Were men allowed to faint in the Golden Era?

[Paisley]

Judging by the fact that long pointless standing at attention on parade grounds in century-plus heat was considered an indispensible part of manhood for any American born before 1900 or after 1904, I would say that yes, there was some understanding of the need to pass out.

Tolerance, however, was a different story. Most likely the passer-outer had his canteen emptied - all on the face, none down the gullet - and earned healthy verbal abuse. (Verbal abuse from one's betters was considered healthy at the time.)

Those delicate flowers should bend their knees when they stand at attention.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Those delicate flowers should bend their knees when they stand at attention.

Exactly....-such- a rookie mistake to lock knees....

Every High School band kid knows this and spends the other 3 years of HS playing "Lets watch the freshmen faint' ! lol

 

[Story]

I think more importantly I should also give up alcohol, even though I never really had more than an occaisional beer..

Good Lord, man - get a second opinion. I'd think the root of your problem would be being a quart or so low!

 

[Paisley]

Fainting in the Days of Old

‘I am hurt, but I am not slain;
I’le lay me downe and bleed a-while,
And then I’le rise and fight again.'

from a ballad called "Sir Andrew Barton" according to poetry library.org.uk.

 

[ortega76]

I think they were allowed to faint when told they were soon to be fathers or when the birth of their offspring was announced to them in the hospital waiting room.

 

[Mike K.]

If you have the vapors, someone should pass you the Gas-X. lol

Apparently the expression has somehow evolved over the years to mean this for some, but the original old southern term of "got the vapors" actually means feeling faint and light headed!

 

[Paisley]

fftopic: I believe that vapors in the sense of being in a tizzy came from vapors thought to be expelled by various organs back when humors were part of medicine. That's the impression I get from the Oxford English Dictionary, anyway.

 

[Lone_Ranger]

In the Golden Age, it's perfectly acceptable for a Tough Guy to pass out. If you've been sapped.

"I caught the blackjack right behind my ear. A black pool opened up at my feet. I dived in. It had no bottom. I felt pretty good - like an amputated leg." ~ Phillip Marlowe

 

[Coopsgirl]

As far as the movies go, you don’t see men faint much (not including passing out from a blow on the head, I wouldn't consider that fainting). The only one I can think of off hand just happens to be my fave: Frank Capra’s Meet John Doe from 1941 starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Babs has just lost her newspaper job but she comes up with a crazy idea to keep it by hiring a homeless guy to pretend to be a character she made up in an article that turned out to be popular with readers. Gary is one of the hobos they interview and while Babs and her boss played by James Gleason are discussing whether to use him or not, he faints out of hunger. It’s funny though b/c we don’t actually see him faint. Instead we see Babs and James talking and then hear a thud and she shouts “he’s fainted!” and they cut over to him and he’s just getting up off the floor and sitting in a chair.

I fainted once after having blood taken for a test (it doesn't take much and I'm down) and it was not a nice experience.

 

[Feraud]

Moviewise.. Clifton Webb faints when he sees the lovely Gene Tierney in Laura. Of course Waldo was supposed to be the more effeminate of Tierney's suitors. It is as flamboyant a move as his character is. I doubt the views would tolerate Dana Andrews suffering a fainting spell in the film.

There are elements of Webb's faint we can elaborate on but that would lead to spoilers..

 

[avedwards]

Nobody sapped me on the head on Tuesday, so I suppose I don't fall into the category of tough guy fainting. I am lead to believe that it was linked to my anaemic symptoms though, since I am constantly tired, nearly falling asleep while writing this... Would I be ridiculed for that in the Golden Era?

 

[Paisley]

I'm no expert on this, but as I recall, quite a lot of men were rejected for military service due to being weak and/or underweight. Jimmy Stewart was among them.

 

[Feraud]

Would I be ridiculed for that in the Golden Era?

Does it matter? The chances of you living in the Golden Era and fainting are slim to none.

 

[avedwards]

I was just curious. I don't live there and while I copy some of their customs and clothing choices I am happy to live in this century.

 

[Barrelhouse]

Well, certainly in film and literature of the time it would have been considered very unmanly to pass out for any reason short of a sock to the jaw or a Mickey Finn. But of course that's all fantasy. Despite all his bravado and chest thumping about the masculine ideal of suffering in silence, Ernest Hemingway took his own life when age and ill health pinned him to the mat. No one then or now ever challenged his machismo for making that decision.

My experience with folks that actually lived through the "Golden Era" is that they are much more realistic about the heights to which Man can climb and the weaknesses with which he contends than we are today. I sincerely doubt anyone but the most boorish would exhibit anything but concern for a fellow that keeled over as a result of an ailment.

By the way Avedwards, please let us know when you get back your test results. We are all rootin' for you.

 

[Lone_Ranger]

I'm no expert on this, but as I recall, quite a lot of men were rejected for military service due to being weak and/or underweight. Jimmy Stewart was among them.

That's funny, because Jimmy Stewart, had quite a distinguished military career, as a pilot.

He attained the rank of Brigadier General, and was awarded; the Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross (x2), Air Medal (x4), Army Commendation Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and French Croix de Guerre with Palm.

I'm sure there is an interesting story in there somewhere, if he was first rejected...

 

[avedwards]

By the way Avedwards, please let us know when you get back your test results. We are all rootin' for you.

Hopefully I will find out whether or not I am ill on Monday... And call me Alan (or Mr Alan) as avedwards is just an abbreviation of my name I commonly use.

 

[Paisley]

That's funny, because Jimmy Stewart, had quite a distinguished military career, as a pilot.

He attained the rank of Brigadier General, and was awarded; the Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross (x2), Air Medal (x4), Army Commendation Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and French Croix de Guerre with Palm.

I'm sure there is an interesting story in there somewhere, if he was first rejected...

Like many men of that era, he was underweight and was rejected for military service the first time he tried to enlist. That is according to a biography I read of Stewart; I'm afraid I can't remember which one.

Typing "James Stewart" and "underweight" into Google, I came up with several hits. One was short biography at kennedycenter.org, which included the following excerpt:

By then, World War II was raging. Stewart tried to enlist but was rejected by the Army because he was underweight. He tackled that challenge by eating fattening foods and passing the weight test by one ounce. He was reported to have been making a salary of $300 a week as an actor before he went into the Army in March 1941 as a private at $21 per month.​

The link is http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entitY_id=3810&source_type=A

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"Clifton Webb , In all his movies at some point when he was annoyed or frustrated, would slowly close his eyes, steady himself, and open them again, not quite a faint, more of a semi-swoon?"

 

[Foofoogal]

Hopefully I will find out whether or not I am ill on Monday...

Alan, I do hope all came out well and you now know what you are dealing with. I stay borderline anemic and recently diagnosed as totally lacking Vitamin D. I am taking no kidding 50,000 at a time. I thought I had fibro and was tired all the time.