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Manliness and the Men of Brokeback

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vkm91941:
Did anyone else see this article?  It's good stuff, very insightful, expecially the part about symphonic music and Beethoven's Fifth and there's this great poll on who's more manly and our boys were ahead last time I looked. 

http://www.newsday.com/ny-etman4699083apr13,0,4099497.story

Enjoy! I sure did.... ;D

Ellemeno:
Thanks for posting this, Victoria.  This was an interesting surprise:

>> These days, the city of Casper, Wyo., has an openly gay mayor.

I wonder what Ennis would have thought of that.

kirkmusic:
Nice one.  I've never liked the "manly" archetype.  I hated Tom Cruise for years because his character in Top Gun was such a cocky, "manly," testosterone fueled, shallow excuse for a human being.  I was a teenager then and a bit more judgemental.  But I liked him in Born on the 4th of July, and even more in Interview with the Vampire and Magnolia.

I had very little patience for guys who always seemed to be proving what big tough men they were.  It's like, relax dork.  If you're really a man we'll get it without you proving it.

vkm91941:

--- Quote from: kirkmusic on April 15, 2006, 04:05:24 am ---I had very little patience for guys who always seemed to be proving what big tough men they were.  It's like, relax dork.  If you're really a man we'll get it without you proving it.

--- End quote ---

so do I Kirk..I absolutely hate that  testosterone neandrethal driven attitude. But it's possible to be manly without all that...that's what I loved about this article it points that out.  Both Ennis and Jack are manly men without all that macho posturing  in fact Jack is a true nurturer, the parent figure if you will, in the relationship. Ennis does not earn his parenting stripes until after Jack's death, when it finally dawns on him what he has sacrificed to his fear. How he was once where his daughter is now with choices and chances.  And he makes the decision to make himself available to her at least by realizing he needs to go to her wedding.

The memory that Jack has of Ennis that haunts him right to the end is that of the "sleeping on your feet like a horse" flashback, in which Ennis almost gives into his nurturing nature.    But Annie Proulx makes it clear in the story that he can't, even then, look Jack in the face. Cannot admit that it is Jack he embraces.   It is finally through negotiating the shirts with Jack's mother that Ennis makes the leap to adulthood, finally developing into the kind of man who is worthy of Jack--sadly, however, it is too late.

ednbarby:
Beautifully put, Vic.  Sorry to do that "ditto" posting no-no, but there's nothing I could possibly add.

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