Why Men Love "Literally Me" Characters
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2022
- Fight club and American Psycho have been warning us, the idea of what it means to be a man is destabilizing in modern society. Recently a lot of characters have gained renewed interest among young men calling them "literally me": Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver, Ryan Gosling from Drive, Tyler Durden from Fight Club, Lou Bloom from Nightcrawler and ofcourse Patrick Bateman from American Psycho.
In this video essay we will dive deeper into the psyche of men in order to get a grip on why men find them so relatable and understand the so-called crisis of masculinity...
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#fightclub #tylerdurden #masculinity - Krátké a kreslené filmy
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It appears as though for some people I wasn't clear with the message of this video. So let me elaborate:
*Research Question* Why do men relate to "literally me" characters so much nowadays?
*Hypothesis* Does it have something to do with the "crisis of masculinity" in the modern age that Fight Club tried to warn us about? Emasculation?
*Conclusion* Yes these are all troubled men struggling with their manliness, who put on hypermasculine personas which alienated them. That's why young men relate to them. All these characters f*cked up at the end of the movie showing that radicalisation is definitely not the answer. However, who would want a video to end on that depressing note? I don't. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that we should indeed embrace masculinity and not let society and conformity emasculate us, but instead of turning into lonely sigmas and chads we can also maintain our humanity. Living a healthy lifestyle, being well-groomed, working hard and being brave are characteristics of these men that we can definitely aspire towards.
I could have chosen a lot of other movies but I chose these because they are so popular right now. Besides that, movies don't have the answer to everything. But this is a movie channel so that's why I use them as an example. Nobody is perfect, but a medium like cinema can help us learn more about ourselves and see relatable characters on screen that make us say: “that's literally me”.
Sometimes it's better to just enjoy the meme
I get that, but somehow even that does not feel finished.
Maybe the thing that finishes it is to recieve nice small gestures that you do not entirely expect, for it will make you feel at home.
I say this because simply being the sigma male is just hard work with nothing after it.
So i think that the thing that is more important are these nice small gestures. Oh and they do not have to come from other humans, a lot more things can give you that feeling.
what the fuck are you on about all these character are made to be psychopaths who kill for fun, being a man doesn't mean stabbing homeless people and kicking their dogs to death
I understand that you can make your own concept/interpretation of everything you watch -and I accept that-, but I really believe you should re-analyze these films; this is not the message the writers were trying to portray, its completely twisted. For instance, I'd recommend watching interviews of Bret Easton about American Psycho.
end if white race as foretold in bible, end of age/ time/ revelations. men go up pr down, they do not stay on earth. so yes fightclub foretold this correct aye
Increasingly sexualized society + harder dating scene = heavily increased feelings of unwantedness and loneliness
This.
So true
@@majarnairi322 yeah people don't realize their mental illness holds them back, we're meant to evolve and once you've dealt with your internal baggage you'll have all the drive to motivation to better yourself even if it's small steps, everyone's depressed and they don't even realize, just continue smoking or drinking and suppressing. I'm awake now and my only purpose is to help others do the same
@@RollandS that shit dont work if you are ugly and wana have a relatioship , the only ting u can get is one lucky night
Can someone tell me movie name? I didn't quite catch it in the video, thanks
Walter White in Breaking bad is another perfect exemple of masculinity crisis.
Especially him being an actual "man of the house", according to him and his persona of doing it for the family at least
So true. And so is Jessy, but in a different way. He's a fuck up with no ambition, cause he thinks he's not good at anything.
Lmao. Breaking Bad was about a critque of capitalism, not about Walter needing to be a man
@@anthonytruong1061 no its about meth!
Jk.
@@anthonytruong1061 I think you need to watch it again
Travis doesn't dress like a vet, he was a vet. He's a soldier looking for another war, especially coming back from Vietnam. He wants to do good and get over his insomnia and maybe what he did to make his life mean something
i think its fair to theorize that he may be lying about his military service. there are a lot of details in the movie that could suggest this. travis is not an honest person and you cant take what he says about himself for granted
@@jackal8938true but I think his skill set would back up his Vietnam claim
@@harrison9691 what skill set? hes obviously not confident with weapons
I think this critique of the video holds up as a critique of the entire underlying message of the video. These men aren't just "roleplaying" as these characters they see in these movies, they literally are these characters. Travis isn't "dressing up like a vet". He is a Vietnam vet, still in war in his head. A lot of the men that identify with these loner male mentally ill masculine characters, aren't "roleplaying" they actually feel this, and it's becoming more and more apparent and pervasive every day. It's also evolving, see the new "Joker" movie. They aren't roleplaying a disenfranchised man without a place in society whose core principles that he is born with are being discarded (his masculinity). They are that man and just saying basically "be better" at the end of the video misses the point so far and hard it's shocking.
@@jackal8938 I assume he's suffering post Vietnam trauma and weapons might be triggering him a little / giving him anxiety
When i was in my early 20s, I thought Tyler Durden was the smartest man alive. I quoted Fight Club constantly and tried to mold my personal philosophy after it. What followed was a period of deep depression and anxiety. Now that I’m on the other side of that I realize the actual point of the movie and the difference between self destruction and self actualization. Creation is the better option
Yes this! Wish more people realized this.
Character development
hey, if you don't mind could you explain me an insight what the actual movie was about from your perspective? i haven't watched the movie and im still very interested
@@ingemar4949 he means creation or destruction,you choose path you wanna walk
@@deadcorpse69 watch it first cuz its a rly cool movie + the plot twist will make u lose ur shit
When I was in my late teens and early 20s, Taxi Driver, Fight Club, and American Psycho were my three favorite movies. I somehow never realized how closely they were related until now. Thanks for that
Apparently, I need to watch Driver and Nightcrawler.
Movie is called Drive and is awesome.
I watched all five of them and only now i understand how similar they are. This blows my mind
how are they similar what the fuck are you all on about? American Psycho is literally about a true psychotic maniac, fight club is about lost kids who act up like men but all they do really is worshipping a schizophrenic lunatic, Drive is really nothing much more than a quiet guy that drives well and Nightcrawler is a straight-up functioning sociopath working up his fucked up way. Taxi Driver is just a loser that cant find his way and thinks violence might make up for his confusion. All good or absolute classic movies, for sure, but still, you kids are confused.
Its almost like you guys are amazed that movies and stories are tools to discuss human interactions
Drive not driver
nightcrawler doesnt really belong on a list with those movies
I think creativity and self expression is really underrated in men. Its all about "work hard, get a trade, be a soldier" but the aesthetic pursuits of bodybuilding, male form, musician, artist, etc are needed. Most of the greatest men in history were also artist.
@@benc589 Your "god" lets innocent people suffer and die, why do you praise this monster?
My husband now writes and plays music because I’ve assured him that it’s beautiful for him to express himself like that, he always says he’s happiest now that he’s turned in his “man card” but I think he’s the sexiest and smartest man and it makes my heart grow as he grows creatively. I wish all men felt like they could just be themselves. I can’t imagine not being able to express my soft emotions. The song my husband wrote for our cat that passed away is the purest thing and I wish that was the kind of thing all men were comfortable putting out there.
like adolf hitler
Like the great painter
"Warrior Poet".
"reject modernity, embrace masculinity, but that is only as long as you can maintain your humanity" is such a hard quote i cant even lie
I work with children and I realized saying a character is literally me is the equivalent of a 4 year old saying “I’m Spider-Man” Same core part of our psych
real. i am 21 and still look up to spidey
We live in an age of infantilization
Agreed.
Yes, and no.
Yes, because it is about the same part of brain. No, because in case of Patric Bateman, it's saying this guy is having the same strougles, instead of this guy is who I want to be.
But I am spider-man tho
I think a big part of the alienation, is that men feel like they have to be perfect in all these different ways. Which is basically what you just reinforced at the end, undercutting the humanity of people struggling and saying, “feel bad? Just do better and be perfect”
Completely agree. The end was fucking tragic! Just be the perfect man! Fuck off!
@@mcs699 how does this conversation start?
the problem is you can't just do better anymore. you have to be better OR ELSE you are liable to everything.
and then there's being responsible gets you jailed. and so you see a lot of men who refuse to be responsible. every news is like that. "we will find who is responsible for XYZ".
But you also need an ideal to strive towards
@@ggjgg9111 and that ideal for me is to live sparingly while I sit down play video games.
Mental health is the biggest thing. It really feels like no one cares if you fail when you're a man. Tangentially I was in a class and following a test a few of my friends did not do well. The professor only approached the female students to make sure they were ok and to extend the option to review the concepts. The same offer wasn't extended to my male friend who did not do well. It's one instance but this video made it stand out to me.
I went to a small school as a child with only women (most were old) and they really treated all us boys like evil worthless beasts while the women were treated good. I think this is a big part of what has made me feel kinda insane and worthless.
That really “on the nose” scene in Joker in which his therapist says basically exactly this.
You have it wrong. First of all, women are equally dismissed, in fact far more. Back when there were a lot of male teachers, it was REALLY brutal. The patronizing, the 'good thing your pretty' or 'too bad you aren't pretty', or 'you don't need to know this'.
The problem is that we have lived in a patriarchal society so long that men think EVERYTHING is about them as opposed to women who are 'coddled' and 'supported'. Women are coddled and supported in the same way men can be...by their peers. If you have no friends, get some, or get better ones. Reach out to other men FIRST to be that, and see if its returned.
In LOTS of areas that already exists. In large part the issues with masculinity are MEDIA contrived. I've worked with animals, I've seen 300 pound truckers and others cry like babies when their dog or cat is put down. Nobody degrades them, nobody says 'men dont cry' or crazy shit like that.
Most movies are made for teens, those are the ones that watch them almost by rote. The teen angst of course appeals to them, because thats how ALL teens feel at some point. For older people, again, if you have shitty friends, find different friends. I know many women who talk to other women, and the whole notion that all their conversations are about feelings and issues is bs. It depends on who they are and who their freinds are.
These movies are about the mentally ill. If you are mentally ill, get help. America especially is a dog eat dog society, your right about people caring, thats the society. Fight club is ALSO just about american society. Fight fight and more fight, define yourself by fighting, live by the sword. Meanwhile in most of europe there is a 30 hour work week, little homelessness, and good quality education and healthcare. Sounds a lot nicer doesn't it? Sounds almost like they 'care' about one another doesn't it?
In the educational field though only a CERTAIN number are expected to get an education. Industry needs lots of grunts. So once in school and they know where you fit, your right, they don't care if you fail, you are SUPPOSED to fail, in order to keep lots of desperate people around to keep wages low. Again, sounds like a society that doesn't care doesn't it? Got nothing to do with masculitnity, if you don't know HOW to be a man, its not hard and the same as being a woman- follow the laws, be a decent person, be nice to others.
It's funny how we get shit on so much but the same fucking people call us to fix their toilets because we're the only ones with the balls to do it.. lol
@@thegnome9529 don’t rely on others for your self image, you’re born into this world with all the information on how to make yourself happy, use it. Remember back to when you were a child, caring only about what you wanted to do and having fun, having dreams. Use that, but remember now you are more mature, more intelligent, less self centred and therefore more capable to achieving all of them. Never cast away yourself or the “beast”, “growing up” means to integrate that “beast” peacefully in your everyday life. There’s many ways, MMA, competitive Gaming, exploring the world, etc. Being locked in this slave life they want you to be in will never work, you either become suicidal or the beast they so desperately wanted to suppress.
You notice, elderly people don’t give any fucks and they regret they didn’t do so earlier. Though don’t mistake this for benign a total asshat to everyone around you there’s a balance.
As a woman, I love learning about the male perspective! I think it should be more discussed cause it's really interesting.
Beautiful analysis, and they all are literally me
@Opinión pública creo que los dos hablamos español XDDD
Y bueno, la verdad creo que el tipo de videos a los que te refieres se basan mucho en estereotipos, masculinos y femeninos. Viste que al hombre lo suelen retratar como una persona nada emocional, un tanto violenta, y que sólo debe de proveer, a sí mismo o a otros. Y a la mujer como una interesada, un ser puramente sexu4l y estúpidamente emocional.
Para mí, como mujer, esas expectativas o ideas son dañinas, para ambos. E igual, desde mi perspectiva femenina puedo analizar y reflexionar sobre ese tipo de cosas, lo mismo me gusta ver videos de la perspectiva masculina, para entender qué es lo que se espera de ellos.
TL;DR Para mi, las personas son humanas, más que sólo su sexo. Así que ese tipo de "psicología" me parece un poco reduccionista y poco realista.
Ahora, sobre lo que preguntas de un canal que hable sobre la perspectiva femenina 🤔 fijate que no se me ocurre ninguno que específicamente explore esos temas, aunque sí debe de haber. Si llego a encontrar algo así estos días, te dejo el comentario.
Y bueno ya, mucho texto xdd
@Opinión pública ajaja no te preocupes, tampoco domino muy bien el inglés xd
También creo que debe haber diferencias psicológicas entre hombres y mujeres... Pero la verdad no estoy segura. Lo que sí te puedo decir, desde mi perspectiva como mujer, es que la mayoría somos normales (????) XD no sé, ninguna de mis amistades ni personas cercanas ha tenido ese comportamiento tóxico que se describe de las mujeres.
Aunque, por supuesto que hay excepciones, ser ojet3 o mala persona no depende de tu género.
Lo que te podría recomendar es el libro "self made man, a woman's journey into manhood", es un libro de una morra que pasó un año vistiendose como hombre, para entender su realidad. También hace comentarios desde su perspectiva femenina, está muy interesante.
Y pues nada, si encuentras algo, me dices por fa XD
@@vanessa9815 can understand Spanish, can't speak it, still would like to add to the discussion.
Although a world view of "men and women are absolutely and exactly the same" is nice and positive, it's not the truth. Humans have been evolving for nearly two billion years and the truth is that there are significant (or at least, significant enough) differences in not only male and female physique but also in male and female psyche, and this is because throughout almost all of Human history (we spent a long, long time being "cavemen" and 'less civilized' animals) man and woman served two different, and important, roles, and it only makes sense that the brain would co-evolve with the body to facilitate the performance of these roles, a lot of these differences still persist nowadays, they're evolutionary and hereditary and here to stay until the foreseeable future.
I'm not an expert on this, so I'm not confident enough to tell you exactly what these differences are and I want to make sure I don't say anything wrong, so you'd be better off googling all this rather than having me tell you.
@Opinión pública Te digo, yo creo que algunas diferencias entre hombres y mujeres sí debe de haber, pero lo importante es que no actuemos ni tengamos expectativas a partir de estereotipos, por ejemplo, yo à mis amigos/familia, sean mujeres u hombres, les ofrezco el mismo trato emocional, y viceversa, no sé si me de a entender xd
gracias por las recomendaciones bro, checaré lo de Sigmund Freud, y la serie de Mindhunter.
No tiene nada que ver, pero como mencionaste a Freud me acordé de una serie donde sale, se llama "super science friends" XDDDD es buenísima.
Cuídate bro (:
@@blueninety4393 ntp, yo entiendo el inglés, pero me cuesta hablarlo xd
Y pues weon, es que nadie está diciendo que los hombres y las mujeres seamos *exactamente* iguales. Por supuesto que hay diferencias, mi punto es que eso no debería ser motivo para dar un trato diferente o especial a ninguno de los dos, y antes que otra cosa, somos humanos.
Pero igual entiendo tu punto, la verdad creo que yo paso más tiempo consumiendo contenido considerado "masculino" o "neutro" (???) así que mi perspectiva puede verse un poco sesgada. Igual si tienes una recomendación de un libro o un canal, te lo agradecería
Falling Down is a great classic I feel fits this genre as well, as it's about a man who despite doing everything "right", just gets beaten down constantly by random
Absolutely, I'm surprised that movie isn't talked about more. Especially in this video.
Oo
Great example, one of those "troubled anti-hero" movies, in the same way as Taxi Driver. Foster (Douglas) loses himself, and the final part in which he says, almost shocked by sudden self-awareness, "i am the bad guy?" is so relatable for me. What is typical for Travis and Foster is that they are both into their own worlds, and lack self awareness. That's what untreated personality disorder feels like and leads to. I know this because my coctail of personality disorder led me to some bizarre life choices and behaviour, which made all my friends, aquaitances and ex - my enemies, and i didn't realize that until it was too late, in my case being ostracised in many ways. But most troubled people don't turn to violence, as depicted in those movies which deal with the extreme, instead they become clingy, obsessive, immature, and at some point lose people in life and become loners/hermits, or turn to alcohol/perscription drugs and self medicate. What's worse, in many countries, mental health "professionals" don't want to deal with roots of issues such as borderline, schizoid, narcissistic PD, even hide diagnosis from patients or dismiss it, until a untreated patient gets into stalking, temper tantrums or even violence, or on other hand suicide (attempts) and then they be like "how did that happen?". Its more important to fix issues in root (eg. school bullying), because when it reaches point of no return (as Douglas said to his wife in a movie at one point), it's too late and can lead to awful consequences (shootings).
because of the main character appeal, aesthetics are very important to the literally me cult
Yea but most of these "literally me" are more gray area heros where as I feel like falling down the guys is a little too robotic and a little too bad for a "literally me"
I know that may sound cheesy, but the exact thing described in this video happened to me. I lost most of my friends and love from my life and have been searching for the answer "what happened to me and why did I act as I acted" until i watched this summery and something did click inside of my head.
A year of psychotherapy did help but nonetheless...I implore all of the guys that read this comment to be careful and not let such behaviour overtake you, it brings only destruction and pain, at first you will be oversaturated with emotions and will be dazzled by them but reality will crush on you someday no matter what.
Dude, I had a very similar thing happen to me despite being a biological woman, purely because of how my social bubble was during my teenage years.
Girls my age were so toxic and felt so alien (and often, also so dumb in their shallowness) to me, that I always fit in more with the boys. I grew up with the mentality of just soldiering on no matter what, suppressing emotions if I had to. My breaking point just wasn't as extreme. Also, I'm a maker, so some side projects did help me keep sane through bad times.
I did change a lot since then, but I'm still quite bad at making and keeping friends and such. I just had the luck to meet a similarly affected guy, so now I at least have someone to talk to over a beer or a coffee or whatever the choice of the evening is.
Surprisingly, though, I managed to keep a long-term relationship and probably even helped my boyfriend deal with some of these hyper-masculinity issues along the way. The most surprising part for me is, he isn't intimidated by the fact that I'm more likely to DIY some furniture than to cook up a dinner. Most men I've talked to, they're cool with that as long as I'm their buddy, but would never look at me as a potential partner. Most women I've talked to since maturing up a little, it's exactly the other way around, not my type psychologically.
@@olgapisova6207
I am sad that you had to go through that, no matter of how extreme it was! And glad that you have found a person that can treat you just right.
As i see it - there is no difference in gender when it comes to such things. As it was said in the video, it is a matter of social perception and the way people treat each other. It just mostly happens to males because of how people encourage such behavior even if it was not on purpose.
The saddest part is that even if people see that a guy suffers from such instabilities, they do not want to help or cannot understand how to help. Admittedly, i doubt that the person wants to be helped too, but nonetheless.
@@Tsukareda I strongly support your opinion about social perception. Sadly, the society seems broken in this regard, just too pushy.
I've gained deep respect for those who just became at peace with themselves, at least for the most part, and they don't care about the rat race.
I just wish that it was less complicated for people to find that balance so that we could be all a bit more happy and a bit more ready to listen for a minute, too.
@窒素 I'm sorry to hear you've had to go down this path for a while, with the corresponding damages.. I do hope that you can take full responsibility and go for the tough and challenging journey upwards (what would be the alternative anyways? Walk further into hell?) I am sure that with your introspection and honesty towards yourself, as well as all the depth of suffering you've lived through, that if you integrate these experiences you'll become a powerful force for good in this world. Anti-fragility makes it so.
@Ol'ga Thanks for your honest sharing. I'd say you are who you are so I'm glad you're embracing that and finding like-spirited people. Personally I enjoy people as they are and so I've been attracted to women who also embody more masculine traits, who are tough and ambitious. I actually admire it. Unfortunately they say they don't often find men who can appreciate that. What I do know is many men feel insecure, especially when a women is just tough or more intelligent than they are. Embracing yourself and embodying self-love is a rather lonesome path because few people dare to, as they would lose the conformists' comfort. Still, a mediocre or good life is the greatest danger to an amazing life, so please keep up the self-acceptance.
The video strikes close to my chest and I see it unfortunately happening to a lot of people around me as well. What has saved me is taking full ownership and having gotten a goal that is larger than myself which is my life's purpose project. Since it can serve so incredibly many people it gives me solace and a reason to suffer for.
@@albertvijghen75 Thank you. Your words about self-love being a lonesome path, currently, are very true. That said, I still cannot recommend it enough. It's very freeing...
Also, since I've started the journey, I meet like-minded people more often than I initially expected.
To see a male character in film snap is something we all identify with within ourselves. The wish to fight back at what causes your pain is something we all want, but is something we are held back from because of generations of repression.
says the white man
But if we do snap, the oppression and exploitation gets worse.
shutup
in other words the incels want to lash out LOOL
@@lol_youre_madyou’re not very bright are you
i think there are actually some people who genuinely relate to these main characters. on the flip side, there's those who follow the "male sigma" concept in their head without actually having a single idea of what the character shows. it's like a whole aesthetic for some men who follows "masculine" trends to help them define what a man is.
>to help them define what a man is
What nonsense are you talking? Everyone is sick of your gender agenda. A man is a XY-chromosomes. That's it. It's simple.
I have seen those accounts they are just immature children
Imagine a guy being emotionally stunted enough to base a whole personality over a movie they don't even understand fully lmao
They are relatable characters, but the people who unironically call themselves "sigma males" are cringe.
By "some people," you clearly mean yourself but you didn't say that cause then it shows what your actually saying is "I'm not like other guys."
People who just say they relate to those characters have their own problems, if someone is following an aesthetic, that means they wanna fit in and that's a way they cope with not usually being able to fit in. There could be many other reasons people do this, but nobody does anything in the world without reason, that's why you should never judge people. And I'm not judging you either, you clearly had your own problems at the time you commented this and I hope you got past that. I just wanna make sure anybody else that reads this comment doesn't absorb what you said and start judging people for stuff like this
i dont use literally me characters to model how i act, i relate to them because i feel how they have been written. they are based on people like us, not the other way around
I remember having these debates on Fight Club in high school and college with people, one thing that always stood out to me was that guys always identified it with rage. And they're not wrong. Fight Club was for all the males that were rejected, unwanted children of God in society. Tyler just gave it a name. But also remember: the narrator ultimately chose to reject Tyler by the end of the movie. Some say his eyes were wide open at that point, and no longer needed Tyler to go the last step.
You just explained every mass shooting.
@@randyzeitman1354 I actually see Fight Club as an Out for all the rage. I still remember that scene where Tyler held at gun point (empty) to that store clerk, and asked him what he wanted to be, and the poor guy said veterinarian. And Tyler said if he didn't start to become one tomorrow, he'd come to his address (Took his driver's license) and kill him. That was Tyler's way of shock therapy I guess.
I thought the message was of a not being trapped by material things/anti-estabishment sentiment? The movie does a really painful job of driving that point home in several instances. I mean, wasnt that the reason fight club/project Whatever It Evolved Into was doing all that controlled, anti corporate domestic terrorism at the end? The guy went crazy because he didnt like the trappings of the modern world, so he rejects it to the point of disassociation from even himself, becomes destructive, then ultimately "rejects" being a full on terrorist in a moment of clarity. (Rejects is in quotes cuz, well, disarming one bomb and leaving however many others to go off may make for a visually striking ending, it doesnt make you not a terrorist.) I guess the point could be made that its rage directed towards society, but 1. If its rage, its very methodical and 2. I feel like the men who associate this movie with rage in the context of a high school/college level discussion are more focused on the beating each other up aspect of it. I would call it resignation before rage, but thats just me.
It’s just a movie if you were confused prior to watching then you were always amenable……
@@aaroncantleberry277 back in the days I was in a party and one dude said that he like the fight club movie so much that he ordered new better version of it. offered to buy the older dvd but he wanted to own both. = definition of irony.
What I think is also a huge part of masculinity we've lost in this modern age is brotherhood. We are tribal by nature and society today is set up to make men isolated and be by themselves, working jobs in a cubicle, live in small apartments and just be a random nameless worker in a big organization. We used to hunt, go to war, build things and overcome obstacles together with our tribe which created a sense of belonging and strong brotherhood which I think is as essential for our survival as food and shelter. So, my advice to men who are feeling lost is to join a group centred around some activity like sports, hiking, crafts, cooking, etc. I've joined a motorcycle club and seriously the fulfillment I get by riding around beautiful nature with my buddies once a month is second to none.
Everyone is different. If you want to share something with someone else, then you do it, if that's what makes you feeling fulfilled.
My advice:
Live your life with integrity.
this is true, loneliness is a bitch. I wish the western world took the "it takes a village to raise a child" idea to heart
Yea tradesmen just don't feel like that . Our work has purpose and autonomy . Our mates are our comrades .
Office people don't have any of that . I could never do it.
Agreed. This is the same for women I think. Women used to do things together and shared the burden, now everybody is overworked and isolated. Our society are sick in general.
@@avancalledrupert5130 becoming a white collar corporate wage slave is the greatest mistake I have ever made. I'm throwing my college degree out the window for a real job. I can't stand sitting around in a stifling curated office space for 40 hours a week just to go back home, fall asleep from mental exhaustion and rinse and repeat for the rest of my life. Thanks Rupert, I'm one step closer to finding my profession.
Man the amount of people that relate to this is actually concerning not in a way that they’re bad but in way like wtf are we doing as a society we’ve been so focused on everyone else that when comes to the everyday person that just wants a purpose they can live for we’ve almost completely abandoned them, its a culture that if not addressed could really lead to some serious problems
I think it´s a mixture between capitalism and individualism
@@Babyblue115 No, its a mixture of society abandoning all the principals that men used to live for in favor of not excluding or offending anyone. Men used to want to start a family and raise kids and provide, but no fault divorce and dysfunctional family situation means we've reach a 60% divorce rate. There's not any acceptable viewpoints or beliefs or purpose outside of whatever "current thing" is in vouge. There's also the complete atomization of individuals, which is something like individualism but a warped version. People should want to be individuals capable of taking care of themselves, but have got to the point that all bonds and ties both familial and community are strained or simply gone. In short, we have a society without and values or purpose except that everyone can be anything and aren't required to experience any real discomfort and can shirk all responsibility or obligation. This ends up being empty and meaningless triggering existential crisis because responsibility and obligation give purpose.
@@Babyblue115 It's more college culture, and intelligence being respected more than physical strength. If you're strong, kind, valiant etc, but without being academic and book-smart, you're just a "dumb jock" according to society.
@@arianmoore4474 That too.
@@ltb1345its not really about intelligence, its just loneliness and lack of purpose
We have a lot of responsibility but too little control
Same
Only watched a minute since it was uploaded 4 minutes ago. But I think mental health is way underrepresented in society for dudes and seeing stories of men who have to deal with mental illness is something novel for them.
Yes agree 100%
I don't think Patrick Bateman from American Psycho had any mental illnesses men could relate positively to. (I'm no psychiatrist but maybe narcissistic pd, and definitely anti-social pd).
I think Fight Club sheds more light on the horrors of insomnia (I sleep like a baby but it really showed the public how terrible insomnia is). But men and woman get insomnia. Fight Club also showed did (split personality) which is very rare and not 100% proven to exist.
Alienation is a reality but it's not a mental illness. I think depression, bipolar depression, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders and social anxiety disorders in grown men should be spoken about and shown more realistically. It's common (mental illness in men) but the world doesn't seem to show it. When men are shown being sad it's usually fixed by a beer and a pep talk, when men are autistic it's mostly boys, social anxiety is joked about, bipolar depression is almost never represented accurately in men. But yeah, that's just my opinion.
@@karlabrink6011 Patrick Bateman does, not so much the psychosis but violence and the need to fit in is relatable.
@@Bald_and_Brown both those things are not a mental illness though?
@@Bald_and_Brown oh wait I think you may be right. He disassociated mid sentence going from first person to second. There's also obviously delusions of grandiosity
Really well made video, shows why ‘Literally Me’ movies/characters are so popular now without just simplifying it to “haha incel”.
Thanks a lot! It's Gnosienne 3 by Romi Kopelman
sahara by hensonn is also very similar, I think it's the more popular one but i might be wrong
@Nils Guillermin Oo you mean that one yeah here it is: czcams.com/video/YxsToElSoz4/video.html
@Boner.Pills better than being a softboy
What's the one that plays at 5:30
I really appreciate how you did this, as I was expecting you to call anyone who identifies with these characters in some way an incel or something like that, like so many do. I like these movies, and some of the character's feelings and experiences I understand, especially the conformity and question what is true masculinity in modern society. That doesn't mean I agree with all the characters in these movies or idolize them because I understand them. I'm not trying to become some "sigma" or anything like that, but these movies do speak to younger men like myself in ways that are relatable and that other media often ignore. I think you did a great job with this and your conclusion is great, as there are good things men can take away from these characters, while still feeling the ways these characters feel at times, because the world can be hard and soulless at times, but you have to keep moving forward.
It’s sad that we have to even try to justify it because of psychos who don’t get it
I think men like to feel understood, and like to have the comfort of relating to something or someone. So characters that make them feel "seen" have a lot of meaning to them, especially as society continues to cast their needs and problems aside.
Men need real connection and purpose.
As soon as you mentioned these men in these movies trying to protect the innocence that they’ve lost, it immediately reminded me of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Maybe Salinger saw this problem as far back as the late 40s/early 50s? Just a thought that ran through my head while watching.
The first few chapters of The Catcher in the Rye, I hated it, but the more I read the book, the more I thought it was a great read.
I thought the exact same thing. The fact that Salinger wrote Catcher in the Rye after having come back from war puts the themes of the book into context.
It reminds me of the MCU version of Moon Knight.
How Marc Spector,a man that has gone through too much stuff,creates Steven Grant,that some thought of as the Marc's remaining innocence.He's everything he wants to be: expressive,peaceful,kind,and most importantly,he doesn't experience the bad things that he has gone through,that made him who he is today.
And as Moon Knight,in a way,he's a 'predator' or a 'hunter'.He kills criminals,that probably has to do with his past as a mercenary working for a person who killed innocents.
In conclusion,Marc acts as this 'ultra-masculine' person that protects innocent person.But on the other hand,he wants to be an everyman,who doesn't have to listen to an ominous voice telling him to kill people no matter how bad they are,working dangerous jobs and has a severe trauma.
Something like,a reverse 'literally me' character.
What do you think?
Yeah,I know,not everybody's favourite adaptation,I'm aware.But his character really intrigues me.
@@nadiahapsari3359 For what it's worth I do really like this take on the Moon Knight character. My sister in law has DID and says the MCU series was a very respectful and accurate (to her experiences) depiction of the condition and I think she would appreciate your take on it as well.
I remember reading that when I was 10, a lot went over my head back then but I understand a lot of it much better bow
Asking what does it mean to be a man is like asking what does life mean, the answer requires no question.. just live and stop thinking about how others see you!
I think an issue with that interpretation in today's world is that how we're allowed to live is what's killing us. Even if we don't care what others think, there are still a finite number of ways to get by in the modern world. And most of them crush the soul.
Thank you, there is no such thing as “be a man” or “be a woman”, just be the best version of yourself, why would you hold yourself to some random standards you heard about
@@LadyAnalicia As a 23 yr old man who has spent about 90% of his waking life including free time, working on a career since high school, and achieving a management position at my company in only 2 years in the office side, I relate heavily to what you said. I've tried countless ways to fulfil myself in a meaningful way, but the isolationism and division that the internet culture has gotten me used to is soul crushing. Having a dog helps, but now I just feel like i'm the protagonist in fallout 4, just a man and his dog, surrounded by people who hate me, and no kind/supporting women in sight. It's no wonder that men kill themselves at an astounding rate these days, if i'm overwhelmingly successful, and I can't find happiness, or a woman that actually wants a REAL MAN, what does that mean for people that aren't as well off, that don't have the spare resources to burn?
Nothing good, I assure you. I just hope the world returns to the type of days that Supertramp sang about.
"I'll give a little bit, i'll give a little bit of my life for you, so give a little bit. Give a little bit of your love to me"
@@ThatGuy-cj1xq You need to try to live for God our creator, learn the purpose that he gave us and the truth behind our reality. Why are we here, where we go after, and what happens. I think that's that empty void you're seeking to find, and that's normal. It's amazing how in every human there is that desire in our intuition to worship a higher power for fulfillment, as if it's designed in us, only the one who designed us is worthy of that worship.
man cannot exist without woman, woman cannot exist without man, feminists hate reality
I love the way you stated your points using the movies without actually being explicit enough to spoil them a lot.
I've noticed that when you try to be your best version, you have a lot of mixed thoughts because it's hard to be something you're not, we're so broken inside that we don't even know who we are or what our purpose is.
I have to give you a "well done" on how you managed to talk about and even show us these movies without spoiling us any more than the back of the dvdbox would.
Sirusly, that was a great assay.
A big part of this is caused by how available our fathers were.
We learn the foundations of masculinity from their presence or their absence.
The father will rule, even from the empty chair...
Also by the type of man your father was
We're a generation of men raised by women. I'm starting to wonder if another woman is really the answer.
"Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God?"
I had a good dad, but a terrible father. It was his lack of fatherly teaching of masculinity that gave me a lot of problems. I overcame it, but only after missing the prime years of adolescence for self growth. Maybe even literally, as I had no father figure to teach me the value of strength training, good nutrition, and sleep for a man's overall health and growth during puberty.
Your analysis of these characters and movies is uncanny.
This alienation from society, that each of these characters face is extremely relatable to mine. Its like these fictional characters are closer to me than any of the real people I've interacted with.
Would really like to thank you for making this video. Understanding these characters has enabled me to achieve a deeper understanding of my own self.
It's like the video voices the feelings and notions that I've not been able to do so to the people around me
why the alienation? what is the solution?
Interesting video. My personal feeling is men relate to these characters because of the struggle in society that they are alienated out despite doing everything they’d been taught to do. And seeing these characters snap and push back against the system is something many, men and women can identify with. I don’t think it’s something inherent to the concept of masculinity but more how society treats people. Good examples like Falling Down and even Joker. We relate because they feel like us, not because we want to be them.
How many female protagonists or even black men have you seen cast in this role though?
@@Kamishi845 oh there are plenty. Cruella, Harley Quinn, main character of "Gone girl" (coming from the director of "Fight club" btw.) to name a few. black men though? yeah definitely more rare, may have something to do with Hollywood being idk, racist, and they prefer casting minorities as secondary chaarcters mainly
@@akwaMartyna I don't know the backstory of the others but Harley Quinn is essentially a corruption story (where the corruption is done by a white man, I should add), so the fact you think Harley Quinn is comparable because she's crazy shows that you don't quite understand the nuances between these different characterizations and what they actually say about white masculinity and white men.
The only narrative trope comparable to this trope is r-pe revenge stories, but that's not really comparable either, because those stories feature a woman who was punished for being a woman by men, which honestly says more about men's position in society than it does women.
@@Kamishi845watch Idris Elba's Luther.
@@Kamishi845 Women don't face these type of struggles, women are protected and Sympathised by the entire society, unlike men. Literally me movies are specifically designed for male audiences. Similarly how RomComs are designed for women. Except the fact that Literally Me Movies reflect reality meanwhile RomComs are completely fictional.
I'm really torn with films like Fight Club and Taxi Driver. Because on one hand it's cathartic to see men in film go against society and the people that put them down. But at the same time the ways they go about doing this are ultimately damaging and not healthy ways of dealing with mental health. I always look at these films as warnings of sorts, mental health is important and if people are struggling they need to be shown the proper ways to get help and get better so they don't end up like the characters in these films.
You're absolutely right that these films (and their source material) are warnings. Quite alarming when people see them as the opposite!
@@jmckendry84 yeah, fight club writer literally meant it as a ridicule of Brad pitts philosophy and character motives, has stated so publicly, and hates that the movie ironicly lead people to idolise the character. It's much harder to feel this admiration from the book as you really get the feeling Tyler durdens alter ego is torturing him.
Very true. I think a lot of the time when someone looks at these films and says 'that's literally me', it's actually 'that's literally what I want to do, but can't'. Each and every film mentioned here is about a damaged individual who, through some perceived oppression or other, seeks to claim something they mistakenly thinks they're entitled to take. This isn't something to aspire to - it's entitled fantasy. The great 1993 film Falling Down is the perfect example of this and a glaring omission from the selection here. On every comments section of that film there's a 101 comments by people idolising the main character, that he takes no shit, that he is kicking back against the oppression of the modern day. They conveniently seem to ignore that this man - like many of the characters you featured- is broken and fundamentally actually weak: they exhibit juvenile, immature approaches to life's problems. To start fights, to fantasise about murder, to eschew basic morality for self gain aren't the actions of grownups, they're the behaviours of children, lashing out. There are many ways to show strength and dignity and pride in being a man, but these take hard work and graft and patience and actually grown up, mature compromises.
@@jmckendry84 But the time the film was made was much different. Before social media. I think fight club really is hammering in a message about comformity. I think the fact that there aren't many role models who are masculine causes people to idolise them.
It allows people to experience, from a third party perspective, the emotions that they aren’t allowed to show in society whilst still grounding them in the reality that, at their extremes, these emotions can be destructive and harmful.
And it cuts way deeper than most movies through its honest portrayal of modern life as soul destroying and oppressive if you allow it to be.
Travis Bickel is a veteran of the Vietnam war, his struggle to transition into civilian life is a big part of why he is the way he is.
As someone who struggles with PTSD, and also had a much older friend who struggled with the same and was also in vietnam, transitioning to civilian life, as it were, is an entire new mode of being. Debriefing a soldier isn't merely enough. PTSD informs absolutely everything you do. Its the gift that keeps on giving, as there are so many comorbities associated with it. Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, etc. The more I learn about it, and the more I learn about myself, the sadder it makes me see anyone else suffer from it. It is a heavy yoke to bear, and one that tightly locks onto the neck. It has taught me one important lesson though. An epiphany, if you will. That epiphany is:
"Love knows we suffer enough"
I'll leave the reader to ponder that statement, as it deserves contemplation.
He is not. Stop parroting idiocity from pediwikia which some fool wrote.
Man. Your videos have become one of my must go places when I'm really really really high. I love everything about them. Please don't die, ever, and keep making these videos forever. THank you.
Love your videos and this is a good one. A little note, Travis Bickle didn't wear a jacket like a veteran, he was a veteran. When he first talks with the taxi manager, the manager asked him if he served in Vietnam. Part of the reason the manager gave him a shot was they both served.
At the beginning of this summer (2022) I actually wrote an essay about exactly this topic using "Fight Club" and "American Psycho" as the core of the argument about men and media in the 21st century.
Would love to read the essay lol
Same
you should post it somewhere on the internet, it'll be cool to read about the stuff from another man hopefully.
@@avneeshdaga4217 where to post ?
@@thesaksham anywhere really, Wikipedia maybe, some website with essays. Then link it here, maybe edit the comment and share the link or where it's posted.
All in all let people know where you have posted it in similar shorts/reels.
I think many people would read it.
Even though the video looks effortless. You've done insane levels of editing. Specially in choosing the scenes. The way music is running in the background and seamless change between your cam and the scenes. Well done
🙏🙏
Looking effortless needs the most work and will.
Agreed. This was masterfully presented.
I didn't think it looked effortless for a second.
7:33 Nno, no, I AM IN TOUCH WITH HUMANITY
One of the best videos I have seen in quite a while. Excellent work
Michael Douglas' character in 'Falling Down' also follows this arc of development and resolution
Right On Amigo!!!! The whole time I'm reading these comments, I was thinking 'Falling Down' also fits into this narrative very well. I saw Taxi Driver in the theaters when it came out as well as Falling Down.... both were very impactful to me!
I think it’s not on MUBI that’s why he did not include it in the list even though it fits the narrative perfectly, but again I don’t know what movies are on MUBI
Thanks, forgot about that one and yeah right on topic
I was thinking of Baby Driver lol. Good lighthearted film, character doesn't quite go down quite as dark a path tho
Michael Douglas character in Falling down is a stalker and wife abuser and future family annihilator. In many ways worse than all of these characters
@@MeatCatCheesyBlaster I spotted the jew
Now, I understand more why playing soccer games every week with my mates make me feel alive. It is actually a fight club between two teams with a football.
Wow awesome
I kind of thought about this yesterday
yea that basically sums up most sports. its socially acceptable war
Im the same with jiujitsu. Theres something of about struggling against someone til you lose your breath and sore your muscles only to be released from that tension and your team goes out to get a couple of drinks
@@mackrevinack its more about the competitive aspect, but the physical element plays a huge factor as well. that is why MMA has become so popular in the last couple decades , almost a return to warrior tradition and culture
I feel sad for most men since they didn't had a military upbringing I sent most of my life with air force officer I was thought everything from discipline to table manner and 1 important thing many people over look respecting women and elders
My God..I LOVED the parallels you drew b/w American Psycho and Fight Club and Nightcrawler,Taxi Driver and Drive. Leaving off with a subscription 🛐😩
The script for this video is so well-written. For someone who hasn't seen all the movies you get the jist perfectly. For some who has seen all the movies you keep realizing new references. Really well done.
Not really. He points the finger at capitalism 5 or 6 times. It's basically a propaganda piece.
@@FluffyBunny9002 he means more consumerism, which is bad consumerism ≠ capitalism, i think he just confused the 2
You need to know that there are two more movies blended in! The movies "Place among the Pines" and "Blade Runner 2049" are blended into the Driver scenes of Ryan Gossling. Both also very much recommend to watch!
@@FluffyBunny9002 Just don't look for some political context here lmao
One positive lesson we can learn from fight club is the concept of self acceptance. One of the leading causes of depression is internal conflict. Internal conflict is why the Narrator created Tyler Durden. Self Acceptance is the first step towards progress. Embracing the darker aspects of your personality and learning to control it is better than living in self denial. "Above all, do not lie to yourself".
Well said. Recognising your weaknesses and living your life accordingly is the best way - avoiding your triggers etc.
"The world is what it is and we are what we are".
Wow that analysis at the ending was perfect. Great video
We'd need more than the best parts of these characters. You also need compassion, kindness, empathy, and nurturing community
Joe from Blade Runner did have emotions and compassion, they were just buried in a pile of propagandistic teachings of the system he lived in. I'd say the same about Travis Bickle.
Im at a stage where i dont feel much emotion besides anger, stress and frustration. Rarely i feel some happiness but i feel like a complete outcast who is not able to express his true masculinity because of family and society. I hate this dilemma, i want to be a real man but i can feel an inner rage/demon that is dying to burst out
Edit: it’s crazy how much has happened and what I’ve learned in 2-3 months. I’ve managed to learn how to control my mentality and emotions much more now. I would say reading books definitely helps, especially instead of reading crap online, even just a little bit every day. But either way, the pendulum has to swing back the other way eventually so we as men, as brothers, need to keep pushing and nurture our potential to be great. Good luck
lmao @ you
Get some help, right now. I've been through a similar phase some years ago, and it ended with a big fat depression that nearly destroyed me. You don't wanna get there, trust me.
haven't had a positive thought in a few weeks
@@crampusmaximus8849 whats so funny
@@isey4482 ive been through depression already and I’ve tried therapy and stuff. I didn’t really like therapy, i will just endure and learn to grow my own way. Luckily I’ve started my final year of uni so it’s giving me a purpose to focus on now
I wish you included Blade Runner 2049 in the analysis more because I think that would show the complete spectrum of takes on repressed masculinity. My personal opinion is that when you’re in a rut to respond like K and commit yourself to something you believe in that is for the greater good, rather than your own personal gain(Nightcrawler) or expressing pure hatred for the world(Taxi Driver) is the way to go. I guess Drive is a similar idea I think that slightly different concept would be a cool thing to explore as well
I was thinking about making a full video about it because it is one of my favorite movies. Similar theme but in a broader context
@@DuCinema1 Yes please
Please don't mention that generic nonsense of BR49 in the same video as these films. There's a reason why it tanked and has been forgotten.
@@polreamonn blade runner as a franchise is anything but generic and if you think it is you missed the point
@@leowright2885 I love Bladerunner. But BR49 was derivative garbage. If Villenueve wanted to do something original then he could have read the source material as there are so many brilliant ideas within that universe.
These videos motivate me to be more supportive towards people around me
Men who had no positive male role model growing up would find one online
I've was drawn to the movie Drive as a young ex athlete trying to fit into "society" I never knew why I was so drawn to the movie and the soundtrack respectively. This video has been able to associate a meaning to why I was so drawn to it at a challenging time of my life,
Thank you for the great content!
What is worth noting is that this isn't an entirely new character type, but just a more extreme version of the "noir anti-hero", like Humphrey Bogart played in a lot of older films. If you look at the characteristics of a noir anti-hero, all of these newer film characters meet all of the criteria, but their behavior is more extreme, and more out of step with mainstream society. So it's really an evolution of an existing type, probably as an answer to our society's accelerating tendency towards alienation and suppression of natural individual instincts and desires.
The Leo Bloom character isn't a hero or even an anti-hero. He's a villain. You want to see his redemption arc, but it never happens.
@@ramonacosta2647 Yeah, he has some superficial similarities to a Travis Bickle type character, but he really doesn't have any redeeming qualities. Ambition and dedication, I guess, but even those are twisted always to bad purposes. Bickle on the other hand was a romantic (though a completely incompetent one) and an idealist (though an obsessive and maniacal one), so he had redeeming qualities even if they were maldeveloped.
Holy crap this is the most mind opening video I have ever seen thankyou for sharing, now I just have to stop myself becoming crazy like all of these characters and make sure I don't become the man "who could not take it anymore".
Just recently stumbled across your videos, and they are all bangers. Including this one. I appreciate your content, homie🔥
An idle young man can be a dangerous thing. Find hobbies. Find your place. You are wanted and have a place in the world, but maybe not in the ways you expect right now. It will all be okay.
Russell Very true that idleness is an issue as it can breed boredom and discontent. Finding your place has become difficult for young men (and women) because of the conflicting dialog coming from social media, general media and governments, etc. The suicide rate amongst our youth has become obscene, especially in developed countries where there are opportunities to improve your situation.
Drive and competition is being slowly squeezed out of western society. Men are crucified for finding outlets for this as being toxic. The first thing the modern man needs to do is ignore the social pressure to keep the need for competition and discipline internalized. If you cage the beast of man, it will burn the prison down.
very true, our hobbies keep us grounded
I needed to hear this. Thank you, kind stranger.
There is no place to find. If my place is the shit corpo rat with no real meaning to their life that everyone my age became, then burn that shit to the ground.
One point on Taxi Driver, which I think is very interesting, is that it appears more likely that Travis isn't actually a Vietnam War veteran, but that it's just a backstory for the character he decided to be.
That's an interesting take, I disagree that its more likely if we consider when the movie was made, but still a good point with the identity themes it explores
i mean he was wearing standard issue army jacket and boots and in one scene you can see he was hit in the back with a bullet during the war (scar) plus they never really hinted that but its an interesting take
He's an Ex Marine if I remember correctly
no the reason he is like this is that he is a soldier who was probably drafted at 18 this was his big break where he came back home as a hero but that did not happen instead he was made a killing machine devoid of any emotions he does not buy guns because he is angry he is looking for an enemy. There was a scene he was involved in a gas station robbery he did not hesitate he shot him and he did not display any emotion. At the end of the movie we see him alive and he got his hero recognition in the newspaper but the director stopped it at that point to let us wonder if he got his hero phase or if he will be waiting for the next enemy waiting to blow. Also he did have bullet scars
What a video. This is so top class. You are a genius bro.
Nah bro anyone telling Bateman is litteraly him is 100% ironic 😂
Being a man has and will alway change. Society has expectations but society is not always right. Become greater by transcending expectations. Be who you want to be , not what others want you to be. Just dont be cringe
@@Chadius_Thundercock you shouldnt conform to being a man or woman. excel in your personal life by using masculine and feminine traits to your advantage. Movies like fight club praise non-conformity but they conform to the greatest cookie cutter aspect of men: wanting to be a man. You shouldn't want to become an archetype in society. you should want to be your own archetype.
@@Chadius_Thundercock I don't like it either, and certainly not in the modern age, but centuries from now you have no idea what'll be considered acceptable or taboo
There's core things that should remain consistent, same with women. Look at first world feminism. It was supposed to be for misfit women to just live on their own, but look how many aren't happy with it, and still expect traditional men to be there for them.
New social constructs shouldn't be done by everyone because there's no way of knowing how it works in the long run, and we're starting to see the effects there.
Women are easy to explain, but men is much harder, mainly in the first world.
Define cringe
@@antithoughtpolice7497 @Anti Thought Police women are less happy because the man's world is unhappy. In the man's world, its all about flashing your materialistic posessions, climbing to the top of the corporate ladder, working 40+ hours a week, being taught your emotions should be bottled up. When a woman steps into that world she has to grapple with that reality. Even before with traditional gender roles, women had very little freedom. They couldnt be considered "happier" because they didn't even have a full concept of freedom of choice. We need to rethink what it means to be a man and a woman to establish new societal expectations for both.
Such a great video. There isn't enough discussion around Masculinity in media other than people criticising it. Like yeah, Travis from Taxi Driver has problems... but that's the point. That's the state a lot of guys are in. People criticising that sort of behaviour just creates a further divide, and antagonises already struggling males.
And using fake bullshit terms like “toxic” masculinity
@@Saber23you missed the entire point of the video. toxic masculinity is the entire point of him saying that you can go too far and lose your humanity. toxic masculinity is taking your masculinity past the point of caring for others and losing your humanity in an attempt to be as masculine as possible. that's what toxic masculinity is, its a radicalization of masculine behavior.
@@Saber23 Toxic masculinity was legit explained. Its when you lose your humanity trying to be the damn hero lone wolf masculine alpha dude all the time. Masculinity isnt toxic as long as youre keeping the connections and emotions that make humans human. but when you start shitting on everyone else and alienating yourself from other people and treating everyone around you like youre better than them and stopping yourself from feeling things like sadness and happiness and shit because some archaic ideology that "men angry, men no cry, men stoic all time" , yeah, thats fucking toxic. All people want is for dudes to not go off the deep-end then start complaining and blaming others about it like yall didnt do it to yourself.
These movies are all explicit criticisms of hypermasculinity, though. When they work it is because they offer empathy in addition to critique and when they fail it is because men mistake that empathy for a defense, buying into the protagonist's self-justification.
I think where social discourse fails is (1) that critiques of the worst aspects of masculinity often situate the problem in the individual rather than society, not offering enough empathy to the genuine victimized and trapped experience of those who've fallen into hypermasculinity.
And (2) those who buy into hypermasculinity are easily triggered by even the most empathetic critiques. Many guys are so quick to feel victimized that they can't hear any nuance, so wrapped up in doubling down on the masculine archetype to see that it is the archetype itself that they are trying to rebel against. So mixed up by this contradiction that they struggle to even recognize when the main point of a film they love is that society currently offers men a false and vicious choice between 2 shitty masculine archetypes, the hopelessly alienated modern man and the hopelessly violent traditional man.
@@Saber23 Ironic because this is a huge part of what the problem is. Guys feel depressed and unfulfilled because they are socially conditioned to shut up when they are having a hard time. This traditionally masculine behavior is toxic. Toxic masculinity does not mean everything considered masculine is toxic. It focuses on the aspects of masculinity that are in fact toxic and are what most people in this comment section seem to be complaining about.
Well made video essay Bro!
This is very well made video, but not because I relate that much to these characters. It's because of the concepts that Du explained that enlighten me.
I never was in any of these situations; masculinity was not a priority of mine, and I in fact much rather be invisible or behind the shadows than feel a sense of belongingness to a group. But with what I'm doing now for my sibling, and my future plans of attempting my 3rd "disappearing act" nearing completion, I can at least now put to rest those question of what I am doing by giving them a proper label.
"Protecting what innocence is left of them" I guess it can work for me.
Watching video reviews like this makes me think that masculinity as a whole is an underrepresented topic in today's media.
Liberal ideas are dismantling every identity, with a special focus on masculinity.
It's literally highly overrepresented af as well as femininity and everything surrounding gender because people are insecure and obsessed with it (like the video and the whole comment section - including you - shows). You should really think before you write.
@@candide1065 Finally god, someone sane. I've been scrolling for ages and all I see is "we used to be BIG strong MEN and go to war to die!!!! But now there's peace! We have to create more problems and more oppression again!!!" These people are insane lmao😭😭
@@rakel4370 most men are in fact brainwashed. “masculinity” isn’t even real & govts change the definition every 100 years or so. even today, most things we be-lie-ve are either false or half truths
“Our war, is a spiritual war. Our Great Depression, is our lives”
Video: Your slowly going crazy.
ME: I'M HIM, I DRIVE.
I cried watching this. Nice work
These are my 2 favourite movies as well, never realised the similarities until now, Good video!
Fully expected this to go the route of only criticizing what these characters represent. Appreciate the seldom heard take on social media.
Thank u I needed this.
Travis Bickle IS a veteran, he's a Vietnam Marine Corps veteran, so he's not just training or dressing like a veteran. That's a major part of his character and therefore the story.
People also forget that like in the movie No Country For Old Men, him being a veteren affords him a lot of advantages.
And it's because Vietnam veterens were treated excessively harshly, to the point of just abuse by the public purely for political means, think 'trump derangement syndrome' of that age.
These people were often times rejected and were left out in the work force, with no applicable skills and fearing backlash from people due to their veteren past often couldn't list that they were in the military on resumes.
Especially in a place like New York, if I remember as well the party the love interest is campaigning for is the same one that was anti-vietnam.
I'm glad someone else noticed
8:55
@@law6800 5:36
@@DetectiveTrupo203 "training like a soldier" - he's a veteran, but not a soldier anymore.
I think that losing fear is a path we all have to take...
Respect is what we need, be from others but mainly from ourselves.
When I was a child I played with childish things.
When I became a man I put the childish things away.
Not losing fear. Without there can be no courage. To act in the face of fear is the baseline for masculinity.
dude, this video is brilliant, thanks for the insight
Excellent analysis, keep it up sir
you literally made avideo about my favorite movies and narrarated it to such a degree that i'm simply blown away. This was the best youtube video i've seen all year. bravo
beautiful insight into these movies. Love that the important themes of these movies are finally discussed. Not vilifying the characters, but seeking to understand
Nor are they glorified as bastions of masculinity by people who don't understand the characters.
@@MiketheNerdRanger that’s just a made-up strawman from feminists
Now with Barbie coming out and Kenergy being a thing i think Ken is the best form of a Literally Me character. A man fighting back against the thing he thought he needed and coming out of it realizing he only needs to love himself
ohh the same damn troupe " you just need to love yourself " 💀
@@prateekmahapatra1789 Really, love yourself is so naive and bluepill lmao
@@The_Indo_Aryan self love is a healthy practice
@@sch_ilis9928 It depends, what is the definition of Self Love according to you? For me, self love is improving yourself by a landslide, having an ego and being self centred. According to me, you should not need anyone to love you constantly you should be self validating and physically attractive so that you're not emotionally dependent on someone else.
@@The_Indo_Aryan self love is subjective, but self improvement is a form of self love, if done for the right reasons
i think majority of people who say "literally me fr fr" dont mean it that deep, we just think the characters are cool but not our guide in life
Yeah most people say it in a satirical manner
I wouldn't use these movie characters as absolute guides for how to live my life. It is mostly just a meme when I say "literally me" might have a few traits in common with them but that's about it.
literally me is bladerunner 2049 or taxi driver, especially bladerunner 2049 because it represents what future will be like when im gonna turn adult, because im 12 (yes i know that you gonna not take me seriously by my age) and taxi driver by the way i feel after school
It's semi-ironic. People who say that are poking fun at the ones who literally base their entire personality off of these characters, but at the same time, they are relatable.
@@ltb1345 yeah, I unironically relate to these characters. I am not doing the crazy shit they do (Taxi Driver, Fight Club, and Drive for example). But I do feel like an outcast in society.
The Lighthouse, I have to say, is one of the movies I felt most understood by concerning masculinity, especially in the last few years. It's not related to capitalistic themes but shows to an extreme, what can happen with us and our mental state in isolation. It's a different kind of literaly-me-movie but as I said, it really hit home for me :D
Absolutely amazing video. I can't express how much I've appreciated this. The question it asks. The amazing consciousness to realize this era that is not completely obvious to the majority. Thank you for making this video.
very good video, the ending was perfect and very inspiring, thank you
Fantastic video probably one of the most eye opening things I’ve watched
2:06 this is something that I’ve had in the back on my mind for a while, without the guile to articulate it. The desire to have an impact on something is overwhelming, but daily life in this era is unfulfilling in that regard. Part of the appeal with these characters is that their actions actually mean something. Even if they are blatantly evil like Bateman. “Better to be infamous than forgotten” etc etc.
If this continues like this, eventually those with nothing to lose are the most dangerous
Just beyond the horizon of 'nothing to lose' is the possibility of finding something worth living for. I was in that state for a couple of years, where I had nothing to lose in a society that hates me. Then I found the woman who is now my fiance(getting married next month) and that changed. A woman who exults in my masculinity and relies on it. Who appreciates not just who I am but what I am.
Now instead of having only a world to fight against, I have a world worth fighting for. My views and beliefs have not changed, but what I value has. Single men are incomplete men. Having no woman, no children means you are not tied to life. I was ready to seek out my death in battle, now I dedicate myself to protecting my woman. It has changed and fulfilled me.
I know that isn't the solution for many. But it saved my life. (and unfortunately the lives I was going to take) But in counterpoint to your comment, I disagree. I thought I was at my most dangerous when I had nothing to lose, but I was wrong. Now that I have something I love, that is utterly precious to me, that means more to me than just about anything, now I am at my most dangerous. It just has more focus now. Just my two cents.
You do realize that there's nothing for them to gain either right? And it's an over exaggeration to consider a lack of finding your personal identity outside of politics and movies "losing all there is to lose". The world isn't ending, how about that for a change.
@@artorhen I'm guessing you've never experienced this yourself, so I'll explain one part. The release that death offers IS the gain. Giving yourself over to violence and extremes just to feel something isn't off the table either. Be dismissive of these people at your own peril.
@@Arkancide yeah a few years ago I would and did risk imprisonment over what a normal person would shrug off. When you have nothing to fight for you’ll die for anything. It’s an extremely saddening mindset that only pushes you further into the feeling of hopelessness that fuels the behavior. Some will never understand this and they should count themselves lucky.
@@artorhen i agree but try to tell every Mass Shooter that
Literally me.
Society don't care about you or your feelings as a man, so screw society, become the best version of yourself, set goals and achieve them, focus on yourself, get money, get fit, get healthy, get strong, get smart, don't be the victim - no victim has ever been happy, take charge and execute, find like minded people and keep moving forward.
You got this
Who do you mean by society? Men seem to care an awful lot about the woes of other men. Rightfully so, I think.
no, he got everything wrong...... and you did too. he made it about himself
@@anarchism life is about yourself. you have limited time.
@@justinlassiter7671 you're partly right. But if you make it too much about you, you end up alone.
@@anarchism Yo, this comment section is very interesting wouldn’t you agree. Something struck me though. He says do it for yourself and you seem to say do it for others, maybe your both right. Maybe you serve everyone best by serving yourself and you serve yourself best by serving others. I wish I could word it better. Improving yourself let’s you improve the lives of those around you I guess. So I suppose the question is wether or not that’s your motivation for self improvement. But also helping others is satisfactory to oneself, and provides a sense of purpose… so are you really doing it for them? There’s no answer I suppose. Either way wether it’s for yourself or for others, it’s best you just do it.
I’m talking nonsense aren’t I.
Dude, this was incredible. Made a lot of sense of movies I was miss-interpreting.
What I'm going through in my life currently has sent me down this deep particular rabbit hole. Endlessly consuming these films and stories. Drinking them up like it's my lifeline. I know somewhere in me that it isn't healthy but it's the only place I'm finding solace in the darkness. And this is odd. Because these characters almost send me deeper into the darkness. And the dangerous part about it is that it feels really good. It almost feels like the Devil holding your hand as you descend to Hell. It's validating. Comforting. But troubling. It isn't the way.
its oddly comforting to see a character deal with similar internal emotions that i do. It makes the struggle feel more normal rather than constantly thinking "whats wrong with me?"
That prof pic really fits with those thoughs... Hope you're doing well now
I really enjoy and appreciate your work, it literally open my eye and mind same time to understand what i must achieve to be my best.
I think a broader analysis of the "literally me" character is warranted as it becomes a trope. A huge difference you'll find in these characters, using Lou and Travis as an example here, is that Lou is a corrupt sociopath from the start and Travis reads more as a lonely man with good intentions who is slowly corrupted by the darkness of society around them. The inward-outward source of the moral corruption is often a driving factor.
I recall Martin Scorcese saying in an interview that part of the motivation for him to make _Taxi Driver_ was his interest in how close the actions of heroes and villains are to each other. So the circumstance of Travis failing at assassinating the political candidate leads him to use the "stored energy" he has amassed to kill Iris's pimp instead, trading a heinous act for a heroic one is less a heroism of intention than one of dumb luck.
I think that Jodie Foster ( "Iris" in _Taxi Driver_ ) was intentionally revisiting this theme from a slightly different angle when she made _The Brave One_ decades later.
Seen all these movies! Love the vids man.
Felt like a properly done dissertation. Great job.
other "similar" films that came out at the same time as 'Fight Club' are 'American Beauty' and 'Office Space'. In all these movies you have 3 men who hate their lives and their jobs but by some catalyst are somehow able to leave them by either quitting or quiet quitting before they get laid off or fired and undermining / blackmailing / stealing from their bosses /company to get a nice severance package.
I may add Douglas' "Falling Down"
don't buy into the whole 'sigma/tate' scene but lot of the edits are just kinda cool. Oddly comforting. I do find the cliff edge into loads of weird more extreme shit kinda odd, slippery slope. Feel like more guys are becoming creeps/weirdos through that shit than using it as a force for good. Misery loves misery & creates more. Wallowing in self pity & then blaming it on the world.
but they're literally me
That’s a strange narrative you created in your head. There is no slippery slope from people relating to characters with cautionary tales. You’re creating connections that aren’t there. Pretty disgusting of you to demonize people who like these characters while excluding yourself.
@@ExpertContrarian Well then clearly you’ve made something that wasn’t about you about you then? I’m referring to the wide use of these on social media by phrase/influencers dedicated to solely highlighting or making men feel like the worlds always against them/pushing harmful rhetoric or odd ways to live your life via drug use in gym, wild diets or ‘how to be a alpha’ type bs life tips which are usually pure toxic bs. Again no issue I’m liking such characters/the edits, I’d say I’m the same in the manner, am I demonising myself?
@@d.b.cooper1 I never said anything about myself. What a terrible strawman. Try to be at least a little more smart.
Incredible video. This has given me a completely new appreciation for all of the movies mentioned here. Fight Club was always my favourite movie of all time because it spoke to the crisis of masculinity I was experiencing being in this world. I never much cared for Taxi Driver or Nightcrawler but after watching this video I can now see how important they are! Thank you for this video it has made me appreciate these films in a different way and love these movies even more!
Amazing how dumb you are. "Taxi Driver" is the most important, intelligent and brilliant film of them all. It's revolutional. All others just follow in the footsteps.
@@TrueNeutralEvGenius my main issue with Taxi Driver is that I can't stand the soundtrack. These movies share themes but they are in no way the same movie. I can respect Taxi Driver but it's never been my favourite film. It's a pretty basic concept that if anything has been expanded upon and improved since its inception in line with modern times.
@@LaurenceSouthDrumsUK What? It has one of the greatest OSTs of all time by genius Bernard Herrmann. What's your problem exactly with it?
@@LaurenceSouthDrumsUK Also nothing is basic in Madonna-Prostitute(Whore) complex, not to say about alienation and overall degeneracy of society, which shown brilliantly. Only "Amrican Psycho" is close to that brilliance of "Taxi Driver" of those movies, which are, of course, are very different movies, indeed, that's where you right about it. I could go on with more intellectual ones like "The Conformist", but that's probably not for people like you, judging by your statements. Anyway, best wishes, take care.
@@TrueNeutralEvGenius the same theme repeats over and over again and I find it really annoying, just a personal thing
This doesn’t mean much coming from someone with a Tyler Durden profile picture but the truth about this “genre” is how unhealthy it is. Really. It creates this romanticism that doesn’t help you face your problems, it just makes you feel better about having them, specifically with Patrick Bateman. I feel like i’ve transcended the genre, I loved all the literally me movies but once I realized it wasn’t what I should strive for/take comfort in, it all really clicked for me.
TRUE, only sane person in these comments ^^^^
everyone else in these comments sound like school shooters, who idolize the most toxic mental health problems and characterise themselves as an angry dog backed into a corner? how about they turn their internet off and go touch grass lmao
nothing was done with you in mind
nothing was tailored for your enjoyment or to speak to you
the shear stupidity you express with "romanticism" or that it won't "help" you, it's not a PSA it's not a self help book/movie/play
if you want to come to terms with your personal issues stop trying to find the answers in kateperry songs you literal 12 y/o
coping with ones shortcomings can't be isolated to that sort of things, you might as well argue rosan was terrorism because fat people funny
glad you grew up eventually and started seeing a difference between fiction and reality
like are you mad COD is not helping you to get over sexual abuse?
That's the point. Tyler Durden it's like Andrew Tate.
Modern media basically represents men as objects, sacrificable punching bags, while women are divine beings, trophies to be worshipped and loved and to which you have to build your entire life around, and even then you are doing it wrong cause they don't need you.
There's no in-between, no humanity behind this representation, for both sexes, and as always women are put to impossible standards as basically goddess and men as the sacrifice.
It's a new version of the old "men are soldiers born to die, women are trophies that exist just cause", this type of situation is the breeding ground for"cult leaders" like Tyler Durden or Andrew Tate or every modern "giga alpha male".
Like, imagine being a 13-year-old boy growing up with modern media. you are born evil, born to r*pe, the world would be perfect if men like you would never be born, that even your own mother despises you cause you are a r*p*st and a pig and you are destined to hurt every woman you meet, and who can never be right cause your own nature is violent and brutal. you can imagine this kid growing up with relationships problem. then, someone tells that the reason you are unhappy it's because you are a beta and weak, and if you become strong you will achieve happiness. it uses your anger to follow a logical path: it's my fault and i can fix this. that's how you radicalize people into Incels
That's the whole point of the genre man. It initially makes want to be them but eventually makes you realize the flaws of both sides. Hyper feminine men lose their identity while others try to act manly and again,lose themselves in the process. Many have forgotten what it truly means to be a man
they are all literally me tho
I like where you're going with this channel. Insightful and thought provoking without being cringey like most "movie analysis" channels out there
Looking forward to more!
Just discovered the channel now and totally agree with this comment! I’ve watched all your videos in one sitting this evening, really thoughtful and insightful. Thank you and excited for more :)
Well put together nice work!