Not just cool, Steve Buscemi Cool

The title of this post is a saying you are probably going to run across (more than once or twice) if you decide to follow along here for any length of time. Because it will likely be an oft-used expression, it bears explaining.

To some of you, the meaning of the expression is probably self-evident, in which case, “Yay!”

But for those of you unfamiliar with the coolness that is Steve Buscemi ...

Steve Buscemi is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles in films such as “Reservoir Dogs”, “Fargo”, “The Big Lebowski” and “Armageddon”. He was also the voice of “Randall” in “Monsters, Inc.”, had a small but creepy character role in “Con Air”, and many other roles, both large and small, in countless other films. I have long enjoyed watching him in films, and while I am not certain, I think I first took note of him in “Pulp Fiction”.

He is very distinctive-looking, making him easily recognizable in almost any role, but this never detracts from his performance; one would never say “Oh look, Steve Buscemi is being Steve Buscemi again” (as some people say about Jack Black or Bruce Willis, e.g.).

This alone is cool.

But not Steve Buscemi Cool.

No, Steve Buscemi defines cool because of something else, something he once did that was so amazing I have checked multiple sources in an attempt to avoid the pitfall of believing an urban legend...

The thing that makes Steve Buscemi the metre stick for cool against which all other things are measured is as follows: In 2001, on the 11^th of September, two airplanes were flown into the World Trade Centre Buildings in New York City, NY. This is, of course, a well-known, catastrophic event. It is also well known that fire fighter crews worked around the clock for at least a week, sifting through the rubble of these buildings in the hopes of finding survivors and/or answers. What is less well known is the fact that Steve Buscemi, a former New York City firefighter himself, reported to his old fire station on the 12^th of September, 2001, and worked 12 hour shifts alongside other firefighters doing this job.

Yeah, that’s pretty f*cking cool.

But not Steve Buscemi Cool.

No, Steve Buscemi Cool is the fact that he did this, for a week, ANONYMOUSLY. No fanfare, no photo ops, no “I’m a big Hollywood star, and I’m here to HELP, notice me!”.

Nope, not Steve ... in fact, he refused to even let his photo be taken.

Now, *that’s* Steve Buscemi Cool.

Yeah, I figured you’d agree.

Don’t just take *my* word for it, check out these sources for yourself. Check here for starters. Another source.