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ManGAF:The Art of Manliness

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entremet

Member
I guess it's more nebulous now than it used to be, because of...uh...feminism...gender role issues and...other subjects not suitable for discussion, or something. Anywho, I don't want to touch this subject with a ten inch pole, so it's probably better I just leave this thread now.

I don't get it either. But I don't think this is a place for this type of discussion without offending others it seems. At least based on other threads that talked abou this topic.
 

Red

Member
Sorry guys can't hear you over the sound of my rustling chest hair

This message sent from my biceps.
 

Esch

Banned
I guess I could read the blog and be worried constantly about how others perceive me, but that seems like a waste of time.

Dont be such an obsessed party pooper all the time. There's some good info on said blog and some articles about badass men in the past. My only concern is that its very oriented on white conceptualizations of what a man is, but what do you expect?
 

Truth101

Banned
Dont be such an obsessed party pooper all the time. There's some good info on said blog and some articles about badass men in the past. My only concern is that its very oriented on white conceptualizations of what a man is, but what do you expect?

Yeah it would be cool if they expanded on other races and cultures, but I guess that wouldn't be too feasible.
 

Esch

Banned
Yeah it would be cool if they expanded on other races and cultures, but I guess that wouldn't be too feasible.

Its quite feasible, I just reckon their staff doesnt have much diversity for whatever reason.

The blog is basically just a melange of men's fitness, style, and retro shit. its a good concept.
 
The other day some meathead at my job said a man shouldn't drive a Yaris. So I responded "that a man wouldn't give a shit what another person drove and that this man (me) would beat the shit out of him."
 
Dont be such an obsessed party pooper all the time. There's some good info on said blog and some articles about badass men in the past. My only concern is that its very oriented on white conceptualizations of what a man is, but what do you expect?

When I first click the link I see an article on how to fold the American flag. Overt displays of patriotism being conflated with manliness is something I find funny.

Though I give props to the website for having an article about moving in with the parents. It at least accounts for the fact that the economic climate of today is not what it once was.

Mostly I just agree with this:
insecure internet manliness culture is pretty much the worst thing ever.
 

Esch

Banned
The other day some meathead at my job said a man shouldn't drive a Yaris. So I responded "that a man wouldn't give a shit what another person drove and that this man (me) would beat the shit out of him."

to be fair you threatening to beat him up based on him mocking your car choice is just as insecure.

dont come after me now !
wrist.gif

When I first click the link I see an article on how to fold the American flag. Overt displays of patriotism being conflated with manliness is something I find funny.
Its tongue and cheek. Although having the ability to fold any sheet into one of those triangles is super useful for saving space.
 

Esch

Banned
You don't know many Mexicans do you? Believe me if I didn't respond like that it wouldn't have ended their.

oh, the macho pissing contest pendejos? I know a few of these toughguys from chillin in LA. I cant say i wouldnt have done the same
 

Kinitari

Black Canada Mafia
Being a man always seems so arbitrary, who makes these criteria again? These random lists are more embarrassing to read than anything, they're like those pictures that compare soldiers from decades ago to teenagers without a care now. Like we're supposed to be covered in soot and blood, rocking an AK on the bus ride to school.
 
oh, the macho pissing contest pendejos? I know a few of these toughguys from chillin in LA. I cant say i wouldnt have done the same

That's all I work with. I try not to socialize with them so this dude went out of his way to say something.

I hate this whole what is manly and what isn't though.
 

Unicorn

Member
2. Start doing the things that sort of man would do. Even if you don’t feel like it. Once you know what sort of things your ideal man would do, start doing them, and here’s the most important part, do them even if you don’t feel like it. Some of the stuff you’ll have to do will be hard, some it may make you feel uncomfortable, and some of it will make you feel like a phony. Ignore those feelings. That’s just the Resistance, as Steven Pressfield would say. Know that with time, your new manful actions will transform the way you feel about yourself. You will begin to see yourself as a man.

This is always the hardest one for me.
 

Alucrid

Banned
Being a man always seems so arbitrary, who makes these criteria again? These random lists are more embarrassing to read than anything, they're like those pictures that compare soldiers from decades ago to teenagers without a care now. Like we're supposed to be covered in soot and blood, rocking an AK on the bus ride to school.

$300 jeans = manly
 
D

Deleted member 8095

Unconfirmed Member
There's nothing less manly than a man that is always trying to prove how manly he is. It's so pathetic.
 

Unicorn

Member
There's nothing less manly than a man that is always trying to prove how manly he is. It's so pathetic.

From what I have read so far on this site, it is less about becoming manly and more about becoming a better human being, who happens to be a male.

A lot of this "advice" is universal and will make you a better person overall.
 
Manliness occurs in nature but I don't think it's allowed in liberal societies. Used to be, but not anymore. But who gives a fuck what a bunch of young kids think.
 

FelixOrion

Poet Centuriate
Being a man always seems so arbitrary, who makes these criteria again? These random lists are more embarrassing to read than anything, they're like those pictures that compare soldiers from decades ago to teenagers without a care now. Like we're supposed to be covered in soot and blood, rocking an AK on the bus ride to school.

.
 

Esch

Banned
So to be a man, you need to emulate the late 1800s/early 1900s?

read the site, dont perfunctorily browse.

it is literally a self improvement site. random eccentric shit thrown in with a retro MANLY MAN theme

kinda corny, but the content is at least interesting
 
Being a man always seems so arbitrary, who makes these criteria again? These random lists are more embarrassing to read than anything, they're like those pictures that compare soldiers from decades ago to teenagers without a care now. Like we're supposed to be covered in soot and blood, rocking an AK on the bus ride to school.

Some dude on my facebook wall posted a "Men Then, Men Now" comparing some war movie to Twilight. -_-


Manliness occurs in nature but I don't think it's allowed in liberal societies. Used to be, but not anymore. But who gives a fuck what a bunch of young kids think.

It isn't that it isn't allowed. But even looking at this blog, all of the qualities it describes would be beneficial traits for either gender. Unless you think the idea of a self-sufficient woman is humorous.
 
I'm disappointed to see the pushback from this sort of thread. I'm a crossdressing, feminist gay guy with a pony avatar, and I like blogs like this one. They're not for me, but I think it's a real shame that social conventions of masculinity have strayed from being dependable and useful to being as boorish and misogynistic as possible. Figuring out what to aspire to as a straight guy can be a little tough in today's world; I'm glad of the effort some are putting in to swim against the current.

On that note, I really love The Good Men Project (nee No Seriously What About Teh Menz!?)

http://goodmenproject.com/
 

Kinitari

Black Canada Mafia
I have a fundamental problem with assigning gender attributes to these sorts of self-help guides. The blog in itself is pretty harmless, and even has some good advice - but it's obvious that the advice should be good for man or woman. Further, I balk at the idea that any characteristics in general are associated with gender - positive or negative.

Then you have the majority of the other 'man-advice' blogs and whathave you, like the post earlier that has the picture decrying youth of today comparing them to soldiers of yester-wheneverthefuck. Those ridiculously vague and silly lists that say things like "A REAL man doesn't let another man show him up" or "a REAL man knows how to tapdance" or some shit. It just gets arbitrary, and eventually it becomes painfully obvious that the person writing probably knows less about what he/she is talking about than the person the advice is aimed at.

Don't pursue personal growth in order to reach some arbitrary level of manliness set for you by who-knows-whom. If there is something you want to improve about yourself, go for it.
 

Steelrain

Member
Good stuff, OP.

I knew people would come in here and start crying without looking at the blog though.

Gotta feed that faux outrage machine.
 

entremet

Member
I have a fundamental problem with assigning gender attributes to these sorts of self-help guides. The blog in itself is pretty harmless, and even has some good advice - but it's obvious that the advice should be good for man or woman. Further, I balk at the idea that any characteristics in general are associated with gender - positive or negative.

Then you have the majority of the other 'man-advice' blogs and whathave you, like the post earlier that has the picture decrying youth of today comparing them to soldiers of yester-wheneverthefuck. Those ridiculously vague and silly lists that say things like "A REAL man doesn't let another man show him up" or "a REAL man knows how to tapdance" or some shit. It just gets arbitrary, and eventually it becomes painfully obvious that the person writing probably knows less about what he/she is talking about than the person the advice is aimed at.

Don't pursue personal growth in order to reach some arbitrary level of manliness set for you by who-knows-whom. If there is something you want to improve about yourself, go for it.
Some people don't really see it as threatening to the other gender at all. There is definitely a strong tradition of grooming boys into men throughout human history. It's not really that serious.

I personally did not have a father, so I had to learn many of these on my own--tieing a tie, women, shaving, etc. I don't think the blog's intention is to say that all men need to follow this. Or that knowing or following these things makes you a REAL man.
 

Esch

Banned
I have a fundamental problem with assigning gender attributes to these sorts of self-help guides. The blog in itself is pretty harmless, and even has some good advice - but it's obvious that the advice should be good for man or woman. Further, I balk at the idea that any characteristics in general are associated with gender - positive or negative.

Then you have the majority of the other 'man-advice' blogs and whathave you, like the post earlier that has the picture decrying youth of today comparing them to soldiers of yester-wheneverthefuck. Those ridiculously vague and silly lists that say things like "A REAL man doesn't let another man show him up" or "a REAL man knows how to tapdance" or some shit. It just gets arbitrary, and eventually it becomes painfully obvious that the person writing probably knows less about what he/she is talking about than the person the advice is aimed at.

Don't pursue personal growth in order to reach some arbitrary level of manliness set for you by who-knows-whom. If there is something you want to improve about yourself, go for it.

edit: nevermind
 

Kinitari

Black Canada Mafia
Some people don't really see it as threatening to the other gender at all. There is definitely a strong tradition of grooming boys into men throughout human history. It's not really that serious.

I personally did not have a father, so I had to learn many of these on my own--tieing a tie, women, shaving, etc. I don't think the blog's intention is to say that all men need to follow this.

It's not about it being a threat to the other gender (women?) or anything, this dialogue "men do this, men do that" - is manipulative and meaningless. Who decides when a boy turns into a man? Isn't the criteria different for every person? Why bother trying to meet anyone else's definition of a man, other than your own? At that point, why even create this archetype of a man in the first place? It's just a sinkhole I'd rather not see other people fall into.

Not to get all sappy, but I didn't have a dad around either for most of my childhood, and I turned out great. There is nothing he could have taught me that I couldn't have learned from my mother or from my own person experiences, the only special thing about him was that he was my father, not that he was a man.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the blog in the first link, and it has some very solid advice - I just think it's dangerous to fall into the 'what is a man' argument, which happens sooooo damn often when these sorts of discussions occur. Why not forget that entirely made-up narrative and just focus on being a healthy, happy, well rounded person - your gender being something entirely personal.

Oh my god.

It's not that serious.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how serious is this thread, and how serious should the responses be?
 
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