James Lileks on Ed Harris and Masculinity

Lileks.com (The Bleat) ^ | Jan 23, 2003 | James Lileks

[Lauratealeaf]

I liked this quote among so many others from Lilek's article...Not every man has a tan on his left arm because it’s been hanging out the window of the pickup all summer, but hurtling a pickup down the long black line is a manly pleasure, by God.

It reminds me of our next door neighbor when I was growing up, Mr. Porta. He always hung his arm outside of his window, so much so that he rubbed the paint off. He was a man too when I think of it. A good influence on my brothers and he had a great Italian restaurant. He would bring leftovers from his restaurant home and feed all the stray cats in the neighborhood, including our cats. He had a pet chicken too. When his son who had been running around with some bad types broke into our house while we were out of town and stole my Dad's coin collection Mr. Porta marched his son, Butch over to our house to admit it to my Dad and return it. He kept a close watch over his kids and they all turned out alright, especially Butch who went on to Vietnam and then to college and a good career. Mr. Porta was a man. I grew up around some fine examples of masculinity. My Dad, my brothers, my neighbor, Mr. Porta and others. Ed Harris has no clue about true masculinity. It is much more than being a truckdriving, hard-drinking man and has nothing to do with being afraid to tell liberal women you don't agree with them.

[The Grim Freeper]

A real pleasure to read.

[Joe_October]

It must be tough for Ed Harris. Pretending to be a real man for his whole career only to discover you can't find it in a tanning booth or a hair salon.

And then to have it displayed so casually by a guy who doesn't even look to be trying.

It must be tough to be Ed Harris.

[Wondervixen]

I'm sure Harris believes he knows what a Man is...After all, he's played one in the movies a time or two, hasn't he?

[TotusTuus]

If Fred Astaire can sell vaccuum cleaners and John Wayne can sell Coors, Patsy Cline can sing this song. :-)

This is just so .... Crazy?

[colorado tanker]

How could Ed Harris star in Apollo 13 and learn absolutely nothing about the kind of men the cast portrayed???