Sylvester Stallone is one of America’s true great artists who has made a career of balancing artistic writing and unique acting. Many critics have bashed him because of his “popular culture” style of writing, juvenile plot lines and base emotional appeal; but they said these same things about George Lucas. All the piercing judgments in print do not change the fact that Rocky is as American as a fine piece of art can be.

And do you want to know why you should respect Sylvestor Stallone? Because Rocky’s heart came from him and Rocky’s belief in success came from him and because Sylvester Stallone believed in himself.

He wrote the Rocky screenplay in three feverish days of frantic scribbling on a yellow pad with a #2 pencil. He was inspired to write the story after watching a no-name ugly ass white dude fight Mohammed Ali and knock his ass down. The white guy didn’t win the fight but he stood toe to toe with the world’s best and knocked the world’s best on his ass! Awesome!

To Stallone, this seemed like a metaphor for the greatness that lies in every individual. Most people don’t even get their shot to express their talents, skills and experience–to make their voice heard in the raging storm of other voices that we call society. But the choices we make–Rocky’s creation of the name “Italian Stallion” which Apollo Creed picked up on as the perfect theme for his next public relations spectacle. Appollo’s greed, ambition and pure arrogance put him in connection with Rocky’s matter of fact, this is what I am–take it or leave it–lifestyle.

So, the fighter went the distance and knocked the champ on his ass. But that wasn’t even the best part of the story–because while everyone was circling the ring in a frenzy after the fight, Rocky was already focused on what mattered most in life to him–his love for Adrienne. See, Apollo was a warrior with heart but not heart like Rocky had. Rocky inspired Apollo to become a better person as the character developed; he inspired everyone around him to become better. And he went the distance…every time.

It wasn’t about winning or losing–it was about being on your feet when the bell rings at the end. It was about taking the best shots from your opponent and giving back your best.

So Stallone wrote Rocky in three days. The big wigs in Hollywood offered him $100,000. Stallone barely had $100 in his bank and almost had to sell his dog to feed himself. But he knew that he should be the one to play Rocky. He held out until the price was $360,000 and, finally, the producers caved and paid him like $100,00 for the scripts and actors’ minimum wages to act the part. He did it and the rest is history.

Stallone is one of the greatest American artists this century because he heard listened to his creative vision and adhered to it even when corporate interests tried to divert the vision through financing.

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