Raise your hand if you were watching 'The Quiet Man' last night.
Yes, I'm guilty.
It's my one St. Patrick's Day tradition.
Every year I watch the movie to celebrate the holiday that celebrates Irish heritage.
Of course, before I got there, I had to field several more complaints from readers about something I deal with every year.
Yes, I am very aware that some people still cling to the notion that 'Paddy' is a slur against the Irish.
It conjures up visions of the worst of the Irish stereotypes, that we are all heavy drinkers who at some point will require a ride in the "Paddy Wagon" and a trip off to the hoosegow.
But those who insist on implanting this belief on St. Patrick's Day are wrong.
The term 'Paddy' actually draws from the Irish form the of the name Patrick. That would be Padraig.
In fact, the more I research this item, the more I learn that Paddy is actually the preferred term, not Patty.
I should know. I married one.
A Patty, that is. By the way, she's very Italian.
In case you still want to question the usage, I will refer you to this guide.
As for the movie, my wife tries to tolerate it.
If there is a complaint about it, in this age of #MeToo, it would not be in its visage of the hard-drinking Irish man, but rather the less than stellar treatment of women and domestic abuse conveyed in the film.
I am wondering if such scenes as John Wayne basically dragging Maureen O'Hara through the fields back to her home to return her to her brother would pass muster today.
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