Would you go to this Gentleman's Club?

gosuckonalemon · 05-04-2012 10:06am #1

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2012/0404/1224314336237.html

"Pass the brandy and cigars – a new men-only club has opened in Dublin, but workshops and demonstrations are on these gentlemen’s agenda, writes ALAN O'RIORDAN

IT’S ALL ABOUT “the pursuit of things gentlemanly”, says James English of the Gentlemen’s Academy. English comes from London, so maybe it’s easier for him to say this kind of thing with a straight face.

But perhaps he and Chewy, co-founder of the Gentlemen’s Academy, a “learning institution devoted to style, manhood and merriment”, have a point. After all, the idea of exclusively male company hasn’t had fabulous press since about the time of Classical Greece. We don’t think high-minded pursuits and shared enthusiasms, we think stag weekends, lads watching the match down the pub, Toys 4 Big Boys.

This is where the Gentlemen’s Academy comes in. As Chewy puts it: “I don’t like Champions League night. No interest. And a lot of my friends do. They’ll sit there every Wednesday, 15 guys in the Portobello, almost in silence, skulling pints, and that’s the Wednesday night. But there’s a different way, one that’s not really catered for. I mean, we’re still young; we don’t want to be joining a golf club, but we do want to get together.”

The Gentlemen’s Academy have been getting together for a few months now. They’ve had a lecture on Irish literary history, a cheese night, and a dinner at the Sett Food Club. There’s an astronomy evening planned, a philosophy night, some fly fishing, and a hunter-gatherer weekend at a country house.

Each event has a contribution from a member, or from an independent business, such as clothing store Indigo Cloth, the Wine Buff, or Sheridans Cheesemongers.

Tonight’s event is Mixology, hosted by Paul Lambert, a world-class cocktail man who works in the Blind Pig bar. About 15 members are present: the kind of men you see in cardigans, jackets and perhaps sockless boat shoes going purposefully about Dublin 2 by night and by day.

We settle in with a spiced mule, before Lambert introduces two hours of demonstration, do-it-yourself, and drinking. It’s informative, fun and, dare I say it, an edifying way to get tipsy on a Monday night. There aren’t any strawberry daiquiris, only old school booze-heavy (manly?) cocktails, such as the bittered sling – it is one of the very first cocktails, and is so old that the name once described any mixture of spirits, sugar, water and bitters. See – you can learn something while lashing back cognac- and bourbon-based concoctions.

Peter, a first timer, says he’d been sceptical about the gender-segregation aspect. But by the end of the evening, he’s admitting: “I’m sold.” But there was a time, a generation ago or so, when young, style-conscious and aspirational young men were in revolt against patriarchy in all its forms. For them, the idea of a gentlemen’s anything would have been anathema. Now, ideas of manliness and manhood are back on the agenda.

As Chewy says: “There was all that BS of the last 10 years about the metrosexual: men asserting themselves by wearing pink. We’ve gone through all that, come out the other side, maybe harking back a bit. I never thought of it being sexist. Some of the girls we know do their own thing, we’re not invited. Women are good at organising. They go and do things together. We wanted something like that because our nights out just weren’t appealing any more.”

“Men like to be part of a group,” English chimes in. “And I think as we get older our thirst for education increases. For us, it’s about going into Fallon Byrne and knowing what cheese to buy, and what wine goes with it. It’s about practical and academic skills.”

While membership has doubled in a few months, James and Chewy say they don’t want to be “too big too early”. But their website goes live this month, and they see that as being a “go-to site, for Irish men by Irish-based men”.

Like the events, James says the site will have contributions from members and experts, and will be an outlet for independent businesses. They are also planning Dublin’s first Man Fair.

“You’ve the wedding fairs, Toys 4 Big Boys,” says James, “so we wanted something tailored towards men with similar tastes: small Irish designers, food.”

“We’re not talking the RDS just yet,” says Chewy. And, no doubt, you’d probably want to look elsewhere for a woman in a bikini stretched over a Lamborghini. But if it’s a break from lad culture you’re after, a place for grown-up manly pursuits, then maybe the Gentlemen’s Academy will be worth keeping an eye on."

I have never read such pretentious **** in all my life.

The "pursuit of all things gentlemanly" for fcuks sake!

Is the journalist a brother of Alison by any chance?

chin_grin · 05-04-2012 10:08am

BUNCHA QUAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRSSSSS.

Kev_2012 · 05-04-2012 10:10am

Discuss Irish Literature or watch Champions League hmmmmmmmmmm....

Duckworth_Luas · 05-04-2012 10:10am

Image of the founders, James English and Chewy, for those who can't access the link.

fundlebundle · 05-04-2012 10:13am

Sounds like fun to me
There are not enough of these clubs for men.

mayotom · 05-04-2012 10:14am

Read two lines

Answer NO

haminka · 05-04-2012 10:14am

The end of the world can't come soon enough.
What a steaming heap of bull ...
So they are against men wearing pink? Hawaiian shirts are much better taste?

BraziliaNZ · 05-04-2012 10:19am

Sounds boring. If I want to hang out with men I go to gay saunas at least you get something out of it.

DrumSteve · 05-04-2012 10:19am

Anyone for a spot of foxhunting?

gosuckonalemon · 05-04-2012 10:25am

Chewy is hardly the most gentlemanly of names either!

They seem to think that being a gentleman necessitates acting like a pretentious tit.

El Guapo! · 05-04-2012 10:28am

Sounds like a club for ponsy knobheads tbh.

Sykk · 05-04-2012 10:28am

Damn right I would. I would bedazzle them with my stylish hat.

OldGoat · 05-04-2012 10:31am

I'm in.
/Polishes monocle.

Nodin · 05-04-2012 10:34am

If they'd not mentioned "style" and "designers" they might have had me.....

chin_grin · 05-04-2012 10:34am

OldGoat wrote: »

I'm in.
/Polishes monocle.

I knew you'd find (and post) on this one. :pac:

OldGoat · 05-04-2012 10:36am

chin_grin wrote: »

I knew you'd find (and post) on this one.

I shoulda founded the bloody thing!

chin_grin · 05-04-2012 10:44am

OldGoat wrote: »

I shoulda founded the bloody thing!

I thought you did when I was reading the article!

foxyboxer · 05-04-2012 10:49am

So anyone interested in learning something new or looking at self improvement means that they are pretentious as opposed to blending in and watching Barcelona winning the CL.......again.

MonkeyTennis · 05-04-2012 10:54am

I like the idea of getting drunk and eating nice food

gosuckonalemon · 05-04-2012 10:57am

foxyboxer wrote: »

So anyone interested in learning something new or looking at self improvement means that they are pretentious as opposed to blending in and watching Barcelona winning the CL.......again.

"Tonight’s event is Mixology, hosted by Paul Lambert, a world-class cocktail man who works in the Blind Pig bar. About 15 members are present: the kind of men you see in cardigans, jackets and perhaps sockless boat shoes going purposefully about Dublin 2 by night and by day."

I think there are better ways to learn new things and self improve yourself without having to be surrounded by the types of knobs described above.

An elitest, pretentious bunch of muppets.

WoollyRedHat · 05-04-2012 11:56am

In other news, Irish Times in Identity shocker, thinks it is Victorian, how delightful.

A real mans club should have a gladiator arena... back to our real male instincts... We shall feed those who wear sockless boatshoes to the lions.

LilyCricket · 05-04-2012 12:00pm

Sounds like a bunch of try hards to be honest

smash · 05-04-2012 12:01pm

No mention of strippers? Sounds like a crap gentlemen's club!

AngryBollix · 05-04-2012 12:03pm

Surely naked and good looking women are the centre piece of any gentlemans club worthy of the name

Fluorescence · 05-04-2012 12:07pm

I'm not a man, but I think it's a good idea. There's not an awful lot of variety in Ireland of ways to socialise. If you're not interested in getting off-your-face drunk on cheap beer every night, then what do you do?

At least this club is offering some alternative. Even if it does come across as a little pretentious.

Dostoevsky · 05-04-2012 12:09pm

Kev_2012 wrote: »

Discuss Irish Literature or watch Champions League hmmmmmmmmmm....

Irish literature, of course. Oh to be "cool" and fit in by only have commercially popular interests...

suicide_circus · 05-04-2012 12:12pm

fluorescence wrote: »

I'm not a man, but I think it's a good idea. There's not an awful lot of variety in Ireland of ways to socialise. If you're not interested in getting off-your-face drunk on cheap beer every night, then what do you do?

At least this club is offering some alternative. Even if it does come across as a little pretentious.

Cheap, it aint!

amacachi · 05-04-2012 12:12pm

Alan O'Riordan? Surely not!

gosuckonalemon · 05-04-2012 12:15pm

fluorescence wrote: »

I'm not a man, but I think it's a good idea. There's not an awful lot of variety in Ireland of ways to socialise. If you're not interested in getting off-your-face drunk on cheap beer every night, then what do you do?

At least this club is offering some alternative. Even if it does come across as a little pretentious.

Exactly!

PauloConn · 05-04-2012 12:15pm

Nothing wrong with a few snifters of brandy followed by some fencing and a duel after.... perfectly acceptable in these extravagent times

Fluorescence · 05-04-2012 12:16pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

Cheap, it aint!

Relatively speaking

Dutch Gold vs some artisan expensive Belgian beer!

JohnMarston · 05-04-2012 12:17pm

Dostoevsky wrote: »

Irish literature, of course. Oh to be "cool" and fit in by only have commercially popular interests...

I could the prospect of breaking from the norm terrifying most men.

JohnMarston · 05-04-2012 12:22pm

fluorescence wrote: »

Relatively speaking Dutch Gold vs some artisan expensive Belgian beer!

God forbid a man enjoy beer for the taste and not trying to drink their body weight in it

Dostoevsky · 05-04-2012 12:30pm

I don't like the idea of a "gentlemen's club" and this one sounds like a particularly anglocentric one which doesn't give me hope in its openness to other cultures, including Irish culture. I'm not looking for a Kildare Street Club. I doubt many other educated Irish people men will be either.

On the other hand, I really like the idea of clubs where people discuss ideas, books, philosophy and life in general. These are the sort of people I seek out in life and at social events. I love learning new things. I love reading and I find that when thoughts or ideas are verbalised they become more lucid and developed in my mind.

I can't abide commercial soccer, noisy pubs and anything which takes away from a great conversation. Rightly or wrongly I usually define great conversation by how much I learn from it, by how it enriches my life. Some of the most enriching conversations I've ever had were with well-read women, particularly conversations on language and literature, so I don't see the rational reason for creating a club like this around a "men only" policy.

Something like this club, but not like it at the same time, would be a great alternative to the sheer boredom of commercially-driven programming saturating television which as a fashion is years beyond its sell-by date.

JohnMarston · 05-04-2012 12:35pm

Dostoevsky wrote: »

On the other hand, I really like the idea of clubs where people discuss ideas, books, philosophy and life in general. These are the sort of people I seek out in life and at social events. I love learning new things. I love reading and I find that when thoughts or ideas are verbalised they become more lucid and developed in my mind.

I can't abide commercial soccer, noisy pubs and anything which takes away from a great conversation. Rightly or wrongly I usually define great conversation by how much I learn from it, by how it enriches my life. Some of the most enriching conversations I've ever had were with well-read women, particularly conversations on language and literature, so I don't see the rational reason for creating a club like this around a "men only" policy.

Something like this club, but not like it at the same time, would be a great alternative to the sheer boredom of commercially-driven programming saturating television which as a fashion is years beyond its sell-by date.

My thoughts exactly

Dostoevsky · 05-04-2012 12:35pm

JohnMarston wrote: »

God forbid a man enjoy beer for the taste and not trying to drink their body weight in it

This! And any club I would join would have to serve beer, not just wine. Preferably beer from a good micro brewery. Alas, this is the crime of wanting difference, of wanting something fresh and new, it seems.

Fluorescence · 05-04-2012 12:35pm

JohnMarston wrote: »

God forbid a man enjoy beer for the taste and not trying to drink their body weight in it

Which is why I said that Ireland having a social scene comprised almost entirely of get rat-faced on cheap beer is a problem, and that this gentleman's club is offering an alternative.

:rolleyes:

JohnMarston · 05-04-2012 12:38pm

fluorescence wrote: »

Which is why I said that Ireland having a social scene comprised almost entirely of get rat-faced on cheap beer is a problem, and that this gentleman's club is offering an alternative.

:rolleyes:

prinz · 05-04-2012 12:39pm

Too late boyos, I'm already in one. Location varies but it usually goes under the name 'a lads night'.:pac:

The gimpy clothing brigade would put me off, (really getting the picture of lads with large quiffs, dressed head to toe in pastel colours and a sweater tied around their necks called Quentin and the likes) but the idea of a social club for haning out, having a few drinks and learning something new etc is actually quite appealling.

OldGoat · 05-04-2012 12:49pm

prinz wrote: »

Too late boyos, I'm already in one. Location varies but it usually goes under the name 'a lads night'.:pac:

The gimpy clothing brigade would put me off, (really getting the picture of lads with large quiffs, dressed head to toe in pastel colours and a sweater tied around their necks called Quentin and the likes) but the idea of a social club for haning out, having a few drinks and learning something new etc is actually quite appealling.

There seems to be a lot of judging the merits of the club simply by the clothing choice of some of the members (or at least the jurnos depiction of).
Mind boggles at that.
Would people really turn down the chance to learn where the best Martini in the country is, or how to tie a gadfly, or how to shoot things in a field simply because someone else is wearing a football shirt? Or a pair of steel toecaped boots? Or the wrong label jeans? No because that would be ridiculous.
Like Prinz says, get past the clothing image and focus on what the club offers, something out of the ordinary.

gosuckonalemon · 05-04-2012 12:52pm

I don't think anybody disagrees with the idea of a group of lads getting together to take part in something that can be informative, educational and fun.

But it's the sheer pretentiousness and use of wording used by these two gimps that would put me off this. Or perhaps it's the journalists wording of things.

If a whiskey specialist was to give an evening whereby he gave an informative talk on the history and different types of whiskeys along with sampling then I'd be all in. However if it was in the company of the hipsters described in the article I'd give it a miss.

smash · 05-04-2012 12:55pm

If you wanted to join a club where you learn new stuff and it's not about getting locked then try this http://www.menssheds.ie/

TheIrishGrover · 05-04-2012 12:55pm

They really shouldn't have included the word "fabulous" in their article about "gentleman's club"

The King of Moo · 05-04-2012 12:58pm

Why no girls allowed?

Girls are great, generally, especially if you're on a night out and trying to have some fun.

Having a club where people do other things other than simply getting drunk? Fine, even if some of the activities wouldn't appeal to me.

Having a club where people do other things other than simply getting drunk, but it's just men sitting round talking about being men and how hard it is to be a man now and things men like and what they think men should be like and also, men, sounds a bit boring and a little immature.

They should call it "The Boys' Fort!"

prinz · 05-04-2012 1:10pm

The King of Moo wrote: »

Why no girls allowed?
Girls are great, generally, especially if you're on a night out and trying to have some fun.

Presumably because it would quickly descend into who's trying to get who into bed and drama. You can have great fun in mixed company, and you can have fun with the lads, but there is a different atmosphere. As I said before, sometimes there's nothing like a lads night.

The King of Moo · 05-04-2012 1:13pm

prinz wrote: »

Presumably because it would quickly descend into who's trying to get who into bed and drama. You can have great fun in mixed company, and you can have fun with the lads, but there is a different atmosphere. As I said before, sometimes there's nothing like a lads night.

A lads' night can be grand occasionally, but I much prefer that kind of carry on overall.

prinz · 05-04-2012 1:14pm

The King of Moo wrote: »

A lads' night can be grand occasionally, but I much prefer that kind of carry on overall.

Some of us have a ball and chain so that kind of carryon doesn't fly so well

Seachmall · 05-04-2012 1:16pm

prinz wrote: »

Some of us have a ball and chain so that kind of carryon doesn't fly so well

That's why God made ditches. And lime. And alibis.

prinz · 05-04-2012 1:20pm

Seachmall wrote: »

That's why God made ditches. And lime. And alibis.

I don't know if my mrs would give me an alibi and if I could fit my friends in one ditch :pac:

Wattle · 05-04-2012 1:26pm

Sounds like a club for gaylords to me. Sure don't you have the Tuesday and Wednesday nights down the pub with the lads and the scoops flyin and the slagging goin on and tearing your hair out cos Lionel Messi is destroying your favourite team and after in the chipper you've got donor kebab juice all down your shirt and in your ears and then you stagger home and fall asleep on the couch and wake up with a pounding head hours late for work only to find that you've pissed your pants in the middle of the night.

gosuckonalemon · 05-04-2012 1:38pm

Wattle wrote: »

Sounds like a club for gaylords to me. Sure don't you have the Tuesday and Wednesday nights down the pub with the lads and the scoops flyin and the slagging goin on and tearing your hair out cos Lionel Messi is destroying your favourite team and after in the chipper you've got donor kebab juice all down your shirt and in your ears and then you stagger home and fall asleep on the couch and wake up with a pounding head hours late for work only to find that you've pissed your pants in the middle of the night.

HERO!

Would you go to this Gentleman's Club?

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