grade. They were awesome.

i'm yer huckleberry,
Sara[/color]

[Retribution]

Yeah, I'd rather be a Pirate. I've loved them all my life, well, not the real ones but the fairy-tales. But really, you can't kid yourself. [b]Robin Hood[/b] is SOOO much cooler.

Yeah, I dressed up as him, and had a bow, a cap, and galavanted around my house with my best friend, who also had a bow. We shot at nothing really, but it was fun. Bwhahaha. Go Robin Hood.

[Black Moon]

[quote name='elfpirate][b][color=navy]I don't really understand your association between pirates and eyeliner... I'm not trying to be a jerk- I just don't know where the association comes from... unless it comes from Johnny Depp....:confused: [/color'][/b][/quote]

No. : 3 It doesn't. I just always thought pirates were dark and misterious, and nice black eyeliner would help with that. <_< >_> And I wear a lot of eyeliner, so there'd probably be a stain on my eyelids if I didn't keep wearing it. ANd all my pirates would be nice a clean. If they didn't have a bath at least every three days, we'd throw them in the nearest cove until they WERE clean. So, yes. We wouldn't be very like most pirates. But we'd be very rich. Do I have a life? No. No I don't. *Waddles off to go dream about her pirate crew*

[kaisha]

When I think pirates I think of the movie Pirates of The Carribean, and Orlando Bloom :D *Drools*. But yeah I like the idea of being a pirate, the danger, the treasure, the guys. Yeah, sounds pretty sweet to me.

[DeathBug]

Super hero.

I mean, come on. I was raised on Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers and Spider-Man. Super heroes are definatly cooler than cowboys or pirates. And, you can be a super hero, but also be a cowboy/pirate. Didn't think of that, did you?

Super hero pwns cowboys and pirates.

[Drix D'Zanth]

Is this a real question? I mean honestly... did the debate actually come up? What the hell?

Pirates. Jesus was a pirate. Pirates have [i]booty[/i].. ever heard of cowboy booty? A rusty cutlass beats the hell out of a six-shooter any day. And I don't care what Robert Hamburger says... Pirates probably whoop Ninjas ;). I think it's only a matter of time before someone points out Jedi. Yeah, they are pretty wicked too, with their lightsabers and force powers...

I think the true badass award would probably go to Boba Fett. I say this with a heavy bias because I've grown up a Star Wars fan with a peculiarly fortunate name: Jordan Daniel Fett. That's right... [i]Fett[/i]. Suck it.

I suppose I would try to become some warped pirate that wields a lighsaber instead of a cutlass and insists upon wearing Mandalorian Armor... yeah... now were pushing the limits.

[Japan]

[COLOR=Navy]I was neither. My friends and I just played Cops and robbers.

I actually wanted to be a ninja when I was little. They are the coolest ever! Much better than any pirate or cowboy.[/COLOR]

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial]Ninjas are obviously superior to Cowboys and Pirates. Honestly, how can you not love a ninja? Those black pyjamas are adorable. And the little fwoosh noises they make when they throw ninja stars just triple that adorableness.

Despite that, when I was little I wanted to be a Transformer. Or a Ninja Turtles. I would've been happy with either.

Edit:
[url=http://www.frozenreality.co.uk/comic/bunny/index.php?id=116]Click for enlightenment[/url][/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Leofski]

You appear to be missing one of the key factors of the pirate's greatness: the versatility of the stereotype.

On one hand the variety of characters, one can fit within the pirate bracket is greater than any other, the nefarious villain, the dashing hero, the clumsy drunkard, the strongman and many more can all have permutations classified as pirates. In addition, pirates have agreat range of motivations behind them. Superheroes always have the troubled past, philanthropy or revenge motivations, while pirates can be motivated by anything, from moneyto impressing a girl ( you can't do that with a secret identity), sticking it to the man to freeing the people from tyranny.

The wide range of options for a pirate also means that a single figure can fit several of these options at the same time, as well as switching between being a comic, serious, heroic, villainous and tragic character throughout his or her story.

Another advantage is the pirate's costume. It's cool. A superhero on the other hand is practically required to wear spandex, which is, to be fair, more than a little bit gay.

Several historical figures also liked pirates. Henry VIII said " Pirates are t3h r0x0r" at his coronation. This is a view echoed by several modern political figures. In an early encyclical letter, [I]Piratus est awesomus[/I], expressed his respect for pirates, while earlier this month, Nelson Mandela said in a speech "I reckon pirates are probably the best people ever". Vladimir Putin says Blackbeard is his leading influence.

In conclusion, pirates are the best

[Zidargh]

[center]I was a cowboy guy.[/center]

I used to have dreams about rescuing my crush ( we were 5 at the time) inside toilets and my school playground, wooden shop-things, as a cowboy. Somehow I wouldn't kill anyone, and all the doors would be those swinging saloon doors, but my presence alone was enough to stop bandits.

After every escapade, the pinnacle of the dream would include Jemma speaking, "My Hero." As she looked lovingly into my eyes.

...

I was a sad boy.

[Pumpkin]

Cowboy and Pirates? When did this become a game? When I was little, we played Cops and Robbers, although I have to admit, I love Pirates. Even when I was little, I was really fascinated by Pirates, especially Pirates of the Carribean ride in disneyland. But most the time I played a robber, or the bad guy, villans are always fun to play. They will always be my favorite. What no love for the evil ones? Forshame.

[Brasil]

I'd select other. Sith Lord. But for the purposes of Cowboys vs Pirates, I'm going to prove the Cowboy superiority.

Throughout the history of cinema (which is undoubtedly what many of us look to, as made clear by the posts), there have been famous cowboys and pirates, true. But Cowboys are better because of

[img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22452&stc=1[/img]

If you still don't believe me, look at the heroes of Blazing Saddles:

[img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22453&stc=1[/img]

Still not convinced?

[url]http://www.ladyofthecake.com/mel/saddles/sounds/boys.wav[/url]

That's the accompanying dialogue to the above screenshot.

Pirates have one famous character. Dread Pirate Roberts. Other than that...they've got nobody that even begins to stand up to the power of The Waco Kid and Black Bart. Roberts may stand a chance against one of them, but as suave and charming and oh-so-cute Roberts may be, Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little can so pwn him.

Clearly, Cowboys >>> Pirates.

[Raiyuu]

[color=DarkGreen][size=1]Good grief, I haven't seen [i]Blazing Saddles[/i] in a donkey's age. I'll readily admit that this film is a huge plus point for the cowboys, not least because Gene Wilder has the nicest, calmest voice I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. And because of THAT BIT with the Ku Klux Klan; that's classic. Even just hearing the soundbyte out of context there creased me up.

However, I still think the enormous wealth of pro-pirate material provided by Leofski (and the fact that the pirates are so obviously ownzing the poll) means that the pirates are still winning ... but thanks for that Siren, that really brought it all back ... *wanders off down Memory Lane singing quietly*

It's weird actually; every other time I've conducted this poll (well, the once I suppose, at my school) the cowboys and pirates have been pretty evenly matched. I wonder what it is about this place that's attracted so many piratey types. Maybe the type of personality that wants to be a cowboy when they're five or six years old isn't the type of personality that gets into anime...?
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[Delta]

[COLOR=#B33D79][SIZE=1]When I was 5, I wanted to become a nun. o_O

I prefer peg-legged pirates with squawking parrots over them filthy, *filthy* cowboys. Never had any respect for cowboys, not after I found a copy of a very old cheesy cowboy novel that involved sex in *gasp* a horse stable. And besides, who doesn't like a good set of gold toothcaps?

PS: Johnny Depp probably earns more than the Marlboro Man. I rest my case.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Brasil]

Pirate:

[img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22459&stc=1[/img]

Cowboy:

[img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22460&stc=1[/img]

On one hand, we have Captain Hook, a neurotic, sexually confused, strange, Michael Jackson-ish character who wants to kidnap little boys and keep them as slaves (what kind of slaves, we can only guess) aboard his ship, the Jolly Roger...the JOLLY ROGER. The sexual deviancy here needs not be made explicit.

On the other hand, we have Clint Eastwood, a take-no-prisoners, take-no-**** bad-*** who stops at nothing to get what he wants, and what he wants is to kick some ***. Nothing fazes him--quite the opposite of Captain Hook, who runs at the sound of a clock. In fact, Clint Eastwood wouldn't run from the clock; he'd find it and kill it thirty times over. He wouldn't be terrified if a croc bit off his hand; that'd just make him angry.

Who doesn't want to be a cowboyeee, baaaby?!