You Inspire...

I was drawn into a very interesting conversation the other day...

Define a "Man's Man"...

This has stuck with me over the past couple of days...Where to start? There are a lot of thoughts and images that come to mind when trying to define this very distinctive breed of the male species. They're charismatic. They appeal to both sexes. They're down-to-earth and affable...They're leaders...They have a sense of style...They're cool under pressure...They're mavericks...They're winners...A Man's Man is independent. He lives his life by his own rules and doesn't blindly follow others. He has his own moral compass and knows the difference between right and wrong. He always tries to do the right thing. A fiercely loyal to his friends. He's the guy who will give you the shirt off his back without question. Always a gentleman. He never behaves like a boor. He enjoys life. He always has a winning smile on his face and enjoys being a guy. Other men want to be his friend and enjoy his company. He is quietly confident....Never cocky though. He's never boastful. He has a sure sense of himself and his place in the world.

Mothers...Daughters...Women of all generations adore him for his charm and sometimes mysterious ways. Women swoon over him...

And he's the kind of man other men respect and look up to...

And with that being said...G. Cornelius' Top Tier Man's Man List...And remember...This is my list...I know there are plenty more out there...But these are the ones that jump out in my mind...And just to let you know ahead...I removed John Wayne and James Dean off this list, because they are overly used. Alright...

Samuel Leroy Jackson

I think EJ Camp laid it down best when said, "If there were a kingdom of cool, Samuel L. Jackson would be on all of the currency, and he'd be wearing a Kangol cap." And I mean...His characters -- Jules in Pulp Fiction...Ezekiel 25:17...How can you not put him on this list?

Hugh Jackman

From his high-profile stint on Broadway with fellow Man's Man, Daniel Craig in A Steady Rain...To being Wolverine...Homeboy couldn't do any wrong this past year or so. Ladies love him...Men wanted his Australian accent. (Scene: Social-Even the Average Dude + Foreign Accent= A Good Night & Probably Breakfast)

Vince Vaughn

The consummate "man's man" actor...He had the male species hooked with his breakout in Swingers. Almost every guy that watched it came away saying how they know someone just like Trent. And in every character he plays...From Jeremy Grey to Gary...His pull-no-punches humor and straight-forward no-bull characters have produced many characters guys can relate to. And it seems like the Chicago (Lake Forest) native reminds me of a few of my bar buddies. Just honest down to earth good people.

George Clooney

I know...He is in the same category with Dean and Wayne...But I couldn't help myself. Billy Ocean himself...Lexington, KY's favorite son (I would say the whole state, but that goes to Ali)...One of the manliest of men’s men...A throwback to a day when movie stars drank, gambled and chased tail. He’s talented, stylish, mega-rich -- cripes -- the guy owns a freaking villa in Italy. Who doesn’t have a man-crush on this guy?

Anderson Cooper

No need to say anything else...

Don Draper

This will probably take me the longest to explain. Yes, I know...I know...He is a fictional character on AMC's Mad Men, but he's just as real as any other public personality you can think of. What matters is that Draper's hardass 1960s persona represents something about male identity that is enduringly captivating but has nonetheless vanished. The man that Don Draper is -- value-driven and thoroughly masculine -- is the product of a bygone era; without him, there would be no contemporary figure to represent it....Yet, as removed as his persona may be, it is also contemporary and familiar. He's a postwar archetype, both a brilliant career man and a temptation-swayed philanderer who sincerely wants to be a family man. Like most men, us and our fathers both, Draper is permanently conflicted over how to reconcile his morals and his desires. He illustrates old-school values even though he often fails to meet them himself...His human flaws are what make him so relevant to men today. He is by turns a chain-smoking, drinking-in-the-office emblem of a bygone age, and an unusually real, earnest human being who illustrates the struggles modern men know all too well...

The Roots Crew

If you don't like The Roots, something is wrong with you. From Grammy Winning...To Late Night Showing...The best house band of all time...A man's band. Back in the mid ’90s when The Crew were unknowns on the national music scene but already buzzing in the underground. 15 years later and they are one of music’s most enduring hip-hop bands, precisely because of their chameleon-like musical artistry perfected over a decade and a half. As much as they have developed and evolved...The foundation has not changed. And that foundation is what makes the universally loved by all ages, colors, and genres...

Conan O'Brien

He’s been called “the Preppy Prince of Late Night” and “the King of Cool,” but we just like to call him Coco. This Brookline-born cutup has been sending us into hysterics with his sharp wit and self-deprecating humor since his days as a writer with SNL. But what I enjoyed the most is that he made The Late Night Show fun to watch again, guiding the long-running show to some of its highest ratings in years. And might I also add...A true class act. He had the opportunity to run Leno and NBC through the mud during his very last taping...BUT he didn't.

Tom Ford

The gayest man on the planet, that every woman I know wish they could turn straight. He continues to add his signature stamp to the fashion world...The legendary fashion mogul responsible for making an almost bankrupt Gucci into one of the most profitable brands of the past decade, has created over the years the signature look for the modern man. His name and self titled line has been dropped in more hip-hop/r&b songs the past two year. While setting the fashion world on its ears, also finding time to branch out into filmmaking. In the entertainment arena, Ford made the bold leap into filmmaking by cowriting a screenplay adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel, A Single Man. Tom Ford felt that the story, about an L.A. university professor facing the tragic loss of his partner, would make for a strong feature film, so he directed it himself and filled the cast with famous names like Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. The resulting film was a success at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival, where it was nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion. Colin Firth also received an Oscar nod for Best Actor.

President Barack Obama

The Onion nailed it when they ran the headline “Black Man Given Nation’s Worst Job” following the 2008 elections. He came into office with the U.S. in some of the darkest days of its 233-year history. While mending the most powerful nation on earth, Pres. Obama also continued to be a world-class father and husband, and catch a few courtside hoops games here and there. Hands down one of the coolest mofos on the face of the earth...And by the way, has one of the hottest chicks in the game. Anybody that know's me, know's I have a thang for the First Lady....It runs deep. I can't hide it.

And here is a man that...Is on a list my himself...He is the "man's, man's man" (if that makes any sense)...My very own father...

Charles B. Harris

The "Mayor of Twin Lakes" (also with the best lawn)...I am the man that I am today, because of this man. I don't really think he understands how much he is admired by not only me, but my friends, his friends, and other people that he randomly meets. The man truly has a gift...To touch and change lives.

Well that is all...

...I'll keep you posted