The Gentlemen Series

Comment: This series was born out of an awareness that modern society is falling short of males who possess the qualities of a gentlemen. The modern gentlemen is not some boorish image of chivalry out of cultural lore. Instead, the modern gentlemen is quite unassuming in many ways. Let us explore the idea of the gentlemen and arrive at a notion within reach of the ordinary man. 

The Gentlemen Series

By

James T. Bogden, PMP

Modern pop culture idolizes the rough and ready underdog rebel who is brash, tattooed, straight talking, and a bit on the psychotic-side. In The Lethal Weapon movie franchise Mel Gibson was always toying with suicide while helping society rid itself of villains. Sylvester Stallone often is portrayed as a renegade loner and hero driven by purpose or mission. Vin Diesel is likewise cast as a underhanded, self-driven, and self-centered maverick. The more recent 007 movie franchise cast James Bond as a ruthless killer-spy and significantly less dapper than previous Bond caricatures. The demise of the gentlemen has the US Congress removing the title 'Gentlemen' from the military commissioning ceremonies in which the phrase "An Officer and A Gentlemen" was recited. Many politicians felt the term "Gentlemen" was sexist. The essence of the gentlemen persona in modern culture is vanishing. We have to look to the past in order to understand the persona of a Gentlemen before developing the modern notion of a Gentlemen reviving the noble character. 

Gentlemen of Nostalgia

The concept of the gentlemen seems to be something in the eye of the beholder as there is a wide swath of gentlemen historical examples in both pop culture and history. Nostalgic pop culture reveals characters like Sean Connery, Pierce Bronson, and Roger Moore who were all cast as the dapper James Bond. The suavé caricature of the 1950's and 1960's Las Vegas nightclub scene was defined around the Rat Pack allure and presented another image of the gentlemen caricature.   Alternative caricature of the gentlemen image is vintage Manhattan wrapped up in mahogany, brown leather, and cigars. Hugh Hefner created and marketed the gentlemen lifestyle for his Playboy empire. GQ magazine successfully markets a cultured gentlemanly image for people in their 20's to late 30's. Nearly all images of a gentlemen tend to hover around decadence and debauchery wrapped up in a stylish facade. Living life large seems to be the gentlemanly mantra. Which one of the gentleman caricatures stand out as attainable and practical is personal choice. Aside from the fictional character of James Bond, most males can relate to the Rat Pack. 

The Rat Pack

Image 1: The Rat Pack; Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, and Frank Sinatra.

The Rat Pack began with Humphrey Bogart and membership varied with mainstays like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Joey Bishop, Buddy Greco, and Peter Lawford. Let's look closer at the Rat Pack which emerged out of their character. Bogart's wife, Lauren Becall, tagged the group with the name, 'The Rat Pack', when Bogart and his buddies straggled in the wee hours of the morning after a long night of partying. The Rat Pack, Image 1, had two versions and several members that intermittently were in the group. Three members were mainstays after Bogart died in 1957; Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.   The Group had some interesting qualities. Outwardly, they were stylish often wearing black suits, thin black ties, and fedoras. These were also a close knit group of men who were good friends having known each other for a long time. The group's persona emerged out of the members on and off stage friendly bantering. The 1960's version of the group called themselves 'The Summit' and 'The Clan'. Although, the media clung onto the name Rat Pack. Sinatra was the Chairman of the Board and also called the pack master. Becall was the Den-Mother.  Pet names were also tagged to the other members and close associations. Judy Garland was the First Vice-President.  Marilyn Monroe was the Mascot long with others. Audiences were attracted to this lively and charismatic group.

The Modern Gentleman

Numerous books have been written on the gentlemen aura. The Gentlemen's Guide to Life by Steve Friedman categorizes gentlemanly conduct into four general discussions: Living large, Looking Good, Feeling Strong, and Loving Well. The book Essential Manners for Men by Peter Post breaks the discussion into three generalized categories: Daily Life, Social Life, and Work Life. How the caricature of the Gentleman is parsed is unimportant. What is important is that a Gentleman is balanced, fit, and well mannered. The decadence and debauchery of the past is no longer part of the caricature. Nonetheless, the modern Gentlemen is no less adept with women than the earlier predecessors. 

This series will explore the Modern Gentlemen in a litany of posts that will appear below. 

1. Lazy Days and Barber Shops: This is a flashback to an earlier more simple life and era. The aroma of early Summer and freshness of the first Summer hair cut combine to produce one of the most signature Gentlemen fragrances, the Barber Shop aroma.

2. 

References:

Friedman, S. (1999). Gentlemen's Guide to Life. (1st ed.). Three Rivers Press: NY.

Johnson-Gross, K. and Stone, J. (2002). Dress smart men: wardrobes that win in the new workplace. Warner Books: NY.

Johnson-Gross, K. and Stone, J. (2002). Men's wardrobe. Random House Publishers: NY.

Post, P. (2003). Essential manners for men. (1st ed.). HarperCollins Publishers, Inc: NY.