# Travis McGee: Hero or asshole? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925 "2014-01-16T01:39:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/41 "2014-01-17T21:05:48Z")
Another Floridian, Carl Heissman (?) had a bad guy with a weed eater on the stump of his arm, as I recall. And a former Governor that lived on road kill. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/42 "2014-01-17T21:12:43Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Another Floridian, Carl Heissman (?) had a bad guy with a weed eater on the stump of his arm, as I recall. And a former Governor that lived on road kill. I believe Hiassen has credited MacDonald as one of his influences. His books are funny, unlike some of the movie adaptions made from them. At least I didn’t find much humor in the movies. The one with the governor had a hilarious chapter involving Santeria and a goat. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/43 "2014-01-17T21:18:51Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I believe Hiassen has credited MacDonald as one of his influences. His books are funny, unlike some of the movie adaptions made from them. At least I didn’t find much humor in the movies. The one with the governor had a hilarious chapter involving Santeria and a goat. Thanks for the name. He wrote an introduction to one of the McGee books. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/44 "2014-01-17T21:21:43Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > Lastly, McDonald was superb at villainry, particularly the charismatic sociopath variety. Maybe no one better. Moreso even than that, he had an incredible ability to characterize in few words. There must be 100 minor characters in the McGee series, each described in 50-100 words… but you know them through and through before you read on. As for villainy, his single best line might be Tom Pike from _Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper_: “He had eyes of clever glass, and a heart like an empty paper bag.” ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/45 "2014-01-17T21:26:35Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > Apropos of nothing, I am an avid rereader, always have been, and I prolly have read each Travis 10 times or more. I still don’t tire of them, just need to take some time off between rereads. As my hot weather tradition, I reread most of the Trav series _every summer_. I have prowled the used bookstores for the most beat-up, yellowed paperback editions with pulpy cover art I could find, and over the years have collected the full series. They even smell like the 60’s! Instant vacation formula: sunny day + cocktail of choice + hammock (or beach) + a few Trav novels = relaxing summer joy. Also, bravo to **Amateur Barbarian** up there. Took the words right out of my mouth. Tangent: while going over some issue at work with a major supplier of scientific equipment, I received an email from none other than Travis McGee (in Customer Service?? _WHAT_??), and almost screamed with delight. I’m sure I embarassed the poor young man with my fan-slobbering, but he was very polite and mentioned that his mom loved Trav, and had named him after him. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/46 "2014-01-17T21:31:36Z")
> [@orderfire](#): > > his mom loved Trav, and had named him after him. Hmmm…I guess you couldn’t see if he had gray eyes. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/47 "2014-01-17T21:37:13Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Hmmm…I guess you couldn’t see if he had gray eyes. :dubious: I like to think he did, and he was a very nice young man. Still can’t quite imagine Travis sitting in a SC cube farm in Illinois… ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/48 "2014-01-17T21:41:53Z")
> [@orderfire](#): > > Instant vacation formula: sunny day + cocktail of choice + hammock (or beach) + a few Trav novels = relaxing summer joy. Yep. And I treasure my worn, yellowed, [del]smelly[/del] scented copies. > [@](#): > > Tangent: while going over some issue at work with a major supplier of scientific equipment, I received an email from none other than Travis McGee (in Customer Service?? _WHAT_??), and almost screamed with delight. I can actually top that… but I tip my hat to your incident. I came back from lunch one day to find the entire office, GF office manager included, grinning at me like idiots. No one would say anything. GF said sweetly, “You got a call from [equipment supplier]. Pink sheet’s on your desk.” So I go to my desk to find I am supposed to call back… Linda Lovelace. ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/49 "2014-01-17T21:46:22Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Yep. And I treasure my worn, yellowed, [del]smelly[/del] scented copies. > > I can actually top that… but I tip my hat to your incident. > > I came back from lunch one day to find the entire office, GF office manager included, grinning at me like idiots. No one would say anything. GF said sweetly, “You got a call from [equipment supplier]. Pink sheet’s on your desk.” > > So I go to my desk to find I am supposed to call back… Linda Lovelace. That’s a real treat in that everyone knew who Linda Lovelace is. I had to scream my delight in silence - I don’t think anyone that I work with reads for pleasure. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/50 "2014-01-17T21:48:48Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I always thought John Rhys-Davies. > Hairy. Never thought of John Rhys-Davies…what an excellent choice! Strangely, I’d always pictured Meyer as James Earl Jones. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/51 "2014-01-18T03:20:01Z")
The only problem with the old paperbacks is that sometimes I open the cover and loose pages fly out at me. I’d hate to lose a page of McGeeisms. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/52 "2014-01-18T03:42:59Z")
Humor in\* The Dreadful Lemon Sky\*. A bomb went off in the Busted Flush, and McGee is in the hospital. Meyer is slow in telling him about his investigation. “Should you be sitting up like that?” The woman who owns the marina where the BF is docked says something about her repairs and condition. “Should you be sitting up like that?” Meyer brings six big Macs at 11:00 PM. McGee wants three, but falls asleep after one and a glass of milk. “When the nurse woke me up to ask if I wanted a sleeping pill…” Having been there, I figured out they wake you up in the middle of the night to see if you are still alive. If you died on their watch and it was discovered in the morning, they would be in deep shit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/53 "2014-01-18T03:44:15Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > The only problem with the old paperbacks is that sometimes I open the cover and loose pages fly out at me. I’d hate to lose a page of McGeeisms. I have the same problem with Poul Anderson and Roger Zelazny books. Elmer’s glue and rubber bands. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/54 "2014-01-18T12:24:09Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > McGee was way ahead of his time as far as attitudes toward women (despite his successes, his outlook was in many ways the antithesis of the Playboy Philosophy), minorities (i.e. blacks and Hispanics) and the environment, even if his views look a bit quaint in 2014. I seem to recall McGee’s description of the Playboy Philosophy as “it’s OK to fuck and run, as long as everyone is dreadfully sincere about it”. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/55 "2014-01-18T16:35:01Z")
Yeah, John D. riffed on the Playboy philosophy and lifestyle several times, no doubt because he was tired of McGee being considered part of that movement. The one that never fails to crack me up is when McGee and Meyer are in some Playboy Club clone around Christmas, and the waitress has a sprig of mistletoe in place of her bunny tail. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/56 "2014-01-19T00:05:28Z")
Upthread, there was some discussion of whether or not the Travis McGee character should be considered somewhat racist by today’s standards. I vaguely remembered a quote, which I’ve just now tracked down (it turns out to be from _Darker than Amber_). I suppose some would find fault with it, since at best it describes an attitude of tolerance. And we are told that mere tolerance is not quite good enough. Nevertheless, it reflects a fairly liberal mindset, given the time and place. > [@](#): > > My intolerance is strictly McGee-type. If there were people around colored green or bright blue, I would have a continual primitive awareness of the difference between us, way down on that watchful animal level which is a caveman heritage. But I would cherish the ones who came through as solid folk, and avoid the slobs and fools and bores as diligently as I avoid white slobs and fools and bores. Make of it what you will; I kind of like it. While hunting around for that quote, I ran across what purports to be a picture of the _[Busted Flush](http://www.jdmhomepage.org/_Media/image_med.png)_ - look closely and you can make out the shade of JDM in the upper RH corner. And [this page](http://library.worldtracker.org/English%20Literature/M/MacDonald,%20John%20D/) which makes all 21 of the Travis McGee novels available, free, in plain text. I’ve already read a couple that I hadn’t seen in years. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/57 "2014-01-19T01:19:35Z")
> [@SeldomSeen](#): > > I vaguely remembered a quote, which I’ve just now tracked down (it turns out to be from _Darker than Amber_). I was thinking of that quote, and the other instances where he deals with black servants and laborers, when I said “sort of earnest and clunky” above. But yeah, it’s a pretty good quote if not terribly sophisticated from our viewpoint 40 years later. > [@](#): > > And [deleted] which makes all 21 of the Travis McGee novels available, free, in plain text. I’ve already read a couple that I hadn’t seen in years. As that’s an entire [del]page[/del] sitefull of copyright violation, I’d like to ask a mod to delete the original link. You can get all of the McGees free at any library, or for $25 total on ABEbooks or eBay. Don’t promote piracy. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/58 "2014-01-19T03:01:18Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > As that’s an entire [del]page[/del] sitefull of copyright violation, I’d like to ask a mod to delete the original link. > > You can get all of the McGees free at any library, or for $25 total on ABEbooks or eBay. Don’t promote piracy. You make a valid point, and frankly it hadn’t occurred to me that the site might be skeevy. I think you may be overreacting a bit, however. A quick search turns up no takedown orders, nor even any complaints about the site. And it seems to me that the format in which the material is presented may circumvent some or most intellectual property protections. It seems to be legal and aboveboard, if perhaps skirting the thin edge of ethical publishing. Nevertheless, I have contacted SDMB admin and asked a mod to take a look, and to remove the link if they think best. SS ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/59 "2014-01-19T15:21:07Z")
I have removed the link in the interest of protecting the author’s copyright. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925/60 "2014-01-19T16:12:59Z")
And I have restored the link, now that the caffeine has kicked in. Our policy is to avoid copyright infringement on the SDMB – if someone is doing something illegal elsewhere, it’s not our job to police that. **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travis-mcgee-hero-or-asshole/678925.md?page=4)