Gentlemen: Do They Still Exist?

General | 23 November 2011

I’m a big fan of old movies, no lie.

It took me a while to realize why I liked them so much, and while the awesome outfits, lack of internet, and simpler lives are definitely a draw, I finally figured out that one of the main reasons I love them so much is for the chivalry of so many leading men.

Dictionary Definition of a Gentleman:

A well-mannered and considerate man with high standards of proper behavior.
A man who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated
A man whose conduct conforms to a high standard of propriety or correct behavior.

In 1899, The Baltimore Sun ran an essay competition for the best definition of a gentleman. The winner, Dr. John Walter Wayland, submitted this description:

“The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from goodwill and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.”

When I think of gentlemen with qualities like these, it is the men who weren’t in every tabloid who stood out to me. These were family men who brought genuine passion to the screen and set aside much of their time and wealth to help out others.

I mean, look at some of the icons from the last century:

Paul Newman

Yes, his face is on the salad dressing, but Paul Newman was also known for his humanitarian efforts and his strong sense of family. When he was asked about infidelity, this was his famous reply: “Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?”

Fred Astaire

Known as the the best-dressed actor in American movies, he was known for his warm heart, impeccable sense of style, and love for jokes.

Gregory Peck

Roman Holiday…swoon. The famous Atticus Finch was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 to honor his humanitarian efforts.

These men were known above all for courteous natures, their dedication to their families, and their innate sense of honor.

Our definition of a gentleman in today’s society has certainly evolved with the times (carrying a cane and wearing a suit every day are not de rigeur anymore), but there are certainly characteristics that still a chivalrous man make.

These are some of my top picks for modern-day gentlemen:

Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks, & Antonio Banderas

Talented, committed to their families, and intent on helping the world, these are men who definitely hold up to my definition of a gentleman.

Now here’s the real question. Am I just full of it, or do gentlemen still exist? Propriety for both guys and gals has gotten extremely lax these days, so maybe I’m a wishful thinker in hoping that there are true gents and ladies still around.

What do you think? Do real gentlemen still exist? If so, what qualities do they hold that make them so?

(Pics courtesy of Google Images.)

Choose Your Own Black Friday Sale by Vote!

General | 19 November 2011

by LuLu*s !

We are giving YOU the power to influence which LuLu*s items will be on sale for Black Friday! Vote below by clicking on the items you love and the top 20 voted items will be put on sale! Here at LuLu*s we love to give back, so we want to reward you with a day of items handpicked by our customers and fans that are specially priced, even lower than our everyday low prices! Vote up your favs.

Voting has ended and the sale has started! Get some great deals!

New Leo Movie Alert: J. Edgar

General | 18 November 2011

by Allie Paxton

Ever since Titanic, I made a vow to see every Leonardo DiCaprio movie that was released. J. Edgar, Leo’s new film highlights the rise and transformation of the FBI leader, J. Edgar Hoover. The movie gives the audience a view of the man who loved secrecy and rule-bending for the good of his country. To tell you the truth, I didn’t know much about the guy until I saw this film and I had mixed emotions.

Hoover began his career with good intentions and devoted himself to chasing down criminals and punishing them appropriately. As his fame developed, however, he became more secretive and paranoid. DiCaprio amazingly executes his role, which spanned from Hoover in his twenties until the age of 77. DiCaprio underwent many hours of makeup to look the part of Hoover in his old age. It is weird to see Leo look so old and is it odd I still find him attractive? Anyways, Leo makes this movie worth seeing alone.

I am a sucker for any period piece film and what I enjoyed most about this movie was the costumes. I loved all of the fedoras and pea coats and saw myself become distracted from the plot as a result of my fashion curiosity. Since the movie covers such a large time span, one really gets an idea of the way fashion transformed as much as Hoover.

Overall, I’d give the movie a 3.5 out of five. The costumes were great and anything with Leo will be an okay film in my book.

(photos courtesy of movieweb)

Site to See: Kid Casting

General | 16 November 2011

by Annie

Oh, Kid Casting. Just another reason to love the internet.

Why? Because as founder Dave Shumka writes, “You know when a movie has a flashback and you see the character as a kid? Sometimes that’s awesome.”

Some are cute, some are weird, funny, or remarkably similar (Once Upon a Time in America, whoa), and others, remarkably not. Either way, once you start looking, it’s pretty darn difficult to stop.

Another cool thing that happens: occcasionally you’ll recognize both actors, like Jennifer Connelly in Once Upon a Time in America (above), Camilla Belle as little Sandra Bullock, or even the annoying kid from those Santa Clause movies (just knew he had to make an appearance) as little Robert Downey, Jr.

And, because I just don’t feel like waiting ’til Thanksgiving to get into the holiday spirit:

(Images courtesy of tumblr)

ABC's Once Upon a Time: Have You Seen It?

General | 15 November 2011

by Laurie Hartt

So, here’s the story:

Prince Charming (Josh Dallas, Thor) is engaged to some beezy princess from another realm, but falls in love with Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin; He’s Just Not That Into You, Something Borrowed), who is on the run from the evil queen and tries to ambush the prince’s carriage.

The Queen is now uber pissed, Snow White eats the apple, Charming saves her, yada yada.

The wedding day arrives, and everybody is happy and celebrating.

Okay so there’s the story we all know. Here’s how it changes. On their wedding day, the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla; Swingtown, Boomtown) curses them, saying that all of the Enchanted Forest would be taken to a place where time stands still and where there are no happy endings. In their bliss, they kind of ignore it until Snow gets pregnant and freaks out. She goes to see Rumplestiltskin, who is locked up in the castle dungeons. He says there is nothing they can do to prevent the curse, but that their unborn baby would show up when she was 28 years old to save the day.

Eek! So, when they have their baby, they hide her in a magical tree (of course), which transports her to the Real World, while the rest of the Enchanted Forest is covered with a spell that makes them all forget who they are and places them in the Real World: the town of Storybrook, Maine.

Fast forward twenty-eight years. Emma, (Jennifer Morrison, House M.D.) a bounty-hunter, is confronted by ten-year-old Henry (Jared Gilmore, Mad Men), who claims to be her son whom she gave up for adoption ten years ago. He shows her a book of fairytales, which he believes are all real, and tries to convince her that she is really Snow White’s daughter.

So, long story short, Emma tries to return Henry to his home, which is, of course, Storybrook. Upon arrival, Emma meets Henry’s adoptive mother, Regina, who is the mayor of the town and the Evil Queen herself. She, and Rumplestiltskin (who gave her the curse in the first place) are the only people besides Henry who know what’s going on.

And then we meet the rest of the characters: Jiminy Cricket is a pyschiatrist, Little Red Riding Hood is a slutty bar waitress, Rumplestiltskin is still a creep, Snow White is a teacher, and Prince Charming is in a coma. Of course.

Regina tries her best to get rid of Emma, pulling stunts like booting her car and throwing her into jail. Luckily, there is a hotty mcgee for a Sheriff.

And, she has a chainsaw. Awesome.

The problem is, Regina doesn’t want to admit that Emma really is Snow White’s daughter and that she is here to break the curse. Duh. Once she realizes who she really is, her effort to get rid of Emma increases…at the same rate that Emma begins to believe that the stories are true.

We’re only four episodes in, so if you haven’t started watching yet, you still have time. Last week we were introduced to Cinderella, who also makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin (you’d think they’d learn…). And soooo much more! Can you tell that I love this show?