Are Real Australian Men Secretly Gay-

Russell Crowe's latest punch-up in a celebrity London restaurant last week, has prompted a flurry of follow up articles examining the subliminal meaning behind the stereotype of the macho Australian bloke.

Expat Australian writer Amanda Platell was clearly impressed by the New Zealand actor's willingness to fight, purring, "He gets drunk, punches people, treats women badly and vomits a lot. And he wears terrible clothes and looks as though he never washes. That's what we call a real man." (Standard).

Rival British columnist Julie Burchill disagreed, scoffing in the Guardian, 'his legions of female fans had better get used to the fact that this is just another unstable, emotionally incontinent diva in caveman drag".

She also quoted legendary bad boy Richard Burton's theory on why male actors often misbehave.

"All actors are gay," he apparently once suggested.

"What real man would want to spend all day in makeup, dressing up- That's why we drink."
Tags

• russell crowe