Brett Favre: More On Manly Men Crying
Sunday, March 9th, 2008Friday, I asked a question about Brett Favre’s public melt-down during his retirement announcement press conference. See video here. Did Favre’s tears indicate a feminization of the culture? I took a poll of my readers, and while not scientific, over 60% of them believed it wasn’t a big deal at all that Favre cried crocodile tears. In fact, they felt it displayed a refreshing sensitivity.
My feeling? “Get a hold of yourself, man!”
Brett Favre reached the pinnacle of his career. He left at the top. I would have liked to see him go all the way and be the one who kicked Tom Brady’s ass, but oh well, that didn’t happen. He had a fantastic season anyway. After this season, it seemed like the perfect time to retire. He has been banged up and quarterbacks get their bells rung so often, brain damage seems like too big a price to pay for the sport at a certain point. It was no surprise to me when I heard the news.
What did surprise me is that this manly man came undone during his press conference. What the hell? After his father died, he endured it with stoic grace and played anyway. And won, by the way. But his sobbing for himself at the press conference seemed narcissistic and out-of-proportion. He is retiring after playing a game. No one died. His child isn’t sick. There was no tragedy. His beloved, obviously, career ended on a high note. What more could a person want?
I liked it better when men kept a tight upper lip. Women, too. Queen Elizabeth II’s stoicism impresses me. I like that ilk of leader. Restrained, dignified, and intense in feeling but not expression. I just don’t want to see leaders cry; any leaders, male or female. I don’t want to see Hillary Clinton cry. I don’t want to see George W. Bush cry. I want to see people suck it up and soldier on with grace.
The culture has changed. Americans seem so unacquainted with real tragedy that it is normal to emote over relatively trivial things. It seems that American men, and women, have gone soft. Cry for a fallen soldier. Cry for cancer. Cry for the death of your child.
Some feel that the culture has been feminized. That the only virtues extolled are feminine. But what is virtuous about sappy tears? How does crying puddles and displaying vulnerability publicly denote a good thing? When Nancy Pelosi self-indulgently surrounded herself with her grandchildren on the Senate floor, I wanted to barf. When Hillary got choked up over her own relatively minor struggles during this campaign, it felt just icky. Grown women acting like sappy little girls is bad enough. Seeing a man boo-hoo is even worse. Will any one extol typically masculine traits anymore? I see it as how far we’ve declined that a modern gladiator weeps publicly at his retirement.
Tom Hanks said,”There’s no crying in baseball.” Well, there’s no crying in football either. It’s a sport. Man up!
Cross-posted at Right Wing News.
Brett Favre Cries At Retirement Press Conference
Friday, March 7th, 2008Watch this and tell me what you think? Is this macho man being a weenie or is he just in touch with his feminine side?
Some people think that his crying is symbolic of the feminization of the culture. You tell me.
Daytona 500
Sunday, February 17th, 2008New cars and lots of fun! And to my pink neck sister, roll on!
Obligatory Superbowl Post
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008In honor of my friend Jay, I pick the Giants to win by 3, 24-21. He loves the Giants. He deserves a miracle.
P.S. Tom Brady annoys me, but he is a machine. Plus, I think he’s faking the ankle sprain. Psyche!
Cross-posted at Right Wing News.
Sunday’s Picks–UPDATE
Sunday, January 20th, 2008Who you picking? Everyone seems to hate New England, and personally, I dislike Brady, but he’s a machine. Ya gotta admit that. I pick them to go all the way. Eli Manning is coming on strong and that’s heartening. I’ve felt like he’s been an underachiever and tentative in big situations. Hopefully he can toss the monkey off his back.
Brett Favre….Let’s hear a cheer for the old guy! What’s not to love? If he can stay put together, not slip and hurt himself, I hope he goes all the way. What cold-hearted person would root against him? He’s an inspiration. I hope he wins the Super Bowl and retires with his frontal lobe in tact. I would hate for him to get hurt. He’s had an amazing career.
Is there another team playing? Oh yeah…..the Chargers.
Update: Stupid me! I didn’t break out the teams. There will be more than one winner, that’s for sure.
‘Roid Rage
Friday, December 14th, 2007So do you care that a number of baseball stars are using steroids? Perhaps your beloved Roger Clemens, the old geezer has to be doing something, right?
Well, I’m not going to taint the poll by giving my opinion. I’ll talk about it tomorrow after you vote.
Barry Bonds Belongs Behind Bars
Friday, November 16th, 2007Yes, I’m “rushing” to judgment, after hearing about this sordid mess for years. There is going to be more than an asterisk next to Barry Bond’s name.
Do you think he’ll be barred from the Hall of Fame because of his criminal actions?
Tap Water: The New Leftist Sacrament and It’s Green TV Not Green Tea To You, Bub
Monday, November 5th, 2007Religion looks different. No need to go to church to get a guilt trip these days. The local university or turning on the TV will do just fine. Eric from Classical Values laments the new wrinkle on the Leftist religious folk:
Well, hey, I drink tap water, but only because I’m a cheapskate. However, all this talk of taking a politically correct “pledge” not to drink bottled water makes me feel like running out and buying several cases on general principle.The activists are also screaming that bottled water leads to war:
The Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom has launched a three-year “Save the Water” campaign, on the notion that drinking bottled water encourages privatization, which can lead to wars over water.
This really shouldn’t come as a shock, because I heard about a recent incident involving an employee who was scolded at work for drinking a bottle of water from Fiji. Until then, I hadn’t known there was such a thing about politically incorrect water, so I asked, and I was told that the objection was that because bottled water is transported, while tap water comes out of the faucet, that bottled water eats up more carbon than tap water, and the longer the distance from the source, the more carbon is burned.
Gaia might unleash her wrath–wild fires, hurricanes, general tohu and bohu will commence.
The water obsession is just the most recent wrinkle on the purity Ché shirt. Last night, while iChatting with my brother, he tells me to go turn on NBC. Why who is it but that smug little troll Bob Costas and his band of merry metrosexual men airing their greenness via candle-light while the fifty big screen TVs blare behind them. Keith Olberman looks much better in low lighting, though, so there’s that.
How very conscious of NBC. How noble! The guys looked like they were on a candle-lit date. It makes all kinds of sense if you go to the Church of Gaia. Turn off the lights and leave the place buzzing with EMFs from TVs and sound equipment. They probably hopped on the corporate jet to get there in time to moralize. Nothing like a good hypocritical preacher to make you catch the spirit.
And the best part? The little peacock turned green, too. Cute! Who says football announcers are block-headed jocks? It’s great to seem them get in touch with The Feminine.
To get serious for a moment. If people want church there are better religions with much better preachers. And the newer preachers seem far more tolerant than our Leftist brethren. 
Listen to Joel Osteen’s morality and then listen to Keith Olberman.
Whose church do you want to attend?
NFL Football Rules, Argh!
Sunday, November 4th, 2007Because of contractual obligations, I am missing the best football game of the season. At least Houston is winning.
O.J. Denied Bail
Monday, September 17th, 2007So the Juice is where he belongs. My husband noted, and I concur, that it seems like public sentiment drives these kind of decisions now, not what is right or just. Judges and prosecutors seem to find which way the wind blows and do what’s politically expedient.
