# Mini-post. The Six Million Dollar Man **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 23, 2024, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529 "2024-01-23T06:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/61 "2024-01-24T01:46:10Z")
I would not watch that. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/62 "2024-01-24T01:50:39Z")
Because that sound effect. Like putting stickers on your computer to make it more powerful. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/63 "2024-01-24T11:26:30Z")
Question: was the term “Cyborg” ever spoken on the show? Was it in common use back them? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/64 "2024-01-24T13:30:44Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > My joke is if they rebooted _The Six Million Dollar Man_ today they’d have to call it The Six Billion Dollar Man. > [@Jasmine](#): > > So would the “6 Million Dollar Man” be the “6 Billion Dollar Man” in today’s economy, or would he cost even more? The Six _ **Hundred** _ Billion Dollar Man. [![](https://411mania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dr.-Evil-1.jpg) ](https://411mania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dr.-Evil-1.jpg) > [@Alessan](#): > > Question: was the term “Cyborg” ever spoken on the show? Was it in common use back them? Of course not. Cyborgs are **evil**. Bionic men (and women) are **good**. Everybody knows _ **that** _ 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/65 "2024-01-24T13:35:15Z")
> [@solost](#): > > The Six _ **Hundred** _ Billion Dollar Man. I think you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/66 "2024-01-24T14:07:59Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Question: was the term “Cyborg” ever spoken on the show? Was it in common use back them? I don’t recall if the word was spoken on the show, but people talking about the show used it. According to Wiki, the word was coined in 1960, and first used in a science fiction story in 1962, so sci-fi fans were certainly familiar with it. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/67 "2024-01-24T14:16:30Z")
Wasn’t the novel that series was based on titled “Cyborg”? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/68 "2024-01-24T14:31:15Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Question: was the term “Cyborg” ever spoken on the show? Was it in common use back them? Cyborg is super dehumanizing. I think the preferred term is “people with cybernetic enhancements”. [I should probably clarify that I am kidding] ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/69 "2024-01-24T14:37:01Z")
The Cybernetic-American community will send strongly-worded letters. (with an animated attachment for the “dit-dit-dit-dit” sound effect) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/70 "2024-01-24T14:39:26Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Wasn’t the novel that series was based on titled “Cyborg”? Yeah. The first TV movie even begins with a definition of the word “cyborg”. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/71 "2024-01-24T14:47:44Z")
I’m too young to know much about this six million dollar man. But as far as I can tell, he was the product of an expensive and wasteful government project. Meanwhile, Inspector Gadget’s dad saved his son from horrific injuries in his own garage. And while Inspector Gadget may not be as strong as this SMDM, I think he _more than_ makes up for it with the numerous gizmos and… well, gadgets… they were able to fit in. My point is, I am not sure how much it would cost the army to build a cybernetic astronaut today; but I **do** know we could do it better and cheaper at home. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/72 "2024-01-24T14:49:41Z")
Theres a show I want to see - The six dollar man - we can build him cheaper with spare parts from the garage ! ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/73 "2024-01-24T14:55:36Z")
**Kid:** Mom, can we stop and get a _Six Million Dollar Man_ cyborg? **Mom:** We have a _Six Million Dollar Man_ cyborg at home **_Six Million Dollar Man_ cyborg at home** : [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rJKht7IY-Xg/maxresdefault.jpg) ](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rJKht7IY-Xg/maxresdefault.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/74 "2024-01-24T15:00:47Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Theres a show I want to see - > > The six dollar man - we can build him cheaper with spare parts from the garage ! Cyberpunk DIY YouTube channels. Hey everyone! Welcome back to DICyberY, don’t forget to like and subscribe! Today I’ll be showing you how you can strip an old iPhone 67 Pro camera to give the old optics an upgrade without breaking the bank! ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/75 "2024-01-24T15:13:00Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Ah, the blissful innocence of youth. I was a little older when the show came out, maybe 10, and I freakin’ loved it. > > When I’ve tried to nostalgia-watch as an adult, all I can think is “how come, when he jumps to the ground from a great height, his bionic legs aren’t violently driven upward into his meaty human torso? Or when he lifts something heavy like a car with his bionic arm, how come it doesn’t rip from his shoulder?” And think about all of those comic books kids used to read. What ridiculous powers. No one would ever base a movie or TV show on such characters today. /s ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/76 "2024-01-24T15:13:24Z")
> [@simster](#): > > The six dollar man - we can build him cheaper with spare parts from the garage ! I imagine it would end up [a lot like this show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvage_1). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/77 "2024-01-24T15:20:56Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > I imagine it would end up [a lot like this show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvage_1). Beat me to it! I was thinking exactly the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/78 "2024-01-24T15:25:35Z")
Star Trek was all over this. “You are not Borg. You are not Cyborg!” 🙂 In 1979 Frank Zappa had a song character Sy Borg, son of Mrs Borg who lived next door and complained about the loud music. Turns out Sy was really a robot, and Mrs Borg never noticed. (Zappa was one weird dude) And in what the real world application of 6MDM tech could be, see Fred Pohl’s 1976 novel Man Plus, where a cyborg becomes the first “man” on Mars. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/79 "2024-01-24T15:32:03Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > And think about all of those comic books kids used to read. What ridiculous powers. No one would ever base a movie or TV show on such characters today. /s Don’t even get me started on superhero movies… Sure, Iron Man’s armor might prevent his bones from breaking when he’s thrown against a building or whatever. But it doesn’t prevent his brains from sloshing against the inside of his skull and liquifying, like jello in a tupperware container thrown against the wall 😲 ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529/80 "2024-01-24T15:49:26Z")
At a certain point you just have to go with the MST3K mantra. After his first bionic jump, Austin’s spine would probably be compressed like a Slinky and all of the bio matter on his legs would be slush, but that’s not as fun as seeing him race to the bomb and throw it into the ocean in the nick of time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-post-the-six-million-dollar-man/996529.md?page=5)