# The Six Million Dollar Man **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631 "2009-11-06T20:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/61 "2018-07-15T16:41:33Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Hand-waving is for sissies and Welshman. The way to handle scientific impossibilities is by sheer audacity and never, EVER going into technical detail. Since the zombie has been raised, I just want to second this. It’s a work of fiction, not a documentary. As long as it works if you don’t think too hard, it’s fine (which still puts most of the \*Scorpion \*plots on the wrong side of suspension of disbelief). Is the novel any good? I remember picking up a friend’s copy in college, but I couldn’t get past the hero being named ‘Steve Austin’ (and I liked the show) and gave up just few pages in (which is highly unusual, I read some real crap - in general if I get past page 2 I read to the end). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/62 "2018-07-15T16:52:30Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > It’s a work of fiction, not a documentary. As long as it works if you don’t think too hard, it’s fine (which still puts most of the \*Scorpion \*plots on the wrong side of suspension of disbelief). A classmate and I were discussing the episode with Greg Morris, where Steve (IIRC) not only pulls the engine out of a Cessna but humps it cross-country. My classmate said (with some derision) “He may have a bionic _arm_, but he doesn’t have a bionic _back_!” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/63 "2018-07-15T18:32:11Z")
Who had the action figure? I had the 1st release version as [described here](http://www.toysyouhad.com/Bionicman.htm). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/64 "2018-07-15T18:44:02Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Anybody know their Air Force decorations and can tell us what medals Col. Austin won?: [https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8e/33/ff/8e33ff7dad0e3ad7533ffb6343d3ba86.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8e/33/ff/8e33ff7dad0e3ad7533ffb6343d3ba86.jpg) The badge above the ribbons denotes a Command Pilot. There is **not** , however, the Astronaut device. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/65 "2018-07-17T03:40:27Z")
Fans of _The Six Million Dollar Man_ may be interested in this [podcast](https://www.futilitycloset.com/2016/08/22/podcast-episode-118-restless-corpse-elmer-mccurdy/). Some of the filming for the episode _Carnival of Spies_ took place inside a funhouse. When someone from the show tried to move a mannequin in the funhouse, an arm broke off and revealed actual bones inside. The podcast traces the journey of Elmer McCurdy; shot after a robbery in 1911, his body was displayed as a curiosity and changed hands until it was discovered at the funhouse. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/66 "2018-07-18T18:52:44Z")
I could swear I recounted this elsewhere on The Dope this year. Weird… My Dad was a friend of Cyborg author [Martin Caidin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Caidin)’s. They met when Dad was a science writer covering the space program. He spent a lot of time both in Cocoa Beach, FL as well as in Houston, TX at the respective space centers. Mr. Caidin lived in Cocoa Beach. We met him once while on vacation down in Cocoa. He was a boisterous fun gentleman, very polite to my 10 year old self and my slightly older brother, a listener as well as a talker. Brilliant fellow too. He also wrote one of my favorite teen-years novels, a weird tome entitled [Mary Jane Tonight At Angels Twelve](https://www.amazon.com/Maryjane-Tonight-at-Angels-Twelve/dp/0446782955) about the drug smuggling trade. It makes use of every town name, landmark and restaurant in the greater Cocoa Beach area- a blast to read having spent time there. And I agree with the assessments above- Steve Austin was a bitter cold dangerous mess, kind of on par with the original character study of James Bond as writ by Ian Fleming back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/67 "2018-07-18T19:12:44Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Fans of _The Six Million Dollar Man_ may be interested in this [podcast](https://www.futilitycloset.com/2016/08/22/podcast-episode-118-restless-corpse-elmer-mccurdy/). Some of the filming for the episode _Carnival of Spies_ took place inside a funhouse. When someone from the show tried to move a mannequin in the funhouse, an arm broke off and revealed actual bones inside. The podcast traces the journey of Elmer McCurdy; shot after a robbery in 1911, his body was displayed as a curiosity and changed hands until it was discovered at the funhouse. By a weird coincidence (or _was_ it?!), this event was portrayed on last night’s episode of _Drunk History_, with Justin Long playing the embalmed corpse of Elmer McCurdy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631.md?page=3)