The Ostrich Dude - Again

Remember the earlier post featuring the Ostrich Dude? Of course not, it was back in February. Here's a link to it, so you can take a look at those dude cards too. I did a little more delving, because I wanted to know more about the significance of the dude.  He seems to have had universal appeal, since the cards were printed with store names from different parts of the country.

I found a reference to the subject in a book called Masculinity and Men's Lifestyle Magazines edited by Bethan Benwell. A chapter of the book features one of the same ostrich dude trade cards from the previous post, but with a Michigan store name printed on the front.  The author, Bill Osgerby, explains that during the late 19th century, fashion had very feminine associations. Debonair and dapper men may have been admired by some, but they were also the object of a certain amount of ridicule.

Osgerby suggests that the term 'dude' was probably derived from the German-American usage of Dudenkopf or idiot. Over the years, male fashions became more acceptable and the term dude largely lost its negative connotations. But at the time these cards were printed (1880s), the dude was still an object of scorn. I also get a sense from these cards that regular guys were afraid that women might fall for the guys wearing fancy clothes.

Note the difference between the real man and our poor dude. The real man is well dressed, but without the embellishments of watch fobs, a monocle, spats, plaid patterns, fancy tails, high collar, and shiny lapel pins. Our real man is also able to fight with his fists; the dude doesn't have any. Poor dude!