Apparently Paul Elam, head boy at A Voice for Men, felt that his last 1500-word opus on the evils of female consumer spending wasn’t verbose enough. So he’s put up another 1500-word rant on the subject that adds nothing to his already pretty substance-free argument — except for a lengthy preface in which he pats himself on the back for being SO BRAVE enough to confront the ladies with the uncomfortable TRUTH that they are destroying the world with all their lipstick and fancy shoes and hats made from men’s balls and whatever else it is that those silly world-destroying gals are always buying.
Gosh, no one’s ever said anything bad or even so much as joked about materialistic women before. Congratulations, brave Paul, for blazing this trail of truth! (At least Anita Loos had the good taste to be utterly hilarious in her satire.)
And gosh, it’s not like men have ever been known to spend loads of money on useless shit. Nope. Never.
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Oh, and speaking of useless crap (and this is a bit of an awkward segue here): MAN BOOBZ T-SHIRTS ARE 40% OFF TODAY! Yes, again!
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Remember, fellas, if you buy a shirt, it’s a necessary and utilitarian purchase, something to wear while you are hunting the mammoth, or fishing with your $4600 fishing rod, or typing out world-saving rants about how awful ladies are.
Ladies, if you buy a shirt, it’s nothing more than world-destroying vanity. Women should wear rags.
But hey: what better to make rags from than a nice Man Boobz t-shirt? Now in four delicious, world-destroying flavors: Mammoth, Cartoon Mammoth, Cupcake, and Cock Carousel! Loads of other Man Boobz swag on sale too, at 15% off.
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EDITED TO ADD: Check out the comments for Elam’s post to see a brave commenter named Amanda politely but relentlessly tearing Elam’s article to shreds. Among other things, she links to a Slate article that suggests, based on several European studies and some admittedly “quick-and-dirty spreadsheet calculations” by a Carnegie-Mellon researcher, that men and women in developed nations have roughly similar “carbon footprints,” with men a slightly less “green” than women.
The responses to her comments, like Elam’s post itself, rely heavily on ass-data and lots of essentially meaningless thetorical huffing and puffing. Like this bit of blather from Tawil:
You don’t honestly think that men in political power are going to make decisions detrimentally affecting the wanton consumerist desires of the women voters who put those same men in power, do you? If yes you clearly don’t understand who has the power. One move by a politician that detracts from narcissistic licence for females gets him voted out – by women. Same holds true for corporation CEOs – any move that would stifle women’s shopping behaviour or her budget would see the company go bust. (and BTW CEOs and politicians make up about one billionth of the total population of men… the rest of the men are laboring in back-breaking, soul-destroying occupations to make your life more comfortable princess).
Amanda quickly rebuts this and everything else thrown at her, reducing the regulars to blustery nonsense and toothless misogynistic insults — like this from Skeptic:
You’ve obviously never heard of pollution by proxy have you? Probably too busy shopping I guess.
Skeptic is also suspicious of any and all research from the evil gynocracy known as … Sweden, “probably the most misandric culture on the entire planet.”
Eventually Elam wades in and offers a response that he clearly sees as appropriately patronizing; he even uses the word “cupcake,” a clear sign of MRA hubris.
Your comment alone is polluting. It is feminism’s toxic waste that has already contaminated much of the planet’s intellectual purity. So while I will answer you, I do so with the qualification that along the lines of environmentally sound thought, it is like talking to a BP rep about good saltwater fishing.
As to why women cause more pollution I will have to tax your ideological mind with simple math.
Men earn about 80% of income worldwide. Women spend about 80% of income worldwide, a disproportionate amount of it on themselves. …
More blah blah blah, and then he winds up with this:
It is real simple, cupcake. Those who consume, pollute. Those who consume excessively pollute more.
Rinse and repeat till you figure out who consumes more, and who consumes more frivolous goods and services in the vanity economy.
BTW, producing Swedish research around here is like breaking wind and calling it perfume. More pollution.
You will note that Elam relies on that 80% figure we discussed in my post on his previous women-are-destroying-the-world rant. You know, the 80% figure that is repeatedly endlessly in media accounts, invariably unsourced. Because it is not actually based on any real research, as the Wall Street Journal recently discovered? When asked for the source of this, he finds … yet another media mention of the figure, without a source given for it.
Paul Elam, master of ass data, is completely unaware that he has lost the argument, and acts as if he’s won some grand victory.
Actually, that’s pretty much how he acts every day.
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Time for that gif again. You know the one. But the T-shirt sale is real. And I’m not being sarcastic about Elam being completely and utterly owned by Amanda.
“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine” really only works in the movies.
… Hell, does it really work for Obi-Wan? He becomes a spectator, someone who can only really manifest to Luke. Where’s all that unimaginable power?
It’s like Star Wars isn’t really all that well written, or something.
This comment from Skeptic (who sounds a lot like Joe1) over there had me rolling:
I dunno, possibly the whole mismash of wrongheadedness that preceded this gem?
While I was at Target I was thinking about this post more. It’s really easy to hate on other people for their consumption habits. I needed* that laundry basket and cutting board I bought today, but I don’t need the stuff other I see people buying. It’s easy to believe that they don’t need it either. Also, it’s fun to think that you’re the only person who sees through advertisers and marketers manipulations, and that everyone else is falling for it. It’s intellectually lazy though. It’s like P.Elamale can’t even be bothered to get a decent hate-on going anymore.
*for a generous definition of need, of course.
Oh hey there, creepy self-justification.
Oh well, I guess I had to have a blockquote fail eventually.
Wow, Amanda is fighting a losing battle there. She really should come here for kitties and mockery.
I need a shower after reading Seduce and Destroy.
Indeed and for the record, I must ponder the possibility that Elam is countering the festering, digusting, vile, evil misandry in society – I applaud his work. Simply – I applaud it. This ideology of hate drives people apart – ruining our interpersonal relationships, our love, which is all we have in this cold world. This dogma that Elam fights is poisonous, and must and should be countered, by any means necessary.
Objection to or refusal to tolerate abusive behavior proves that you are the real abuser. The abuser lobby’s favorite ploy. Or at least one of the top five.
Steele, ponder the fact that you can’t write. That would be a more productive use of your time.
This dogma that Elam writes is poisonous, and must and should be countered, by any means necessary.
FTFY
1. When starting a sentence with a phrase like “indeed” or “for the record” do not use two of them connected with “and.” It is confusing and makes you look like you can’t make up your mind.
2. Omit phrases like “indeed” or “for the record” as much as possible. They don’t add anything to your ideas.
3. “I must ponder the possibility that” says nothing. Omit it.
4. Four adjectives in a row is too many. See above.
5. “I must ponder the possibility that Elam is countering the festering, digusting, vile, evil misandry in society – I applaud his work.” These are two complete sentences. You need to end the first with a period, not a –
(Are you writing your comments in Word before posting them here, by the way? I ask because – is not a keyboard character, but Word corrects – to – if there are spaces on either side.)
6. Aww, fuck it, life’s too short, I’m going to drink some more Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy my Friday night.
Now, that sounds like a good plan. Happy Friday, everyone!
Well you’re almost right.
@PfkaE
That’s actually my bday. Much ado has been made from people who have always known I shall be the death of them
Ooh, Steele broke out all his special words.
His grammar is vile. His sentence structure is disgusting. His anger is festering (no wonder Ella left him – all that festering and he wouldn’t even let her burn some scented candles to mask the smell?).
Yet, and still, I must put forth the notion that Elam’s ideology itself often consists of frothing hatred. Forsooth, if it is indeed the modern female psyche, and ONLY the modern female’s psyche that is plagued by this need for consumerism, then surely Elam can come with scientifically proven needs for many of the male driven industries that relish in producing the lavish and/or frivolous: see, for instance, fuel guzzling cars, high end sporting and outdoor gear, high end grilling equipment etc etc. In light of my abundant skepticism as to the abilities of Mr. Elam to provide said evidence, I must regretfully conclude that Mr. Elam is merely creating self indulgent, and yes, hateful, rants in an attempt to make a common human problem, into a specifically female one, in order to attempt to place himself in a false morally superior position to women in general. Furthermore, I would inquire as to what it is that makes Mr. Elam’s DVD player, along with his much beloved copy of Air Force One, a necessity, rather than a capitulation to consumerism? And last, but by no means least, sirrah, I find it infinitely chortleworthy, that you believe that the necessary means to counter this perceived dogma, is to publish rants so hilariously, and blatantly, dogmatic in nature, that I must question your ability for critical thinking, and ponder as to which misandrist teacher is to blame for this obvious shortcoming in your education.
Bravo, Shadow.
*looks at cat photo*
I want to make a “rich, demanding pussy” joke… >_>
Shadow, I was so distracted by your flowery verbiage that I tripped on your first comma splice and faceplanted. Well done.
@hellkell
*bows* I’ve missed so much manboobz action lately that I was practically vibrating with glee when I saw Steele pop up 😛
@inurashii
I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun with commas before
Yay, Shadow is here! And now I have to run… 🙁
@ Shadow
Want to play some more? We have meltdown in the other thread.
Shadow: hope things have been going well, good to see you.