YESSS! WE ARE MEN!!

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:15 pm

I really don't think it's that funny. Oh yea, any guy who helps out around the house and doesn't expect his wife to be his surrogate mother has been "neutered".

That's crap.

The woman song is even stupider.

missy · Post by **missy** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:35 pm

Flyingcursor wrote:
Cranberry wrote:I don't like it.
Me either. I didn't know he did Orange Barrels. A true classic.

my bad - it wasn't Sean, it was Todd Yuhn - still on Bob and Tom, though....

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:09 pm

I don't know whether this is related, or not. Shopping at the new Home Depot store in our city, I needed to use the toilet, which are now euphemistically called restrooms. As I entered the restroom area, I saw that there were three doors. The doors were marked with the standard icons for men and women, but one door was marked for both men and women. Do you think that they need more information on the door that has the icon for both men and women? It reminds me of some of the retreats with limited facilities that I have attended. I haven't been in a unisex bath and shower room for many years. Someone later told me that the room was for parents with children. If that is true, I am in favor of having that be made more apparent.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 8:05 pm

DougT wrote:Someone later told me that the room was for parents with children. If that is true, I am in favor of having that be made more apparent.

Groan. At least you didn't take "restroom" and turn it into "the pause that refreshes".

djm

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 8:35 pm

I wonder about humor like this. I almost think it's funny on one level, and it almost makes me want to punch the singer on another level. I think people take it in different ways. could you all help me out and let me know how you take it? I mean more on the immediate level, not after thinking about it.

For example, "haha, yeah, that's what men (or women) are like, all right!"
or "I know it's a silly stereotype, but gosh, there's a kernel of truth there, huh?"
or "What a ghastly warning about how I could fall into this mold if I don't watch out."
or "Hah, I guess we can all be a little like that, when you exaggerate it so much though, it's funny even though it's unrealistic."
or "Nobody's really like that, how stupid."
or "Heh, I'm only a little like that, I guess I don't have to feel so bad"
or "haha, he said XXXX."
or "I guess since everyone's like that, I can be too, what a relief."
or whatever?

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:06 pm

If you are talking about the two songs, I think the humour is in the style; that each line makes a bold, self-empowering statement, and then immediately counters itself at the end with a cringing qualifier. The qualifier is revealing of a human weakness, foible or cliché stereotype. Perhaps you are getting too hung up on the words instead of the delivery.

djm

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:29 pm

*alighting soapbox*

Self deprecation is humorous and disarming - and there's an appropriate time for it. But when it becomes predictable it has become too much part of society. When it becomes internalized it's more tragic then funny. Almost anyone deserves more respect than this fellow gives to himself.

Perhaps if some people didn't accept this kind of stuff as inevitable, they wouldn't play it out in their life?

I would say there's better food for the brain then these kinds of songs. But then again I will not watch horror films and 90% of television, and much of what many people call "entertainment" nowadays - many people find that strange.

*stepping down*

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:30 pm

I heard a modified version of this "Man Song" performed live by a husband-wife duet. It was hilarious!

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:46 pm

djm wrote:If you are talking about the two songs, I think the humour is in the style; that each line makes a bold, self-empowering statement, and then immediately counters itself at the end with a cringing qualifier. The qualifier is revealing of a human weakness, foible or cliché stereotype. Perhaps you are getting too hung up on the words instead of the delivery.

Yes, I'm talking about the "Man Song" and the "Woman Song." I understand what you mean. To clarify, I'm not asking, "why is it funny?", I'm wondering what this sort of stereotype means by finding it funny (or not). Does is propagate the stereotypes, or does it warn us about them? Does it numb people or wake them up? Does it encourage you to make fun of people or have sympathy for them? Does it expose our behaviour or encourage it?

Thanks for your response, Daniel, that's what I'm wondering about.

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:24 am

Humor is our best friend, especially if it is harmless light-hearted self-deprecating humor like the "Man Song." Complaining is corrosive to everyone's mental health, both the complainer and the listener or reader. Taking oneself too serious is also the road to poor mental health. Enjoy.

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:00 am

Bill, you honestly make me smile. I agree complaining is a waste of time, as our real influence on the world goes no farther than our fingertips. And humor is absolutely great medicine, yet it is a double edged scalpel. Humor can also be insulting, and can even make us numb to things we should be more aware of. I seriously think so, but...

It's impossible to take oneself too seriously. Our perception of self is usually well disguised by our perception of ourself. In introspection we see ourselves through a mirror we create, so the vision is only true if you are a hardcore existentialist.

However, it is possible for an observer to take us too seriously - and an existentialist observer would naturally assume that we are taking ourselves as seriously as they believe us to be. In reality it's all only perception, again, because our real influence on the world usually goes no farther than our fingertips.

I don't take myself too seriously (and I guess BoneQuit would say the same of himself), though sometimes I do say what's on my mind. But I wouldn't guarantee that I'm always right. Each person can decide for themselves if they want to take the man song, the woman song, or me seriously. None of these three should be taken too seriously. If I took myself too seriously then I would likely be fooling myself. And that's not self deprecation - it's pragmatism.

There's a saying for computers and computer programming, "Garbage in, garbage out." I believe "garbage in, garbage out" applies even more to what I feed my brain. I suppose because I believe it then it must be true, for me at least. In my experience - and based on what passes for entertainment - there is not a lot of people who agree with me on this point.

Oh! Regarding "Taking oneself too serious is also the road to poor mental health" - were you thinking of this?
老子:「道德经」:第七十一章
知不知，尚矣﹔不知知，病也。
圣人不病，以其病病。
夫唯病病，是以不病。

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:02 am

I take myself way too seriously.

Drat.

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:18 am

BoneQuint wrote:I take myself way too seriously.

Yeah.... Probably me too.

The last time Bill and I got in a friendly exchange - my phreaky philosophy and his logic and argumentation - I recall we were both headed for the same valley, but approaching from different passes.

Fun recollection - that's why I smiled.

amar · Post by **amar** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:18 am

djm wrote:If you are talking about the two songs, I think the humour is in the style; that each line makes a bold, self-empowering statement, and then immediately counters itself at the end with a cringing qualifier. The qualifier is revealing of a human weakness, foible or cliché stereotype. Perhaps you are getting too hung up on the words instead of the delivery.

djm

well said!

I'm, surprised this kind of humor needs explaining or analysing, I think it's totally obvious why the mansong is funny, as you just pointed out.

This guy is goes to both ends of the man-spectrum is each line he sings, starts out totally hard-core macho, and goes to submissive wimp.

same goes for the womansong.

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:50 am

I know it's funny, and I know why. I don't want to analyze that.

What I'm asking is: how do you respond emotionally to such a list of stereotypes, true or not, funny or not? It makes me uneasy, even though I find it funny in some ways. I think people who are scared of their own lives and live in fear and deceit are pathetic and far too common, and often they don't even know that's what they're doing. These songs remind me of that (even if I do laugh at them). They make me cringe. People should be fighting nasty lives like this as hard as they can. But they still keep falling into them. It's maddening.