Wednesday, March 24, 2010

I am reading Guyland. It has some good insights about how frustrated entitlement contributes to a toxic homosocial culture of male bonding. I especially liked his insights about the desire to delay adulthood[many women also want to delay adulthood but don't have the social space. There's no boys will be boys for women.], to recapture that imaginary space where white men ruled all and they didn't have to do 'politically correct' things like respect women or not bash gays, and also, that some guys are fools, if they think that bangbus is real and that they can really 'score' with those hot girls on campus with their neckbeards and pre middle age paunch.

He does mix a few things up- the state of video games has now far advanced beyond Lara Croft, although GTA is still popular. He also fails to measure the popularity of casual gaming, althoug that sort of gaming is not considered real gaming as it is not gendered masculine. I note that what gaming is considered masculine has changed over the years. RPGs are now unisex or slightly feminine, but they used to be masculine. Family games like Mario and Zelda are now unisex, not just for boys.

Also, while porn does encourage a phalliocentric and predatory sexuality, many men don't have that sexuality as a default. I was also amused that dude had to say I LOVE SPORTS. I think it's like feminists are now all required to say they love makeup and high heels. He also did focus too much on marriage and children as a marker of adulthood. We have too many children already, and anyway, a man who goes around impregnating women without taking care of his kids is more of a boy than anyone who hooks up but is responsible about it.

1 comment:

Bill Hawthorne said...

Dear Shannon,

I just have a quick question for you but couldn't find an email so had to resort to this. I am a progressive blogger and the owner of the mahablog. Please email me back at barbaraobrien@maacenter.org when you get a chance. Thanks.

Barbara