--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lou Reed was a hero because he was an…" description: "\"Lou Reed was a hero because he was an anti-hero.\" — Tom Stoppard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/tom-stoppard-437_anti-hero_lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-an_2944179.png" --- # Lou Reed was a hero because he was an anti-hero. ![“Lou Reed was a hero because he was an anti-hero.” quote by Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/tom-stoppard-437_anti-hero_lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-an_2944179.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/tom-stoppard-437_anti-hero_lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-an_2944179.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/tom-stoppard-437_anti-hero_lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-an_2944179.png) > “Lou Reed was a hero because he was an anti-hero.” [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lou Reed’s heroism lies in embracing anti‑heroic traits, challenging conventional hero narratives. **In simple terms:** Being an anti‑hero can be heroic. Key Takeaway Accept flaws as part of heroism. Themes identityism individualism culture Mood analytical contemplative Type cultural literary When to use this quote - music criticism - personal identity - cultural analysis Key Concepts post‑modernism celebration of flaws Questions to Reflect On - What does being an anti‑hero mean to you? - How do society’s expectations shape heroism? A Different Perspective Anti‑hero status may be misunderstood. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-hero/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) ## Related quotes > [Good guy' or 'bad guy', hero or anti hero; doesn't matter to me, what role I play, only the character have something magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/good-guy-or-bad-guy-hero-or-anti-hero-doesn-t-matter-to-me-what-role/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [I have total respect for the self-contained rock artist. Whether you're dealing with Jerry Garcia or Lou Reed or Patti Smith or a Whitney…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-davis/i-have-total-respect-for-the-self-contained-rock-artist-whether-you/) [Clive Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-davis/) > [If you want to see that human story unfold, if you want to understand that only the unexpected life is worth a damn, spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/if-you-want-to-see-that-human-story-unfold-if-you-want-to-understand/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [I learned loudness from working with Lou Reed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson/i-learned-loudness-from-working-with-lou-reed/) [Robert Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson/) > [When I read a book, it's Lou Reed's voice narrating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-and-the-queens/when-i-read-a-book-it-s-lou-reed-s-voice-narrating-it/) [Christine and the Queens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-and-the-queens/) > [I have been listening a lot to The Carpenters and Neil Diamond, Elton John, and thinking, like, 'God, it'd be great to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-for-lashes/i-have-been-listening-a-lot-to-the-carpenters-and-neil-diamond-elton/) [Bat for Lashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-for-lashes/) > [It's a miracle that David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop are actually still alive today, given how hard they lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-rock/it-s-a-miracle-that-david-bowie-lou-reed-and-iggy-pop-are-actually/) [Mick Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-rock/) > [There are beauty icons that I can never be like, sorta like a Gena Rowlands - I'll never have that look. I love Giulietta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/there-are-beauty-icons-that-i-can-never-be-like-sorta-like-a-gena/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more interesting than the normal hero, and that's really what we're talking about here as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-is-much-more-interesting-than/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [I don't think the Hulk is a superhero. He's the first Marvel character who is a tragic monster. Really an anti-hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-think-the-hulk-is-a-superhero-he-s-the-first-marvel-character/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I went to film school so I have a writing and directing background, and I think a lot of the material I'm interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-mcbride/i-went-to-film-school-so-i-have-a-writing-and-directing-background/) [Danny McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-mcbride/) > [“What were you doing with her?” The words burst from my lips. Before I can take them back, he stares at me. I stare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-jayne/what-were-you-doing-with-her-the-words-burst-from-my-lips-before-i/) L. Jayne > [Perhaps some of the appeal of the dangerous-but-yummy paranormal anti-hero lies in his scorn for societal expectations. Yes, women have come a long way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/perhaps-some-of-the-appeal-of-the-dangerous-but-yummy-paranormal-anti/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“A grim expression came over Syah’s face. “The colt you speak of lost its mother during a storm. If this stallion was that colt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-raver/a-grim-expression-came-over-syah-s-face-the-colt-you-speak-of-lost/) Danielle Raver > [The great thing about Burgess's work is the dichotomy of making the hero or anti-hero an immoral man. And that's what makes it interesting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-mcdowell/the-great-thing-about-burgess-s-work-is-the-dichotomy-of-making-the/) [Malcolm McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-mcdowell/) ## More by Tom Stoppard > [If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-the-last-thing-i-would-do-is-write-a/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [After all these years, I definitely associate having a pen in my hand with having an ashtray just out of eye line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/after-all-these-years-i-definitely-associate-having-a-pen-in-my-hand/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [The universe is deterministic all right, just like Newton said, I mean it's trying to be, but the only thing going wrong is people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/the-universe-is-deterministic-all-right-just-like-newton-said-i-mean/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [For me, human rights simply endorse a view of life and a set of moral values that are perfectly clear to an eight-year-old child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/for-me-human-rights-simply-endorse-a-view-of-life-and-a-set-of-moral/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [“What is an artist? For every thousand people there's nine hundred doing the work, ninety doing well, nine doing good, and one lucky bastard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/what-is-an-artist-for-every-thousand-people-there-s-nine-hundred/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Dying is not romantic, and death is not a game which will soon be over... Death is not anything... death is not... It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/dying-is-not-romantic-and-death-is-not-a-game-which-will-soon-be-over/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I'm not interested in clothes; I just like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/i-m-not-interested-in-clothes-i-just-like-them/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [For 10 years of my life, 3 times a day, I thanked the Lord for what I was about to receive and thanked him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/for-10-years-of-my-life-3-times-a-day-i-thanked-the-lord-for-what-i/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [You should not translate for more than two hours at a time. After that, you lose your edge, the language becomes clumsy, rigid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/you-should-not-translate-for-more-than-two-hours-at-a-time-after-that/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [No matter how imperfect things are, if you've got a free press everything is correctable, and without it everything is concealable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/no-matter-how-imperfect-things-are-if-you-ve-got-a-free-press/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mortality-before-we-know-the/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Eternity's a terrible thought. I mean, where's it all going to end?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/eternity-s-a-terrible-thought-i-mean-where-s-it-all-going-to-end/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [There is truth and falsehood in a comma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/there-is-truth-and-falsehood-in-a-comma/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) [Explore all 559 Tom Stoppard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) ## More Anti hero quotes > [I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more interesting than the normal hero, and that's really what we're talking about here as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-is-much-more-interesting-than/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [“A grim expression came over Syah’s face. “The colt you speak of lost its mother during a storm. If this stallion was that colt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-raver/a-grim-expression-came-over-syah-s-face-the-colt-you-speak-of-lost/) Danielle Raver > [I went to film school so I have a writing and directing background, and I think a lot of the material I'm interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-mcbride/i-went-to-film-school-so-i-have-a-writing-and-directing-background/) [Danny McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-mcbride/) > [I don't think the Hulk is a superhero. He's the first Marvel character who is a tragic monster. Really an anti-hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-think-the-hulk-is-a-superhero-he-s-the-first-marvel-character/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Perhaps some of the appeal of the dangerous-but-yummy paranormal anti-hero lies in his scorn for societal expectations. Yes, women have come a long way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/perhaps-some-of-the-appeal-of-the-dangerous-but-yummy-paranormal-anti/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“What were you doing with her?” The words burst from my lips. Before I can take them back, he stares at me. I stare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-jayne/what-were-you-doing-with-her-the-words-burst-from-my-lips-before-i/) L. Jayne > [The great thing about Burgess's work is the dichotomy of making the hero or anti-hero an immoral man. And that's what makes it interesting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-mcdowell/the-great-thing-about-burgess-s-work-is-the-dichotomy-of-making-the/) [Malcolm McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-mcdowell/) > [I'm always attracted to anti-hero roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-m-always-attracted-to-anti-hero-roles/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [It's always more fun to be an anti-hero. They're more interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/it-s-always-more-fun-to-be-an-anti-hero-they-re-more-interesting/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [“A novel requires a hero, and here there's a deliberate collection of all the traits for an anti-hero”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky-fyodor/a-novel-requires-a-hero-and-here-there-s-a-deliberate-collection-of/) [Dostoyevsky, Fyodor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky-fyodor/) > [“The Punisher: If there are no consequences to your mistakes...you have no reason...not to make them...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-van-lente/the-punisher-if-there-are-no-consequences-to-your-mistakes-you-have/) [Fred Van Lente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-van-lente/) > [Look, we're in the time of the anti-hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-norris/look-we-re-in-the-time-of-the-anti-hero/) [Dean Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-norris/) > [The range of Shakespeare's characters is just enormous. Each one of them, whether it's a man or woman, prince or pauper, hero or anti…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-kapoor/the-range-of-shakespeare-s-characters-is-just-enormous-each-one-of/) [Kunal Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-kapoor/) > [I think it's doubly important, now that we see so many people failing. When the norm is an anti-hero, there's a serious loss when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-gleeson/i-think-it-s-doubly-important-now-that-we-see-so-many-people-failing/) [Brendan Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-gleeson/) > [“While gently pushing her towards the dressing room, Lazarus ventured, "Can I ask you something kind of personal?" Pulling her shirt over her head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/while-gently-pushing-her-towards-the-dressing-room-lazarus-ventured/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) [Browse all 49 Anti hero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-hero/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Lou Reed was a hero because he was an anti-hero.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Stoppard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-anti-hero/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anti hero" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-anti-hero/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/tom-stoppard-437_anti-hero_lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-an_2944179.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/tom-stoppard-437_anti-hero_lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-an_2944179.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/tom-stoppard-437_anti-hero_lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-an_2944179.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Lou Reed was a hero because he was an anti-hero.” — Tom Stoppard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tom Stoppard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Lou Reed was a hero because...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-anti-hero/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/lou-reed-was-a-hero-because-he-was-an-anti-hero/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```