Already Know Who He Is

Some of you may not, though, so we may as well start things off with a catch-up.

Alan Shore is a character from the television show Boston Legal, which ran for five increasingly-odd seasons on ABC, played with typical acerbic wit by actor James Spader.  Spader portrays Alan as a hard-charging litigator who, while he doesn't always comply with the rules, always operates with his clients' best interest in mind and isn't afraid to push the envelope to get what he wants.

As to why I'd name this blog after him, that story's a bit more complicated.

Boston Legal, like The West Wing, is one of those shows my friends can't understand why I like.  They know me to be conservative both by nature and politics, and shows like BL and TWW make no secret of their liberal leanings.  My response is usually to remind them I don't take my political direction from the television set, and I'm able to take the things I like about the show and enjoy them while filtering out the political positions with which I disagree.  Sure, by the fifth season, the over-the-top nature of BL got tiresome and my political filter eventually got overwhelmed by Alan's endless pontificating.  But the show ended before it got walk-away bad, so I can still harbor good memories of a show I enjoyed watching.  Besides, Tara Summers just does it for me.

Beyond my enjoyment of the show in general, Spader's characterization of Shore appealed to me in particular.  I've never been a confrontational person by nature ... indeed, my life is peppered with situations in which I've gone out of my way to avoid conflict.  Overall, I don't consider this a positive trait in my repertoire, particularly since it carries some disadvantageous by-products:  I'm a crappy negotiator (e.g. buying cars, my book deal, starting salaries), I was an easy target for bullies in my youth, etc.  I think I spend too much time worrying about what other people think of me, even those I'll only know for a short time.

As I'm not thrilled with that aspect of my personality, I'm always impressed by people (both real and made-up) who can display assertiveness while still retaining an aspect of non-assholish humanity.  Alan Shore is archetypical of the breed.  He has a very low bullshit tolerance, and even though he's an end-justifies-the-means guy, it's done out of how much he cares for his fellow people.  He's got gravitas, is relentless in pursuing his goals, and can stand up to people both big and little with equal aplomb.  He's consistent in how he treats people, and gives folks the respect they've earned after ample opportunity to earn it.

So when I asked myself a week ago what Alan Shore would do and then did it, I figured I had the title for the new blog.  Why did I ask myself that question?  That'll have to wait until next time.