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Comedian/actor Dennis Leary has written several books that have the same common-sense, knock-you-upside-the-head candor. Also, Leary’s voice can be heard on the Ford truck commercials urging viewers to “listen up” and “get it straight.” He’s become an icon of the tough-guy attitude and the whole “get-over-yourself” mindset. I identify with his pleas to the men in this country to “just stop whining.”
In some of his writings, he has actually thanked the former bullies in his life as well as his older brothers for making him tougher. He talks about how people try to instill proper values and morals into their kids by sending them to activities like karate lessons and Pee Wee football. But he notes that lessons like those are the result of rules, polite ones and essentially with a “safety net” that guards young men from ever having to face a real threat. He also points out that when one is faced with an old-fashioned “butt-whipping”—the individual learns that sometimes he has to fight and essentially “man up.”
Getting A Gut Check
On October 3, 2012, President Barack Obama and former governor Mitt Romney stepped to the podium for the first presidential debate. Obama was clearly under-prepared and seemed to count on his calm, cool reputation to get him through. Romney was very aggressive and came at Obama from every angle. The next day, the country’s approval rating of Romney soared, and the president even admitted he suffered a sound defeat from the Republican candidate. That evening awakened a renewed and invigorated Obama, who went on to win the election. Just when the president figured he could coast for the rest of the election, the first debate provided a “gut check,” and he spent the rest of the campaign on fire, realizing he couldn’t “phone it in.” This was a real fight.