In light of some recent discussions here, I thought this cartoon seemed relevant. I got it from my new favorite Tumblr blog, Comically Vintage. It’s astounding how many of the comic panels posted there — especially those from melodramatic 60s-70s romance comics — apply to the arguments in and around the manosphere today. Perhaps because the world in which these guys live is as imaginary and out-of-date as the fantasy world of 40 or 50 year-old Romance comics.
And while we’re on the subject, here’s a bonus cartoon. Here, crawling from the primordial soup, is the world’s first PUA! (Granted, he hasn’t quite worked out all of the tenets of modern Game, but, hey, he’s still a lizard. Just as human evolution took millions of years, evolving something as complex as modern PUA theory takes time.)
That “homely” guy doesn’t look all that homely. I mean his ears stick out and his forehead is a bit high but he’s far from hideous.
Drawing ugly people is fun because you get to distort and caricature their faces. I don’t see why this artist didn’t take advantage of that.
The “handsome” guy also doesn’t look all that awesome to me. His head seems to not be attached to his body quite right. And that look on his face says either “It’s important man business, you couldn’t possibly understand,” “Metropolis is in danger,” or “Oh god, it feels like this turd is gonna come out sideways.”
…yeah, I would definitely go for Mr. Smiley McBigears.
David, do you ever read the Comics Curmudgeon? I ask because … well, you seem to like comics, and he has a great site where he makes fun of comics. I think there’s a wealth of cultural-gender information in, say, Mary Worth and the Lockhorns and Beetle Bailey and Apartment 3G — none of it particularly useful for this site perhaps, but nonetheless fun to read.
Comic #1: The ugly guy looks like Danny Kaye to me. I always choose Danny Kaye.
Comic #2: Oh, the Lizard People. Say, I wonder if that’s George W. Bush! … or Queen Elizabeth?
I just noticed Mr. Handsome’s collar is too tight. It seems to be squeezing his neck something fierce.
“handsome and commands attention or homely with personality?”
These are my choices??
Yeah, Mr. Homely doesn’t look so homely. Actually, replace the blond curly hair with brown curly hair, and it would almost be an exact rendering of a guy I absolutely loved to have sex with. I’ve since moved on, but I always think fondly of the sex that we had.
Mr. Handsome looks like he’s carrying a briefcase that has a gun in it. He’s one late report or empty coffee carafe from killing someone. I’m assuming that “commands attention” really shouldn’t be a stand in for “creepy as hell”.
And yeah, Dave, if you don’t read it already, The Comics Curmudgeon is pretty awesome too.
Holly’s right about the Metropolis/turd facial expression. He looks like he’s just about to mansplain something. My personal theory: a good personality is kind of like magic. And, like magic, a good personality requires work. I give a hard time to the PUAs–because they 100% deserve it–but Roissy has some not bad ideas about how to break the ice with women. And the whole concept of demonstrating higher value (or “DHV” to use the lingo) actually makes sense. But I would apply it to men and women equally and without the asinine misogynistic assumptions of the PUA leaders. Consider David Bowie: dressing up in high heels and lip gloss took unbelievable confidence in the 70s (in other words, DHV). It’s pretty much an “alpha” move (and damn close to what Mystery does in a kind of Bowie-lite way. Really, it’s saying, “Ha! I laugh at your conventional masculinity”). It all boils down to having confidence in yourself. Men (and women) can do that without assuming that women (and men) are incapable of knowing what they actually want. Since assuming that women are completely dishonest with themselves about their deepest desires (and therefore kinda stupid) is the essence of Roissy’s philosophy, I’m going to call bullshit. But he is totes right about steak and pinot noir.
Ugly Guy looks like a cross between Archie Andrews and Alfred E. Newman. Perhaps that was the look they were going for, as a reflection of his attractive personality — boy-next-door with a quirky streak.
And I agree, Handsome Guy has got mob enforcer written all over him.
Alternate caption for comic #2: When Douchebags Ruled the Earth. (Not that they don’t still rule the Earth.)
… Is this a PUA’s wet dream or something? I just don’t get how insulting someone is supposed to get them to like you…
This is an ironclad example of women’s entitlement. Evn in the ’50s, when our society was not so misandric, very clear elements of women’s arrogance were there. How else would you explain this?
@ kirbywarp
That’s how an alpha male proves he’s an alpha male. Women hear the insults and find themselves irresistably drawn to the alpha male. That’s human nature, my friend.
@MRALC
… Yo serious, aren’t you… So candlelit dinners, moonlit seranades, poetry of beauty and love… none of these compare to the irresistable sexiness of the verbal equivalent to a punch in the face?
I thought being an Alpha meant you were eight feet, rich, or have semen on your face (or whatever it is “Facial Alpha” means).
If Robert Webb (5’10”, hardly looks like Jensen Ackles, and may be famous in the UK but his character in the sketch isn’t) can be an Alpha just by being insulting towards women, what’s to stop you from becoming an Alpha?
I mean, you’ve regularly insulted every woman who posts on this blog; do you think they’re all masturbating to your comments 24/7?
Pay no heed to the Lance Corporal.* He’s just a parody troll.
*Veiled Penis Reference.
@Johnny Pez:
I would have thought so, until I saw his/her/its blog… *shudder*
Wait, is Lance Corporal the same as Lieutenant, or have I misaimed my insult?
I know, it’s so bleeding arrogant for women to think that they actually get choices on who they want to date! How dare women prefer attractive men? Women should just forget that they matter, and selflessly sacrifice their desires to make angry, bitter and insecure men feel good about themselves. Because if a woman isn’t actively making three men happy at once, she’s failing.
@ Spearhafoc
They’re not the same, but I think you can count on the Corporal reporting for duty whenever the Lieutenant is around.
Also, I’m pretty sure that Men’s Rights Acivist Lieutenant up there is a troll too.
I think I’m going to have to disallow Mr. Acivist though. Too sneaky.
EDIT: Oops. He’s real. At least as real as the real MRAL, because they’re the same guy. (Assuming MRAL is a guy and not a group of women. Inside joke.)
We all know every poster here is a separate group of women.
Except me, that is. I’m a troop of magical fairies.
I’m a class of home economics students doing a research project!
Bee and Absinthe, forgot to mention: I actually just discovered the Comics Curmudgeon a couple of days ago. Pretty entertaining. I may have to do a post about Miss Buxley at some point.
My husband has ears and hair kind of like Mr. Homely, but not the huge forehead. Or, I should say husbands, since I’m a small group of sheep herders.
FYI, did you guys know that Ricky Gervais agrees with me about fat people? Boom.
I wonder how you can determine anything about women, much less their “arrogance,” from cartoons drawn by a man depicting men.
I guess the arrogance is in thinking we deserve a man who’s attractive to us in some way, instead of…
…Actually, I’m not very clear on what we’re supposed to do here. If we screw anyone who asks, we’re sluts. But if we don’t screw anyone who asks, we’re spitting on men. I wouldn’t even know how to be a good girl if I wanted to!