Tman wrote:
Pacifica...right on comparing the role models of today to yesterdays TV men. To me it started with "Threes Company" with a feminine Jack.
Wheres Trevor Howard, Clark Gable and John Wayne when you need them? Even if some of the old actors were gay...they still knew how to ACT the part of a man.
I here what you are saying, but I don't think it is all that one sided.
In the old days you had sensitive guys too, but not as many, Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, Jacky Cooper, and Micky Roony
Today we have Al Pacino, Robert Deniro, Steven Segal, Bruce Willis, Sean Conrey, Sylvester Stalone, Arnold, Chuck Norris, Clint Eastwood, you also have new ones coming up in the The Rock and Vin Desal.
A lot of the guys you mentioned played in comedies, you have always had bunglers in comedies. There were many looser types among the old school comedians. Chaplin, WC Fields, Jerry Lewis, Laurel and Hardy, Don Knox, the list goes on and on.
Your point is well taken though; during the 70's you saw a cultural shift in favor of a "more sensitive" male. If you look at the list of the top actors in the 30's, 40s and 50's it is mostly manly men types. To me the one that was typified this shift was the sensitive war hero, Alan Alda in MASH (though he did bang a lot of chicks).
I don't entirely agree that the shift has been all bad. Men are better fathers now and closer to their K*ds, which is a good thing. In many ways we all better equipt to talk to women than the "old school" men. In the old days men and women short of existed in parrallel universes. Today I enjoy spending time with women in ways that guys didn't really do back then.
I personally don't think there is anything wrong with showing some sensitivity as long as you are strong in who you are as a man. If you can do that, you are way ahead of the old school guys that you mentioned. If you can find that balance, I think that is particularly attractive to Latinas because they are so used to their men treating them like shit. If you can be strong in who you are and what you want and still show them some kindness, you can have them eating out of the palm of your hand. They always want the honey more if you take it away once in awhile.
I do agree that the pendulum swung too far in one direction. Many, many American men have completely lost their manhood. I would venture to say, that most don't even know what it is they are missing. Many of the 30 something guys have absolutely no clue, not that the 40 somethings are a lot better. All these guys chasing these putas around is just crazy.