by Zachary Smith
arts & life editor

Nicolas Cage has been hailed by actor Ethan Hawke as “the only actor since Marlon Brando [to] actually [do] anything new with the art of acting,” while simultaneously gartering the mass hatred of just about the entire Internet (for proof, type do a quick search of “Nicolas Cage Wicker Man” and read anything).

So how do you reconcile this cult icon? For this article let us look at why I have a man crush on Nicholas Cage, and why all of you should too. Despite his undeniably bad judgment in picking movie scripts, Nicolas Cage has played some amazing roles. He has the acting breadth to both nail the tough guy baker with a sensitive taste for opera, as he did in “Moonstruck,” and show his prowess for slap-stick comedy in “Raising Arizona.” 

Did I mention he also invented a new style of acting? Oh yeah, he comes to set in costume and refuses to break character or remove his costume until the end of filming. He calls it Nouveau Shamanic.

This all is not to mention the massive impact that he has had as an icon on the Internet (not that he has had any impact on his presence on the Internet). Some highlights include “One True God,” a Nic Cage subReddit; “Nicolas Cage is Everyone,” a regularly updated blog that posts edited pictures with Nic’s face mounted on them; and last but not least “Nicolas-Cage-Cats,” a Tumblr that reinvents Nicolas Cage as several breeds of cats (this leaves out a list of countless “memes” and YouTube videos featuring ole Nic).

If you are not sold yet, did I mention he also has not licked a sledge hammer on camera (yet)? With all that in mind, I think it is obvious, given his artistic and pop-cultural relevance, that the great Nicolas Cage deserves a high seat on every man’s table of man crushes.