Re-watching Stargate from the beginning. And one thing I am struck by, is how beautiful O'Neill's masculinity is displayed.
There's no denying that he is a masculine person. The ultimate ideal of what a man is. He's played by Richard Dean Anderson, the man semi-responsible for the term "MacGuyver" being part of our everyday lexicon.
But as a man, he doesn't fit the modern ideal of masculinity. He doesn't have a six pack. He's of average height. He's in his 40s, with greying hair and wrinkles. You don't get to be a Colonel in the Air Force and stay a fresh faced 20-something. Overall, he just looks like some guy you'd see down the pub. Not making a podcast on how men need to be dominant.
On the surface O'Neill appears to be emotionally unavailable who uses his humour as a defence mechanism. This is partly true, but it's not the whole story. His humour is a defence mechanism to stop himself from being overwhelmed by everything that has happened to him as a career soldier.
When it comes to those under his command, he's compassionate. He asks for advice and ideas from his team before offering anything of his own. He LISTENS and pays attention!! He's willing to offer hugs when needed. He's good with kids, giving an adorable shiba Inu to a girl in mourning to provide her with emotional support and joy. His advice is often to try to be friendly and smile. He never tells anyone to suck it up and get over it, and if he does tell someone to put their feelings aside it's so they can focus on saving lives.
He sends Daniel a tissue box as a message that he needs contact, rather than an intrusive probe.
Episode SIX we also see him (well, a crystal that had taken over his form) sitting in a ball, clutching the pillow of his dead son, crying his eyes out. You would NEVER see that in a modern day drama that early on.
This was made in 1997, and yet I am left with the intense feeling that we need to have more characters like Jack O'Neill around today. We need more men who want to emulate his version of masculinity. The kind who attends his doctors appointments, listens to what she has to say, and will follow her orders as a medical professional.
We need more men whose character is partly defined by his complete lack of knowledge. He regularly says "I don't know about this so I'm going to ask Captain Samantha Carter about it."
