Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/85092
ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL O'LEARY the inner ditka IRON MIKE'S TOUGH-AS-NAILS LEGACY IS ALIVE AND WELL HERE AT HOME. BY BETSY PERRY DESPITE THE INCREASINGLY SENSITIVE NATURE OF THE AMERICAN MALE, T he year that Iron Mike Ditka retired from coaching football for good—albeit for the Saints and not our beloved Bears—was around the same time that former Senator Bob Dole came out as a proud gray American, sharing his personal struggle with erectile dysfunction in a commer- cial for Viagra. Coincidence? Probably. But in the years since 2000, when Ditka gave up stalking the sidelines and ED finally came out from under the covers, American men have certainly taken to oversharing their sensitive, squishy sides. Truth be told, Chicago has a lot to answer for when it comes to the "Too Much Information Revolution" now afflicting the American male. We introduced the likes of Phil Donahue and Drs. Phil and Oz to our fellow citizens and helped create a nation full of men who talk about their feelings, carry man bags, and flirt with vegetarianism. But interestingly enough, while the rest of the coun- try's men have embraced their inner child, Chicago men have managed to maneuver past the therapist's sofa to retain their inner Ditka. Maybe it's the Midwestern toughness that comes from such harsh winters or possibly just the fact that we eat so much red meat, but Chicago guys have succeeded in keeping their upper lips stiff and avoiding the path taken by the metrosexual males of New York with their Woody Allen angst or the patchouli- and sandal-wearing sons of California who drive hybrids and attend Burning Man. Pre-Ditka, there was Cary Grant making hearts fibrillate in North by Northwest as he darted through LaSalle Station and the Ambassador East hotel with danger training behind; he was an elegant, masculine guy who surely didn't wear cargo pants, have stubble or, God forbid, share. Nowadays, we've got Iron Mike's successor, Lovie Smith. Our current coach is known for his quiet strength and gentle demeanor, but don't let the first name fool you—Lovie is anything but when it's time to get tough. This has kept him at the helm of the Bears for eight sea- sons, a record all the more impressive considering our demanding fans. For another example of homegrown machismo, we need look no further than City Hall. Rahm Emanuel may have turned down a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet to attend artsy Sarah Lawrence College, but our mayor is a straight talker who earned his stripes in Washington and hasn't shied away from dropping an F-bomb or 12 in his mission to carry on the proud legacy of the City of Big Shoulders. While men nationwide may be thrilled to unburden themselves, publicly sharing fears of sexual dysfunction or the joys of cat ownership, thankfully that's not the case in the Second City: Taking a chapter from the Book of Ditka, our boys have wisely kept their backs straight, their shoulders to the wheel, and (hallelujah!) their feel- ings to themselves. MA 136 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM Onward!