When we think of male role models in pop culture, we often think of guys like James Bond, Clark Kent (Superman) and Peter Parker (Spider-Man). I am here to call the search off and tell you we all need to take a page or two out of the playbook of The Dude from The Big Lebowski.

For those that don’t know the movie, it follows a man named Jeff Lebowski, better known as The Dude. The Dude is a laid-back guy who happens to have the same name as a millionaire whose wife owes a lot of dangerous people money.

This results in The Dude having his rug peed on, sending him on a long quest into the depths of the Los Angeles underworld in search of money to replace his rug. He gets caught up having to fight off several different groups that are looking to hurt him, all because he was mistaken for the millionaire by two thugs.

The plot itself can be difficult to follow, so you would be much better off just appreciating the characters in this movie. Which brings me to my original point regarding The Dude and his awesomeness.

Now at first glance, or even a second glance for that matter, this unemployed drug addict does not appear to be a role model of any kind. But the deeper you look into The Dude’s character, the more we find characteristics that would help all of us in our real lives.

Let’s first look at just how comfortable The Dude is in his own skin. From his choice of clothing – usually a robe with jelly sandals – to his drink of choice – a White Russian, a cream based cocktail – The Dude never once is concerned with how his choices are viewed by others.

As college students, it is easy to get caught up in one’s self-image, but The Dude shows us that we can all learn to be comfortable in our own skin and live life the way we feel fit.

If The Dude can show up to a millionaire’s house in a raggedy robe and a pair of old sandals, students on this campus should be comfortable wearing whatever they want to class or being a part of whatever RSO they wish.

Whether it is feeling judged by your roommate for what you are wearing out or feeling judged for being in Greek life, students seem to be constantly judged for our actions.

But so what? “You do you” is a phrase constantly thrown around on campus, but not enough people take it to heart. Do what makes you happy – don’t worry about a few people’s judgements whose names you probably won’t remember in five years.

The equation is two-fold however, as The Dude never judges anyone else either. Take a scroll through popular gossip app Yik Yak and you will find countless cases of students judging other students for the smallest of things.

The Dude’s best friends are a psycho Vietnam war veteran and a geeky bowling expert, but The Dude never once criticizes his friends or even the countless people that attack him throughout the movie.

Additionally, The Dude is the original hipster. Not because he wore a beanie or non-prescription glasses, but because he did not fit into the modern-day schema for males.

Not only is The Dude unemployed, and not looking for work anytime soon, but he also never uses any type of technology. The Dude and his friends even manually keep score on the countless occasions in which they go bowling throughout the film. Instead, The Dude finds joy in the little things in life such as listening to whale noises and going bowling with his friends.

Now I’m not saying you should avoid getting a job or throw your phone away, but The Dude has a point. Too often in today’s dog-eat-dog culture that is university life, students lose track of what is important and forget to have fun along the way.

The Dude teaches you to step back from your smartphone, let go of stress, and find a personal whale noise that gives you some zen.

So the next time you stream The Big Lebowski, take notice of The Dude and all of his glory. Take note of why he is so likable and why society would be just a little better off if everyone was a little more like The Dude, or His Dudeness, or El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.

We already know The Dude abides – do you?

Jason is a senior in LAS.

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