Sometimes a celebrity will say something so profound and meaningful, it will retain its meaning for the masses decades later.
This was especially true when a video resurfaced yesterday after 30 years of sitting in the worldwide web archives, and it featured none other than WWE star, "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
Savage was one of the most well-known and loved WWE stars of the 1980s because of his dramatic flare and wardrobe, his presence and power in the ring, and of course, his incredibly identifiable voice.
But while he was willing to physically work his body for entertainment's sake, he was also surprisingly open about his emotions, which was not so common for men and boys in that decade.
The video that resurfaced featured a clip from an interview that Savage completed on The Arsenio Hall Show.
The big question from Hall was:
"Now, your middle name is 'Macho.' But I'm wondering if you ever cry? Has Macho Man ever cried?"
Savage elicited his famous "Oh yeah" before offering his incredible response.
"Well yeah. Uh huh. It's OK for macho men to show every emotion available right there, you know."
"Because I've cried a thousand times [and] I'm gonna cry some more."
"But, I've soared with eagles and slithered with the snakes and everywhere in between and I'm gonna tell you something right now: there's one guarantee in life and that is that there are no guarantees, yeah."
Savage then said, "Annnnnd" in his famous introduction voice, setting the audience up for his greatest truth.
"And… understand this: nobody likes a quitter, nobody said life was easy. So if you get knocked down, take the standing eight count, get back up and fight again and you're a macho manic, dig it?"
You can watch the interview clip here:
\u201cMacho Man had an incredible answer when asked "Have you ever cried?"\u201d— SPENCE, TODD (@SPENCE, TODD) 1660172680
Twitter was heartened by Savage's response and how his words stood the test of time.
\u201c@Todd_Spence I watched Macho Man in a hotel go off on a man who asked for an autograph for his son. The shocked man walked away. Savage then took a deep breath, shook his head & then ran across the lobby to apologized for taking the bad day he had out on that man. That takes integrity.\u201d— SPENCE, TODD (@SPENCE, TODD) 1660172680
\u201c@EscheroOfficial @Todd_Spence The man quite literally said \u201ctake the standing 8 count\u201d which translates to \u201ctake time to heal/gather yourself, but always keep fighting\u201d. Like how do you not get this?\u201d— SPENCE, TODD (@SPENCE, TODD) 1660172680
\u201c@Todd_Spence I never knew The Bolder was based on a real person and I\u2019m in awe at how based he is.\u201d— SPENCE, TODD (@SPENCE, TODD) 1660172680
\u201c@Todd_Spence I love how the macho man persona he took on was an example of positive masculinity. It was over the top to the point of ridiculousness, but i can\u2019t think of any examples where he was in character in front of a camera and it was toxic masculinity.\u201d— SPENCE, TODD (@SPENCE, TODD) 1660172680
\u201c@Todd_Spence Great man with a great message. Grown men can cry. Macho men can cry. Even strong men can cry. Cry more. It cleanses you son.\u201d— SPENCE, TODD (@SPENCE, TODD) 1660172680
It's so common for people to be encouraged to hide their emotions, to the point that they never learn how to actually regulate those emotions. Crying is often perceived as a weakness and as unnecessary.
But just as Savage said that "in life, there are no guarantees," there's one other vital truth.
Sometimes, being macho might mean letting other people know that you can cry.
