So as the dude behind this blog I get a fairly steady stream of communications from, well, dudes who are not such big fans of the blog. Alongside the veiled threats and not-so-veiled threats and fat jokes and intimations of cuckoldry and predictions of an imminent “beta uprising” I also get emails from guys who profess to be just so confused as to why I even have such a blog, do I hate men or something? I’m not sure if any of them are asking sincerely; most seem to think their little notes will somehow shame me into quitting.
I got one of these notes last night from a fellow who calls himself, alternately, Tom Stanton, Tom Alexander and “Max.”
Do I embrace my masculinity?
“Embracing your masculinity” sounds so much like a euphemism for, well, you know, that I can’t even see it without mentally adding “wink wink nudge nudge know what I mean say no more SAY NO MORE” like in that old Monty Python sketch.
In this case, though, the thing they’re trying to insinuate is that anyone who opposes the sort of shitheads I write about on this blog must not be a REAL MAN but rather some GIANT CUCK who’s WHITE KNIGHTING for PUSSY or something. Or maybe they think I get a discount on cucking equipment at the local Feminist Mart?
But here’s the thing, Max (and his brother Tom and his other brother Tom), if you and your pals identify enough with the shitheads I write about on this blog to get mad that I write about them, you’re not “men who are proud to be men.” You are shitheads. You are an embarrassment to your gender.
I do this blog because I think someone needs to be writing regularly about your brand of shitheads, and, for some strange reason, I kind of enjoy it. Luckily for me there are a decent number of people out there who enjoy reading about you guys and/or feel that this blog provides a public service; enough of these folks donate enough money to keep the blog going that I can, well, keep the blog going. (Thanks, donors! New pledge drive coming soon!)
In other words, one of the biggest rewards to doing this blog is that I can keep doing this blog, tracking and mocking shitty guys like you, and, I hope, doing a little something to limit your baleful influence on society.
Here’s that old Monty Python sketch, because what the hell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGrvQ1c5khU
@PeeVee,
Hey, I have meh window coverings too, but I don’t sway around in front of them making execrable videos. I bet your decorating is just fine 🙂
Srsly, I watched that clip, and then thought of the Alt-Right Dogs effort, and I’m thinking, “These are some of the top people. These guys.” And then add in Richard “Ladies like dominant men because romance novels” Spencer, and Mike “Look at all my books” Cernovich …
The mind boggles. The mind flip flops. Its flabber is gasted.
Me again.
@Sinkable John,
I just read that Raw Story piece on Cernovich. Aside from his startling admission that he’s actually a zombie, or Cthulhu, my favourite bit was:
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss204/Quynn54/Elizabeth%20NJ%20Branch/cute-kitten-laughing2.jpg
@Mish
Possibly you know this and are reversing the noun and verb for comic effect, but for what it’s worth: The gaster is part of the abdomen (gastric, gastro-intestinal). When you’re flabbergastered, your gaster is flabbered, wobbled. Flabbergastion (if I may) is a visceral shock.
I love words. Also very fond of David. Thanks, David! I might just donate now and avoid the rush.
Funny how these guys who are SO SECURE IN THEIR MASCULINITY always manage to find the time to obsess over somebody else’s. Surely there’s nothing in their closets but mice, moths and expired mothballs, eh?
Semantically, “flabbergasted” is its own thing, as “to flabber” or even a noun “flabber” isn’t a thing, “gaster” is the Greek term for stomach (or an anatomical part of insects), and “gast” is itself a Middle English verb for “to scare”.
Related to “aghast”? And to ghost??
@Mish, that reminds me of “The Preacher” when Jessie unmasks a member of the KKK and says “Why is it the greatest champions of the white race always turn out to be the worst examples? YOU! WHERE IS YOUR CHIN??”
Lolol
@opposablethumbs:
Yeah, they’re all related terms. Old English “gast” apparently referred to the soul or spirits, and then “gost” came about in Middle English to mean the same thing while “gast” got changed to a verb.
Cerno DOES realize that what he’s doing is straight up blackmail, right?
Right?
@Paradoxy:
I think he’s operating under Chapter 4, Paragraph 6, subsection (c) of Manosphere Law, which states that “it’s okay when I do it.”
WWTH:
Thank the Old Gods and the New, I thought I was the only one who thought that. I think most of the ironborn are assholes.
lol Theon wouldn’t have got his character development if his dad hadn’t been such an asshole would he?
“Masculinity” and “femininity” are basically social constructs meant to pressure people into the roles that society finds most useful. Traditionally, society (in most Western and many other cultures) has wanted men to be soldiers and women to be breeders. That has required a form of intense guilt-tripping — in the case of men, to make them willing to die to defend their women and children (but actually their rulers, of course). Women were valued mostly for their ability to produce children, particularly future soldiers. But these traditional roles, which were always oppressive, are now becoming less and less well-adapted to the direction in which the world economy is going. Men raised in the traditional role — which is primarily enforced by men belittling other men for any perceived weakness or deviation from the standard — are having a difficult time understanding what is going on.
@Lysistrata,
(and also @dslucia, @opposablethumbs)
I was just being silly – I think I first saw this example in a Terry Pratchett novel. I love mucking around with words, including spoonerisms and reversals.
But yes, I knew of the etymology. Every word has its own backstory which is just bloody fascinating, especially given that English has helped itself to just about any other language’s words.
*cue that quote about English as a mugger*
Apparently the word pedagogy has its origins in Ancient Greek, meaning “slave who looks after a child”. As a tertiary teacher, I find that darkly amusing 🙂
@PeeVee, that little scene just keeps proving its relevance, over and over 😀
@Mish:
Oh, I’ve used “my flabbers have been gasted” pretty frequently myself, particularly in response to seeing especially ridiculous posts in internet forums from angry video gamer boys.
IMHO there is nothing more masculine than defending and educating humans against hate. Thanks David!
@dslucia,
Is that you in your avi pic? Because that looks like the kind of person who could really pull off the “flabber is gasted” remark 🙂
@Mish:
That is me! I was going for a Wilson Wilson sort of look.
Not a cuck. Just low testosterone prolly. Not saying that to jab or besmirch. Testosterone and the things that make it (e.g. weight lifting) really do change outlook, personality.
Just different value set. Prolly don’t care about strong borders, demographics, ethnic makeup as much, strong families as much. A whole different value set, you’re prolly more Athenian, others more Spartan.
Nothing you judge, because there’s no skygod to say what’s true, but I support the more traditional values.
I was soft hearted. What changed me was realizing, often painfully, that I was not on the track to success in either work or relationships, that everyone would be nice and pleasing and cheek turning if they could be equally prosperous doing it. I’m still good to my true friends, and loyal as fuck.
Also I saw every other group playing identity politics. Even when I was soft I had depression that was cured by being harder, stronger, more successful. It merged my heart with my mind. Now my struggle is objective, external, against things of this world rather than myself.
Also I lifted weights and ate more fat and protein, stopped being vegan. These things altered my hormones (I’m certain).
Fine whatever values one has but behind all shame and guilt I might ever have felt is fear. Fear alone drives shame and guilt. And lack of might drives fear. Fear is what I fight and with no fear (I still have a lot) what you do, what moves you, is simply that which you love. And I love more traditional things, and maybe you don’t and we are at odds but I’d be curious how you are if you hit the gym daily, assuming your testosterone isn’t the highest. I won’t judge though. I know you’re fighting against me and us, but not judging us, because there is no ultimate judging authority.
@Geronimo
http://i.imgur.com/vJKbgPa.gif
That was a lot of word salad. Couldn’t Geronimo have just said “do you even lift, bro?” That would’ve been a lot simpler.
@Geronimo
Does testosterone
Cause severe chronic word salads?
Explain muscle man.
@ Geronimo
*snort* That was a really hot-winded way to call another man a pussy.
@Oogly
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/587/020/242.gif