Made with the shades

There is some strange yet powerful connection concerning males, sunglasses and automobiles. Sure, nearly everybody wears sunglasses, especially come springtime. But next time you’re on the road, check out all the young-to-middle-age males who wear sunglasses and drive like total assholes. It’s almost like the sunglasses are some kind of invincible shield capable of intimidating anything within sight. Think of the prison guard in Cool Hand Luke who never took off his shades except at the end of the film — at which point he lost all his power.

Now, consider the importance of sunglasses to NASCAR drivers; they have protective shields on their helmets, so they don’t need sunglasses to drive. The minute they hop out of the car, though, they’re always seen in some sort of goofy eyewear. It’s almost like they need to wear the glasses to retain the power they get from driving cars. Anyway, you can try to get some of this power, or at least memorialize a fallen legend, with Gargoyles Original Classic Sunglasses “worn by NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt” (only $59 at www.ultimateshades.com). Maybe wearing them will help you will find out why “The Intimidator” was so intimidating.