The ClearOut

Continuing his exploration of masculinity and maleness, Dara turns his gaze to movies and how men's stories, especially but not exclusively, straight men's stories have played out on screen. He looks at three totems of masculinity as the main discussion points - potency, violence, and morality. Dara kicks off with the controversial Straw Dogs, Sam Peckinpah's 1971 examination of neutered masculinity being refused permission to remain inert by sinister and attritional male forces. That movie's star, Dustin Hoffman, embodied a new, sensitive version of manhood that chimed with the times - men in movies no longer had to recall the unambiguous heroic modes of earlier eras. But 70s directors recognised there was a tension that made good drama when these new men were pitched against iterations of manhood more resistant to change. John Boorman played this out to terrifying effect in 1972's Deliverance, for example.Male cowardice is often a propulsive element in movies, and Dara looks at From Here to Eternity (1954) and the different faces of masculinity presented therein. Key to the piece is Montgomery Clift's Prewitt, the military trumpet player who refuses to box for the army. What does he do when faced with Burt Lancaster's male swagger or Ernest Borgnine's loutish bullying? And what happens to plucky but skinny Frank Sinatra when he sticks up for his pal? Clift's sensitivity and vulnerability, also essayed by Marlon Brando and James Dean, embodied another masculinity shift that paved the way for the male stars of the 70s.The 80s were another thing completely, and the truly dominant stars of that period reflected a hyper-confidence in American consumption and bloated pride. Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger wore their alpha masculinity as explicitly as possible and audiences loved them for it. But another 80s actor couldn't have been less like them and enjoyed enormous success himself playing characters who were cerebral, sensitive, and importantly, non-violent. In fact, in one of his most acclaimed roles he played a cross-dressing gay seducer of a straight roommate, a subversive expression of masculinity that fascinated Dara as an adolescent.Also, a couple of Kenny Rogers songs, father-son movie dynamics, modernity as identity eraser, and sneaking nerds into leading parts.2023 article deconstructing the term 'toxic masculinity': https://iai.tv/articles/toxic-masculinity-is-not-a-useful-description-michael-kimmel-auid-2466Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

Dara knew when he started recording this one that one episode was never going to cut it. So it is only the beginning of a conversation about being a man and trying to unpack what constitutes a man.Before getting into more specific experiences and perspectives, Dara tries to sketch the current landscape, so heavily influenced by the tech age and social media, in which many men feel they have been pushed aside. There appears to be a huge hole in society, and in the discourse cauldron, that men are very unsure how to fill. This uncertainty has been capitalised upon, or catered to, by male figures all too willing to say 'this is how you should be'. But are they really helping?Dara has embarked on a course of Men's Studies, and that in part is what has prompted this exploration. He discusses in detail his own primary model of masculinity and recognises how much it left a mark on him. He also looks at the centrality of martial arts codes and philosophy in his own conception of masculinity.Finally, what cartoon figure popped in his head when thinking of a good male role model?To be continued...Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this episode, Dara has an update on the fox situation at Hashtag Blessed and admits he views the surviving chickens differently since last week’s attack. Is it just him, or do they seem to be grieving?After thinking he was almost out of fuel during an excursion to the mountains, Dara reflects on the benefits of slowing down and lays out a couple of mindfulness exercises to encourage the illusion of stopping time. He looks at the relationship between care and action and acknowledges his own resistance to trying new things. It begs the question – what do you care about enough to take action?Staying in the area of care, Dara discusses a couple of movies he watched with his daughter over the weekend. The obvious homophobia in one was a stark reminder of how gender politics have evolved since the 90s, when the film was made. Tolerance of homophobic slurs was accepted then in a way it simply isn’t now.A comment from his daughter raised the issue of the dominance of straight male values in movies in the past. As a corrective, Dara put on a movie with a strong female lead to offer something different, but his daughter didn’t care for it!Also this week, movies as provocation and social critique. Better than those that moralise?Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this episode, Dara is reflecting on the overnight passing of two of the animal members of the Hashtag Blessed family. It reminds him of a key moment from the iconic TV show The Sopranos which centred on the idea of a changing world that couldn't be controlled. The idea of chaos and disorder prompting a desire for control feels like a very present concern.A local death in the community spurs Dara to further examine the idea of the familiar and the habitual, and to look at the strength and reassurance we take from known quantities and knowable entities. He talks about the importance of the social space made for grief and is grateful that it is something that Irish culture is very good at.Habits of thought and behaviour are also discussed, and Dara acknowledges how in an area of his own life he has allowed habitual behaviour lead him away from difficult situations. He pitches the idea of difficulties and challenges, and their avoidance, against the finality and true reality-altering nature of death. Perspective and proportionality are healthy things to bring to bear on the things that unsettle us. Can we find a way to deal better with interruptions to normal service? Can we break the pattern of our habitual responses?Also in this episode, the humble offer, 1983's Risky Business, and the absence of bad influences in Dara's past.Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

Dara begins this episode by sharing his go-to recipe for making cheesecake, raspberry cheesecake, specifically. Don't ask why - it just felt like the right thing to do. Perhaps he was trying to flaunt his 'new man' credentials in advance of discussing male attitudes to high-profile, successful women in the not-so-distant past.Before he gets to that, Dara revisits Peter Weir's 1985 romantic thriller, Witness, which he rewatched to see if it was appropriate for his 10-year-old daughter to see. He found himself seduced by the chemistry between the two leads, Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The film has aged extremely well in its depiction of the culture clash that occurs when Ford's savvy city cop has to hide out in McGillis's old world Amish community. The cultural and sexual tension ratchet up as the stakes get ever higher. Why is that chemistry so hard to find, and why is it often the linchpin of many TV shows?Dara has been listening to an excellent film history podcast that he just discovered. Listening to its creator and host, the film critic and writer Karina Longworth, discuss erotic movies of the 90s, and quote various contemporaneous publications including Playboy and Gloria Steinem's Ms, it is extraordinary how blatant and unapologetic the sexist backlash was as directed at actresses like Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, Drew Barrymore, Alicia Silverstone and more.Discussing his own thoughts on casual misogyny and the fear and hatred of women that some men experience, Dara recalls his own experience of watching the movies and performers in question, and tries to understand why the rhetoric of women being the enemy still has little trouble finding a male audience.After consuming all that bile and chauvinism, Dara turns to a late 90s girl-power movie to provide a cheesy and satisfying antidote...Karina Longworth's excellent podcast on the history and forgotten stories of Hollywood's first century: https://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this 150th episode, Dara decides not to lean into what makes the show what it is, but rather opts for the easy entertainment of the career of Tom Cruise. A recent rewatch of Top Gun Maverick prompted the question - what is it about Tom Cruise that audiences continue to buy? What is it about that smile, and that ever-young body?Dara looks at the Cruise filmography and identifies 1983 as his breakout year. That means it is a neat 40 years to last year's Mission Impossible instalment. So, which half of Cruise's career would you take over the other? The first 20 years, or the second 20? At exactly the halfway mark there is a 2003 film that Dara reckons red-flagged the beginning of a Cruise wobble and save for a few notable exceptions, laid the groundwork for dialled-in performances far beneath the leading man's capabilities.Dara wonders who would represent Ireland if there were an acting Olympics. He argues it wouldn't necessarily be the best actor, but perhaps the one that does the best job of representing what we want to believe about ourselves. He thinks Cruise would be the US choice and considers representatives from other countries too.It was in an early Cruise film that Dara responded to two disparate iterations of masculinity - one that he knew was very far from his own natural leanings, and one which he hoped he might one day embody.Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this episode, Dara once again finds himself considering his mental health battles. Emerging from a very recent depression, he examines the difference in his thinking when he is embattled versus when he is well. Why would he choose to believe one reality and not the other? Why, in spite of very persuasive negative thoughts, does his 'better' self prevail? And why does he compare these differing states and beliefs to acting reviews?A relevant aspect of self-care is how we indicate healthy habits to ourselves. How we communicate to ourselves that there are habits of wellness in place can insulate us from true despair. Dara reflects on the current Irish government and argues that they are failing to communicate these signs of care to the electorate. He further argues that that is partly the reason the recent referendum was so conclusively rejected.Speaking of Irish politics, Dara sees a connection between the retirements of Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) and Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager. There is something in their retirement announcements that clearly validated their inner lives and their emotional energy, something that seems relatively new in male leadership. Having spoken in the UK last week at a male-centred public presentation, Dara talks about the need for the demonstrated care, love and validation of men as a counter to what people identify as 'toxic' masculinity.Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout

In this episode, Dara wants to know what vulnerability looks like. He talks about his own sense of feeling vulnerable at this time in his life and tries to contextualise that feeling in terms of age, time spent, and time left. He also reflects on fear, threat identification, and the conviction that one can be 'got'.Having started watching the provocative 2019 series Euphoria, Dara recognises that spending time in the company of beautiful people doesn't do much for his sense of vitality and relevance, but he has a lot of time for the central performance of Zendaya. In spite of her excellence, he wonders about the next generation of Hollywood actors and whether they're all that. Responding to the scenes of debauchery played out in Euphoria, Dara thinks about parenting fears and what dangers lie in wait for his daughter a few years from now. He shares his approach to preparing for those threats and hopes he isn't kidding himself. He also mentions a recent viewing experience with his daughter that was less than perfect.At the end of the episode, Dara reads something he has just written in response to a very enjoyable photoshoot he took part in with the excellent Sharon Smith. Sometimes, things just work out beautifully.Find Sharon's work here: https://hippyandbloom.ie/Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theclearout2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: theclearoutlive@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout