EP75: ”Terminator” and the Near-Extinct Macho Dad

The first Terminator featured an unstoppable killing machine. The 2nd film had a similar villain, but in a stroke of creative genius, the previous film's antagonist was transformed into the hero of the 2nd. Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 has long been lauded as an iconic character in cinema. His portrayal as a man with a plan toes the line of what it means to be a "man's man". But as far as I can tell, the Terminator holds a unique space in the quest for what constitutes the true measure of a man. And if this machine, played by a man, has anything to teach us, the "man's man" is more than big and strong. He invests; he is attentive; he protects; and he knows what his priorities are. The "macho Dad" is more than machine, he's something more.