I just rewatched The Rock and Connery oozed movie star gravitas - he’s tall, deep voiced, with big hands, and although he’s a likeable character you instinctively wouldn’t fuck with the guy.
Movie stars of his era had a level of testosterone that you simply don’t see anymore. Where the hell did it go?
I know stars of today are from a generation of pampered babies who live online, but what explains the physical degeneration?
They all look too pretty even if they are well built. I think it is the fashion as well. No body hair, neat hair style, in the past the leading men tended to be more natural and realistic. A lot of the tough guy actors of the past never had toned bodies and it just added to their machoness.
share"...in the past the leading men tended to be more natural and realistic."
Charles Bronson in Hard Times (1975) was the epitome of testosterone-filled. And he was in his 50s in that movie!
Bronson looked like a tough guy for sure. He could also play a mild mannered type pushed too far as we saw in the Death Wish films. A lot of the action stars back then looked like Every man types, now they look like actors.
shareIt’s true. Actors used to look weather-beaten, like they’d survived through tough times, now they’re soft and puffy.
I wonder if it’s because WWII wiped out a lot of high testosterone males, the ones that didn’t fight were soft and their weak genes were passed down.
Then, as life gets cushier for each generation, males become ever lower T. This might be aided by micro-plastics in food (mentioned by another poster) and oestrogen in the water supply from tampons and pills.
Whatever the cause, the change is startling.
I watched "The Professionals" (1966) not too long ago and thought most of the main cast were in their 60's and 70's based on their weather beaten appearances. Turns out Lee Marvin was only 42 and Lancaster was 52, Ryan was 57. They all looked much older by todays standards.
I think diet, lack of exercise and physical work, cushy lifestyle has all played a part and not to get political but masculinity is demonized now as well as a lot of male attributes and virtues that the old tough guys tended to live by.
A lot of the old tough guys were actual war veterans or at least ex military as well. So they weren't just acting the parts. Even someone like Jimmy Stewart who has a more passive persona on screen was a WW2 bomber pilot.
This is what you call "buff" in your 50s. He was a coal miner in his younger days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svc2xiESFmk
shareYears of having a hard job would definitely make you a harder looking man. You can still see it with men now. A lot of construction workers, tradesmen, men who work out doors tend to be leaner and look more like the action stars of yesteryear.
The men who have office jobs even if they are lean or even buffed up, still look more feminine.
"The worst thing happened, that could happen to any fighter. You got civilized." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZtT593xmqo
sharelol but yes, that would be another difference. Most modern men are too civilized as opposed to the old school actors we are mentioning here who were born before the 1940's in a lot of cases.
shareIt’s the physiological differences that are the most baffling. Look at hand size - today’s ‘men’ have small hands with slender fingers, a generation back they have broad shovel-hands, and deeper voices.
shareI'm sure having hard jobs from a young age would boost the testosterone. Lots of physical work and exercise, develops the body differently. Picking heavy things up and having to use tools etc. It would all play a part. The testosterone would also add to the voice being lower.
Men also used to have wield a sense of authority so even if they didn't have a low voice naturally I am sure they would learn!
Which is another point. I believe the old tough guy actors. Even Stallone is a bit of a pretty boy compared to Bronson.
Watch The Terminal List (Chris Pratt) and Reacher (Alan Ritchson), both on Prime. Badass action.
sharePratt has moderate testosterone at best, nowhere near Connery levels of gravitas. I haven’t seen Alan Ritchson so can’t comment but I suspect he’s just a roided up beefcake which doesn’t necessarily mean he’s high-T.
shareThe Reacher tv show is worth watching, it is like an old school show, no politics or agendas just entertainment. Ritchson is beefcake but also looks the part for the show in terms of being an soldier.
I agree regarding Pratt, whether it's his former roles which tend to be light hearted or just him, I couldn't get into Terminal List.
I can't think of Connery without thinking of Zardoz so he doesn't hold the same high bar for me.
edit, after thinking for a minute, Jason Statham is a much better example than Connery.
I assume it’s in their balls.
shareWell it’s in short supply.
shareYou closely inspect a lot balls do you?
😄
No. You?
shareNice attempt at deflection.
You are the one who started a dumb thread about testosterone in action movies…weird topic, but if that’s what you’re into stay the course buddy, I don’t judge you. I hope you are positively drowning in ballsacks by tomorrow.
You go boy!
" I don't judge you."
That's exactly what you're doing, you lying, denying fake!
The topic is definitely more valid than your short lived, lame, stupid, 'Hey Mods' thread (which, btw, never got a response from the mods), whining about toenail fungus ads supposedly ruining your lunch.
🤡
THERE YOU ARE...DAMN,BRO...I HARDLY EVER GET TO TALK TO YOU...WHAT'S NEW?...MY DAUGHTER AND I HAD A YARD SALE...MADE SOME CASH AND MET A YOUTUBER WE LIKE...GOOD TIMES...HOW ABOUT YOU?
shareDon’t worry, that human wreckage will lash out angrily in your direction soon enough.
It has a pattern mainly fueled by anger and awareness of no self-worth🥹
What deflection? I couldn’t have been clearer in my answer to your question - a simple ‘No’.
Then I asked if you ‘inspect a lot of balls’ since you brought it up (for some bizarre reason) but you deflected the question. So, let’s try again, do you?
YOU NEVER ANSWERED HIM...YOU DEFLECTED BY ANSWERING A QUESTION WITH A QUESTION...THAT IS CLASSIC DEFLECTION.
shareKewl😆
shareDeflecting again after wrongly accusing someone else of doing the same. Not a good look.
I gotta say, I look pretty good over here.
You’re the chump that started a stupid thread lol.
No, you look like an obnoxious hypocrite, if that’s ‘pretty good’ by your standards then you’ll be needing to work on your people skills.
It’s not surprising that you call this thread ‘stupid’ now that you’ve made a complete prick of yourself here. Blame yourself, not the thread.
Oh no, you seem upset.
shareNah that’s just you projecting. If you don’t want to be upset in future then don’t be an obnoxious hypocrite.
Hypocrite and prick, descriptors I've often used myself pertaining to this particular poster. It's good to see that others here are finally getting wise to him.
share😭lol
shareIt sure is a pointless prick. But hey, every time it posts here it bumps my thread which I’m happy about.
sharebump🖕
shareNow he's deliberately bumping a thread he referred to as dumb and stupid. He's never been the sharpest knife in the drawer, doesn't know if he's coming or going.
shareAnd you keep obsessing over a poster you claim to ‘despise.’
You must be lonely and in need of attention again loser…get in touch with your family if they will pick up the phone you gross, scabby bum.
You sure do have a seriously neurotic obsession of trying to project loneliness onto me. (eye-roll)
shareI MISS OUR CHATS,BUDDY.🙂
share😢
shareStill having a party with that Gootch guy you bag of trash?
You are the only Bitch here that cries ‘dog-piling!’ when people lash out at you and you are the first Bitch to cry foul when you get slapped down for sniping at posters.
You are a fat, sweaty little wimp.
[deleted]
How about this forgotten testosterone gem, but the internet never forgets......Christian Bale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0auwpvAU2YA
shareThat made me wet!! 🤤🤤😋😋🤭🤭😂😂
shareHe may be hot but I don't really feel the love when his fist hits my face.
shareWell stop hiding in his bushes and stalking him and going to his house and knocking on his bedroom window and going to his movie sets and texting him constantly with nude photos and calling him at all hours of the day and night. 😜😜😜😜
shareSurely that's all your fault and not his...
sharePhotos or it never happened....
shareIts here with Vin Diesel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSgraOZQE-g
I mean you look at a guy like Steve McQueen doing his own driving in Le Mans and I suppose Tom Cruise or Daniel Craig doing their own stunts is the modern equivalent.
shareTwo thread topics coming together full circle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGzLmJtLXaQ
shareNever saw that before. Thanks for posting it. I watched the first 15 minutes and will have to go back and watch the rest. I had no idea he was a Marine. Maybe the OP is onto something. I mean look, there’s plenty of “real men” actors today but how many of them came up through the Army or Marines or hard labor which was common in the 50’s - 60’s
shareMcQueen was one of my earliest boyhood cinematic idols, heroes. It started with this old series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEduPF4A2RU Recently rewatched him in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and enjoyed it all over again.
shareLOOKIE LOOKIE...COMMON GROUND...McQueen was one of my earliest boyhood cinematic idols, heroes....ME TOO...LOVE HIS SHOW...OWN THE WHOLE RUN...OWN EVERY FILM HE EVER MADE TOO...HE STARES DOWN AT ME FROM THE GREAT ESCAPE POSTER ON MY WALL(FOR OVER 20 YEARS)...TELL ME...WHAT OUR YOUR FAVORITE MCQUEEN FLICKS?
share