# Vin Diesel: Kickass Tough Guy or Bulked-Ep Nerd? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2005, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487 "2005-02-23T05:02:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/21 "2005-02-24T02:28:54Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > That said, Ahnold’s flacks have long claimed he’s 6 feet 1. In the real world Ii.e. on planet Earth), some say he’s closed to 5 feet 10. Good Lord, the man’s nowhere near 6’1"! And I’d say 5’10" is stretching the truth a bit. I lived in Minneapolis when they were filming _Jingle All The Way_ and I saw Ahnold (admittedly, from a distance, but I think I can tell when someone is shorter than me) a few times during the filming. He can’t be more than 5’9", at MOST. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/22 "2005-02-24T03:03:40Z")
Again, bear in mind that at any DECENT nightclub or bar, the LAST thing the owner wants is a bouncer who’s spoiling for a fight. Decent, respectable people (especially women) won’t want to come to a club where fights are always breaking out. So, while a bouncer has to be big and strong enough to win a fight if he HAS to get physical, he should also be a guy who’d prefer to use a smile and some tact to (ideally) charm a surly drunk out of the joint, or intimidate him without getting too physical or threatening. I mean, if some intoxicated creep is annoying the women at an upscale disco, the owner DOESN’T want the bouncer to leap in and pulverize the guy. Sure, that may solve the immediate problem, but the women being “defended” won’t ever want to come back. Far better if a big, muscular genial-looking bouncer walks up to that drunken creep, plants a firm hand on the guy’s shoulder and says “Say pal, why don’t I call you a cab”, while giving a cool, subtly menacing smile that lets him know, “That’s not a suggestion, it’s an order. I’m giving you a chance to walk out of here in one piece and save face. Be smart and accept my offer.” That big bald guy on the Jerry Springer Show is a good example- COULD he break me in two? No doubt. But he understands the value of FRIENDLY intimidation. Vin Diesel probably did, too. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/23 "2005-02-24T10:46:11Z")
> [@Wile E](#): > > I’ve seen him on Leno a couple times… You know, we are ignoring one possibility, and that is that this Leno person is a 6’6" tall freak. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/24 "2005-02-24T12:20:53Z")
I was all ready to hate Vin Diesel and his body of work 'till I found out he was the voice of the Iron Giant. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Synthesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@Synthesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Synthesis)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/25 "2005-02-24T15:33:16Z")
Vin Diesel was pretty good in Saving Private Ryan and The Boiler Room. He is far from a bad actor. I think he is pretty decent. ---
**Author:** ![Lao\_Tsu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lao\_Tsu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lao_Tsu)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/26 "2005-02-24T18:00:22Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > You know, we are ignoring one possibility, and that is that this Leno person is a 6’6" tall freak. And the fact that Leno has his chair set up so that it is significantly higher than the guests chair. Most talk show hosts do this. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/27 "2005-02-24T20:56:32Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Being a “nerd” and a “tough guy” or “stud” is not mutually exclusive. **Wil Wheaton:** “We were the geeks ! We were the ones the jocks beat up in school!” (pause) **Vin Diesel:** “In high school, I beat up the jocks.” **Wil Wheaton:** “THAT’S NOT THE POINT, VIN!” –“The League of Extraordinary Gentlegamers,” [Dork Tower,](http://www.dorktower.com/) John Kovalic ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/28 "2005-02-24T23:05:23Z")
I thought The Rock was Vin Diesel? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/29 "2005-02-24T23:10:01Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > **Wil Wheaton:** “We were the geeks ! We were the ones the jocks beat up in school!” > > (pause) > > **Vin Diesel:** “In high school, I beat up the jocks.” > > **Wil Wheaton:** “THAT’S NOT THE POINT, VIN!” > > –“The League of Extraordinary Gentlegamers,” [Dork Tower,](http://www.dorktower.com/) John Kovalic [The storyline](http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/dorktower/archive.asp?nextform=viewcomic&id=724) ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487/30 "2005-02-24T23:18:00Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > I thought The Rock was Vin Diesel? :smack: The Rock is Dwayne Johnson and, while I like Diesel well enough for what he is, superior to Vin in every perceivable way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-diesel-kickass-tough-guy-or-bulked-ep-nerd/291487.md?page=1)