In this episode, Dara is thinking of the old men. Well, two old men specifically – Robert De Niro and Harrison Ford, both of whom just had very public displays of emotion. De Niro started crying on a chat show as he reflected on the state of the world and hoped for a better future. Ford made a very eloquent and emotional speech as he accepted a life time achievement award in Hollywood.
Haven’t these two been onscreen hard men for much of their careers? What’s with letting the mask slip? Dara reckons it’s nothing more than the natural course of things – men get softer and more emotional as they age. He saw it with his father at a certain point and he recognises it in himself too. It has something to do with changing roles in life and being able to remove armour.
And this gendered shift in performance of traditional roles means that women start moving in the opposite direction – they get harder and tougher and more masculine as they age as they start ‘doing femininity’ in a way that has very little to do with conforming to social, or male, expectations.
Also, thoughts on Iran, useful enemies, Tottenham Hotspur as The Keystone Cops, and big things you want to stay in dark rooms…