RARA-AVIS: Re: Real guys don't worry a whole lot about if they're real guys or not...

From: Kevin Burton Smith ( kvnsmith@thrillingdetective.com)
Date: 28 Mar 2008


On Mar 27, 2008, at 1:41 PM, rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com wrote:

> Macho is an
> attitude. Tough is really difficult to break or wear
> down. A Ford truck may project a "macho" image, but
> when they say it's built Ford tough, they mean the
> truck is hard to break. Virtually anybody can act
> macho. But tough is not an image, it's real and
> measurable. A good leather motorcycle jacket is both
> macho and tough. A stylish leather motorcycle jacket
> made of soft leather is macho without being tough. You
> can't tell by the price. The stylish leather may cost
> as much if not more than the hard leather, but if you
> hit the road, you'll know the difference.

Now we're looking to clothes and TV commercials for definitions? Could we get any shallower?

If you think real toughness (or even machismo) is something you can buy at the mall, you don't know toughness (although the advertisers sure know you).

The big ape taking on all comers ain't so tough (although he does impress the little boys). The real tough nut is the skinny little guy who dares to stand up to him.

That takes guts. Not the appropriate wardrobe.

What makes Marlowe or Spade or Hammer or even Brandstetter or Paretsky and Millhone tough isn't how many thugs they can bench press (or what they're wearing) but the mere fact they're willing to go down those mean streets.

Courage and integrity and intelligence impress me. Your fascination with leather? Not so much.

Kevin Burton Smith The Thrilling Detective Web Site Celebrating 10 Years of P.I. Thrills

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