I can see John's point, but I don't agree with it. I'm with you on the subject of same-sex spanking scenes. I'd rather see a beautiful woman draped across the lap of a man who is clearly attracted to her. I ignore the guy, or imagine myself in his place. It doesn't matter if the man is a "dreamboat" or a doofus, as long as the lady is gorgeous and he knows it!
That might be why there are so many disagreements about McLintock. I admit the movie was too long and John Wayne was not at his best and he should've used his hand instead of that damned shovel, but there's one thing that outweighs all of the flaws: Maureen O'Hara got her cute little Irish tushie paddled by a man who obviously had the hots for her! I consider Katherine McLintock to be the most perfect spankee in cinematic history and no other actress in Hollywood could've played the role any better. John Wayne, for all his faults, enjoyed having Maureen O'Hara over his knee and it showed.