Secrecy

[Paul Schroder]

A friend sent me the following url and it gave me a chuckle. Then about half way through the vid I realized just how it exemplified western culture during the early part of the twentieth century. What is rather disappointing is that it still exemplifies western culture in the early part of the twenty first century. It's cute, but has a poignant message. http://www.musicmisfit.com/affectionatemen/affectionate.html

[DesDownunder]

Thanks Paul, I was going to respond, but then I went to the introduction link on the page and it says just what I was thinking:

I found these photos to be both beautiful and profound. The times between 1860 and 1930 men were more free to hold hands, hug, even kiss, without the fear of being riduculed, beaten or labeled.

Regardless if the men pictured here were lovers or friends, the photographs let us all realize that today we live in a society where our emotional freedom and tolerance of others should have moved forward. Instead we seem to be moving backward every day.

In spite of our great and positive leaps in science, medicine and fantastic inventions, as humankind we seem to have taken a rather significant negative leap into a world that is filled with hate and intolerance, one that has lost the innocence, simplicity and joy one feels in experiencing these photographs of a special and more unique time and place.

Let's all go out and love someone, whether they want us to or not.

[Bruin Fisher]

I too found these photos attractive and heart-warming.

However, I hesitate to draw any conclusions about the sexuality of the sitters from the photos (of course, some of them might have been brothers!). Before the trial of Oscar Wilde, male heterosexual friendships in the western world were apparently much more tactile than they are now, and in some parts of the world that were not affected by the Wilde trial they still are. In many Arab countries and in parts of Africa, for instance, men still walk around the streets holding hands and it means nothing more than companionship. I have an acquaintance I saw a lot of twenty-five years ago, and since then he and his wife have lived in West Africa. Recently on a vacation back in England, he and I drove into town to do a little shopping, and when we left the car to walk to the shop he automatically grabbed and held my hand as we walked. It was a wierd experience for me but it would have been wierd for him not to do so.

In my view the lack of physical contact in a typical heterosexual male friendship is an indicator of the repression ingrained in western society now, and it's very unhealthy. It's notable that female friends are still comfortable touching each other.

If you haven't seen it, it's worth checking out the Free Hugs Campaign here.

Hug a man today!

[Tanuki Racoon]

I quite enjoyed it for what it was.

[JamesSavik]

Cold wet weather makes me feel like I'm old enough to be in one of those pictures. {Ha-chew!}

{Sniff, snort} I fear this is what the flu feels like when its brewing.

Think I'll take a shot of Nyquil.

[Rad]

But I thought the pics are okay

I mean, the men definitely didn't object to being photographed.

I mean, I odn't know why you said you're dissappointed