Comments on: Whitmanic Fireman

By: garyrichards

garyrichards — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:02:47 +0000

Surely the costume was to differentiate and identify the “professionals” on the scene of crisis, as with our contemporary costumes for police, doctors, and so forth, but there is certainly a doleful look about the infantilized Sutherland here, all of which undercuts the Whitmanic heroism and idealization.

By: s-words

s-words — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:05:27 +0000

I wonder whether the “Rescue” bib served a helpful function, or if it was simply a component of the fireman’s standard “formal-wear,” designed to give the impression of a drab, baggy infant.

By: garyrichards

garyrichards — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:11:38 +0000

Are you seeing a trend in my gene pool? We perhaps embody the barbaric paunch rather than sound the barbaric yawp. I’ll try to post a hottie next time … ’cause, you know, it’s really cool to sexually objectify dead people who are related to you.

By: brady

brady — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:12:29 +0000

It is a cool photo, though I have to admit, “the play of masculine muscle” wasn’t a phrase that positively jumped into my mind when I saw it. 😉

By: jpike1

jpike1 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:48:42 +0000

What a great photograph! Those lines also stood out to me as I was reading the poem, so it is great to see an actual picture related to the description Whitman is conveying.