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There seems to be a particular metaironic meme that's popping up around YouTube[1] around the theme of "reject modernity."
The premise: society[2] is devaluing men. Masculine values are being replaced with feminine ones, and the sorts of endeavors that men excel at are being shunned and seen as problematic.
These videos are little 5 minute hype-pieces, aimed at pulling the sorts of strings that get American men going, but feel they cannot really pursue. Such values as:
These values taken directly from one of these videos[3].
I'm a bit conflicted about this sort of stuff. On one hand I agree with the sentiment, and the values. We do need some sort of pushback against the onslaught of blobbification that seems to be happening in society. A push against passivist consumerism and infantile worship of platforms and digital people[4], against a society of pure eggshell-walking niceguyness, laziness, and fat.
And yet, the solution that seems to be proposed by these memes is embracing the shallowness and emptiness of aesthetics for aesthetics sake. Patrick Bateman is the metaironic hero!
Perhaps what's missing is vision. Figuring out what it is that needs building first. Then build it. Instead we get plastic vision, vision of symbols without substance. We get Arnold flexing, rather than men building something of their own for their family and society. It's part of the message sure, but mixed in with these sorts of symbols of emptiness.
I suppose that's kind of to be expected with these hype-pieces. They're like the rituals that turned men into Berserkers[5]; a means to an end. If they get you to push out of the current condition and into action, then the purpose has been fulfilled. Propaganda, by definition. Not the best means to get there, but an effective one towards a noble goal.
Last updated Thu Jul 07 2022 in Berkeley, CA
3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKPfOEsP3pU
4: /thought/digital-people.gmi
5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker