Core Response #3: John Wayne

Gary Wills writes about the celebrity of John Wayne and the longevity of his career. Wills explains that this achievement is due to the enormous presence John Wayne maintains onscreen. The mixture of confidence, invincibility, and agility he brings to each role is undeniable. Wills explains that these traits are noticeable in Wayne's physicality, stating "[i]t was not the bulk of Wayne’s body but the way he used it” that is so mesmerizing (16). Wills further explains this when he states, “[his] control of his body was economical, with no motion wasted" (20). The fascination with Wayne's physicality is particularly interesting as it becomes relevant to the popularity of action stars, specifically superhero film actors, today.

The closest All-American hero Hollywood has today is Chris Evans as Captain America. Evans often receive praise for his ease with physical stunts, and like Wayne he is beginning to become solely associated with the traits of the character he portrays (see link to article at end**). Like Wills comment on Wayne’s physicality, a writer for Esquire, Alexander Huls, writes a similar comment about Evans. Huls writes that Evans has, “[a]n authority that tends to evoke a kind of patriarchal, Father Knows Best quality… [that he] manages to summon from his car hood-sized chest” (“How Captain America…”). While Chris Evans might be gaining notoriety and is experiencing a high level of recognition for his role in the Marvel films, it is hard to say if he (or any actor) will ever obtain the same longevity with moviegoers as John Wayne.

Even now, Wayne exemplifies a sort of ideal man. For example, Lady Gaga released a new single on February 9^th titled "John Wayne". The video follows the highly stylized Gaga as she travels by horse, motorcycle and car in search of a "wild man". While the lyrics elude to an obsession with a "John Wayne type", the video does an excellent job of contradicting the illusion of (ideal) manliness that surrounds the habits Wayne portrays in his movies, such as: horseback riding, drinking, and gun violence. Gaga gets violently hit in the face from tree branch as she rides behind a cowboy, hit in the head with a beer bottle, and suffers two deaths (drunken car crash and a gun accident). The song simultaneously pays homage to John Wayne, while also spoofing a modern day version of a cowboy. It has been 35 years since "The Duke’s" death, and his presence is still strong in pop-culture, which is an amazing (if not an abnormal) achievement.

Work Cited:

Huls, Alexander. "How Captain America Made Chris Evans a True Movie Hero."

     Esquire, 1 May 2015, www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a34736/

     chris-evans-as-captain-america/.

Wills, Gary. The Politics of Celebrity: John Wayne's America. New York, Simon &

     Schuster, 1997.

(Articles on Chris Evans becoming more like Captain America)

**http://time.com/4667314/chris-evans-on-david-duke/

**https://www.buzzfeed.com/krishrach/you-have-to-see-chris-evans-amazing-response-to-a-white-supr