Ron Chernow (“Washington: A Life”) fixated on his “virile form,” particularly his “wide, flaring hips with muscular thighs.” Richard Brookhiser (“Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington”) remarked on his “well developed” thighs and quoted a bodybuilder who examined a Washington portrait and said, “Nice quads.” Joseph J. Ellis (“His Excellency: George Washington”) wrote that his “very strong thighs and legs ... allowed him to grip a horse’s flanks tightly and hold his seat in the saddle with uncommon ease.”...
Why does Coe think women aren't interested in male body parts?! It seems to me that the focus on the physical body is especially interesting to women. I think biographies should tell us a lot about how people looked and what sort of physical powers and problems they had. I'd think male authors may tend to want to tell us about the physical attributes of the female characters, so it's good for them to make an effort to depict the masculinity of the men.
By the way, since when are "wide, flaring hips" considered highly masculine?
I've read many pages about Theodore Roosevelt recently — the 4-volume series by Edmund Morris, a man, and "The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey," by Candice Millard, a woman (commission-earned links). Both were full of physical description, and I can't say which had more. Of course, there was masculinity galore. Vivid female characters too.
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I dread the prospect of being misidentified as one of them—a racist, undemocratic, abortion-banning cult follower, a where-was-she-on-January-6?
Lincoln's buddy Joshua Speed thought that Abe's thighs were magnificent.
A late friend and colleague sported "Gwin of the Mighty Thigh" on the sign outside his office. It was several years before they made him take it down.
People realize that Washington was a general (and wealthy) who rode horses his entire life?
Sure, no problem. But it ID's the author's TDS and thus could inform one's opinion on her opinion on Presidential quadriceps.
Understanding the authors helps me understand their writing.
I'll try this:
President Biden despite his relatively good physique, skipped leg day, every time.
Also, it's about the horses, and riding them, which just might reinvigorate Ken's interest in the Patriarchy, of which, GW is exemplary.
"since when are "wide, flaring hips" considered highly masculine?"
Since another prog needed to score another point against the patriarchy and toxic masculinity, no matter how absurdly.
"Alexis Coe, having nothing new to say in her recent biography of George Washington, decided to throw a little shade on earlier biographers by accusing them of having a homoerotic fascination with Washington's thighs."
Said NorthOfTheOneOhOne, Althouse blog commenter.
Also, gotta say that the title of her book is a bit flip for a biography of one of the most important founding fathers, don't you think?
wide flaring hips >> ease of child bearing > George did give birth to NATION!
Q : maybe had bonus hole [first trans]
From Rabel's link;
"Raising a flag in front of a house financed by my books about presidents would be another."
Henry VIII was much admired for his shapely calves, before a jousting accident shattered his femur, leading to persistent and noisome ulcers.
"Why are historians obsessed with George Washington’s thighs?" Because Argentina produces more neurosurgeons than any other country.
Ask a silly question, get a silly answer.
“Women and people of color are not considered the readers of presidential history.”
What pompous flatulence. How does Coe know this? By whom are “women and people of color” considered not to be “readers”? Where is that “consideration” set out and defended?
It is lazy writing, a kind of casual bullying intellectualism: “Well reader, everybody (except you, it seems) simply KNOWS this to be true, even though I just made it up, and couldn’t even tell you what I mean (but it allows me sound terribly learned)…”
Sorry, not sold.
My H.S history professor remarked on Washington portraits showing him with sloping shoulders and wide hips. Said contemporaries sometimes referred to him as "Old Bottle Shape."
George Washington was 6'2" tall, unusually tall for his era. I assume that everyone who rode horses regularly developed strong thighs. Shortest president: James Madison at 5'4". Tallest: Lincoln at 6'4".
Wide hips are said to be good for child-bearing, not something associated with masculinity.
The first nobles were alpha males and were not primarily noted for their guile and cunning. Physical strength was their big selling point. When, like Macbeth, you wish to unseam your opponent from chap to nave you need a strong overhead blow. Good quads undoubtedly help in its delivery....You wished the noble of your particular group to be big and strong because the ultimate purpose of alpha males is to protect your group from the other group's alpha males who are prone to rape and looting.....I think nowadays we also give points for cunning and guile, but only in the sense that we prefer the strong guy with more of those qualities.....I read the Chernow bio of Washington and several others. All contemporary observers of Washington including those not in his fan base were impressed with his physical presence. During times of war, people gravitate towards an alpha male with a strong physical presence. Under current conditions this might be good news for Trump. Biden's frailty is definitely held against him.
What do Kamala Harris’s thighs look like? Hopefully not Jagger-esque.
“Broad in the shoulders, narrer at the hips everybody knows you didn’t give no lip to Big John.
He’s precocious, and he knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
All the Tories think he's a spy, he's got
George Washington thighs
Womem are just as interested or disinterested as men in reading about history and historical figures. People of Color? Albinophobia, pethaps?
Then, of course, women chase men chase women is the art and science of life, past, present, and the foreseeable future.
(Talking at the dinner table about Franklin Roosevelt)
Grandma Mary Cleary: But that wife of his, Eleanor... Big dyke! Huge dyke. A real rug muncher. Looked like a big lesbian mule.
Who knew or cared that George Washington had a bubble butt?
I've ridden a lot or horses in my life and would suggest the writers got cause and effect reversed. Any serious riding builds very strong legs. This was true for officers in European militaries as well, up until the mid-19th C. At age 68 I could still squat 350 lb for three sets of 10 reps each.
Althouse, I think that Rabel's comment is germane because it gives us insight into Ms. Coe's beliefs and biases.
I can't comment on the 4-vol bio of TR (imagine how many volumes if he'd been re-elected!), but Candice Millard's "River of Doubt" is great!
Is there any contemporary description of Washington's thighs?
If the biographers had been able to find an old photo of Washington's thighs, I would accept their description as being factual. At least more or less factual.
But a painting? Who is to say that Geo. didn't have really ugly skinny thighs and knobby knees and that the painter decided to give him better looking legs?
How do we know that the painter accurately represented GWs legs?
John Henry
(Yes, I know photography was not invented until 30-40 years after Washington's death"
Which got me wonder who was first. John Quincy Adams in 1843. First sitting president was was James Polk.
This reminded me of a story.
In 1940, I think, FDR's biggest contributor wanted to be ambassador to Great Britain. FDR turned him down on the grounds that his legs would look terrible in the skin tight knee breeches that ambassadors still had to wear on formal occasions.
Joe Kennedy refused to take no for an answer, dropped trou and stood there in the oval office in his shorts arguing with FDR until he finally gave in. Too bad we don't have a photograph of this, though we do have photos of Joe in the nude sunbathing, if that gets anyone off.
Joe got the appointment, went to England and did hero's work trying to keep the US out of WWII although he was unsuccessful. Not much to like about the Kennedy family but that is one good turn they tried to do for us.
John Henry
In the Bible putting your hand under someone's thigh when swearing an oath gives it even more power that a super-double-pinkie swear.
I've never understood what that was about.
John Henry
“ But it ID's the author's TDS and thus could inform one's opinion on her opinion on Presidential quadriceps.…”
It’s fine then. I didn’t see that it was the same author.
It's been said old George could crack walnuts with his fingers, but there's always someone to dispel something,
http://grizzledoldtraveler.blogspot.com/2009/01/george-washington-wasnt-all-he-was.html
Blogger The Godfather said...
I can't comment on the 4-vol bio of TR (imagine how many volumes if he'd been re-elected!), but Candice Millard's "River of Doubt" is great!
I've read part of Millard's book and saw a 1 hour doco she did on TR and the River of Doubt. It looks really good.
I doubt that it is is good as the book that TR himself (no ghost writer) wrote about the expedition. It is hard to imagine anything better.
He and Hoover have to be our two best and most prolific presidential writers. And 2 of the few not to use ghost writers.
John Henry
"It’s fine then. I didn’t see that it was the same author."
My mistake. I lost the author ID tag somehow proofing the link with preview.
Blogger gspencer said...
It's been said old George could crack walnuts with his fingers, but there's always someone to dispel something,
So could Connie Chung. So can I. So can you.
It's no great trick to crack walnuts with your bare hands. That is, 2 walnuts at the same time. Could George crack a single walnut with his barehands? That would be pretty useful for Festivus feats of strength.
John Henry
How does Coe know this?
He is just quoting Sandy Koufax, the baseball legend.
By the way, since when are "wide, flaring hips" considered highly masculine?
Could it have been an indicator of a man who rode horses a great deal (as opposed to a man who customarily rode in a carriage)?
Reminds me of 'The Blind Side' where Leigh Anne Tuohy is describing the optimal build of an offensive lineman, left Tackle - low center of gravity, 'wide in the butt and massive in the thighs' to bring all that muscle power to bear for offensive blocking.
"President Biden despite his relatively good physique ..."
Relative to what? Look, I'll admit, the man knows how to fall off a bicycle. Or rather, to fall over with his legs entangled with his bicycle ... although, that is not, actually, the right way to fall off a bicycle. A bicycle is like a surfboard. If you are not on top of it, it is best to be a good ways away from it. Nowhere near it, in fact. F. Joe Biden can't even fall off a bicycle right.
"since when are "wide, flaring hips" considered highly masculine?"
I had a girlfriend, in my thirties, who liked to dress me. She bought me these gray-green, corduroy pants, and I said, "Don't you think these make my hips look wide?"
She considered it, head to one side, and then said "Yeah. But it's OK. Your shoulders are wider."
Skeptical Voter said...
"Who knew or cared that George Washington had a bubble butt?"
I bet Martha did.
I've read that George's wide hips were an indicator of why he had no biological children with a young widow who had borne two: he was sterile.
His lack of sons probably had an affect on his attitude to retaining power. His only stepson died at 26 right after the surrender at Yorktown.
Althouse:
By the way, since when are "wide, flaring hips" considered highly masculine?
You expect what from a woman "rewriting history through a feminist lens"?
Darkisland:
In the Bible putting your hand under someone's thigh when swearing an oath gives it even more power that a super-double-pinkie swear.
I've never understood what that was about.
I've never heard of that but it has the echo of the unsubstantiated stories of Greek's swearing by their testicles.
Darkisland:
Could George crack a single walnut with his barehands?
I've only known one man who could do that - Glyndŵr. Yeah, yeah, one of my dress up friends. I'm not spouting his real name.
He was an armorer, a real one. Don't know now, but he used to make full plate armor. His personal armor - "Max" - was a full-on Maximillan suit. Looked very much like this one but with more rope motif. He was stunning in it.
When I'd to visit him I'd drag some weapons along. I made those, he made armor. First half hour would be lookin' at stuff.
I remember reading a book on Oriental martial arts and there was an illustration showing the difference in physique between a US Marine and a sumo wrestler. The Marine was overlaid with an inverted, narrow triangle to illustrate his physique; the sumo wrestler was overlaid with an equilateral triangle oriented (heh) normally. Each of the two shows specialization of muscle developement. The Marine has a lean, narrow musculature suited to long marches and stamina; the sumo has a squat, wide musculature suited to very brief bursts of effort in which balance is paramount.
Washington's physique developed to match his career and exercise inclinations: leading troops from horseback, and surveying his extensive land holdings (also from horseback).
Who comes up with this stuff? And men are always thinking about the Roman Empire?
This looks like an example of how society is retragrading.
men who like wide flaring hips on men are ghey
“Women and people of color are not considered the readers of presidential history.”
That seems to be a tacit admission that women and people of color, in the aggregate, tend to gravitate to more…shall we say…lightweight material.
That certainly jibes with my anecdotal experience. I love history and nonfiction, but I’ve never found a women’s book club that wasn’t slavishly devoted to the latest frothy chick lit.
Reagan, shirtless, pruning limbs off a tree, July 1976 during his campaign against Carter. This pretty much stopped the "too old" crap coming from the Democrats during that election.
https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/pacific-palisades-california-ronald-reagan-republican-news-photo/515296858
Wide-hipped men as ideals of masculinity?
Prof, certainly in your undergrad art studies, you learned about the kouroi:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kouros
JSM
"By the way, since when are "wide, flaring hips" considered highly masculine?"
Answer: Only when people don't understand human biology.
The human pelvis is the only bone in the human body that is different between men and women. That's how skeletons are identified as male or female.
Female humans have wider pelvises to accommodate childbirth.
"Colonel, hold my flank!"
Oh General, I thought you'ld never ask.
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