marketing of masculinity

whitey: understood, but there's also the implication that being able to iron your own shirts & do other domestic tasks is about self-reliance and "being a grown up" and not relying on a woman to mother you -- which does relate to the values espoused in the original ad posted itt

a friend of mine works as a carpenter for his uncles contracting company - they do really high end jobs for fussy rich clients - his uncle got his start by bidding on a getting a deck building job w/o out any experience building anything - so he want to the store and bought a book called like how to build a deck

changed a flat tire on the side of the freeway for the first time last week and felt pretty proud of myself tbh. My girlfriend didn't know how to, not that she shouldn't but she didn't, and the fact that i took care of it was appealing in a trad masculine sense.

This is rly cute, btw. It's okay to pat yrself on the back sometimes for living up to a role that you secretly like or aspire to, even if, were you being totally honest, you know it's BS. You're not living your WHOLE LIFE by it, but it's okay to think "Boy, ya done good!" once in a while.

xp That's self-reliance right there.

I wrote a novel one time. If you guys don't know how to write a sufficient novel that I would want to read, you should just go play in traffic and die

anyone who doesn't have the same skills as I do is worthless tbh

(satire)

(SB)

Really, if there are two skills that are of equivalent level, it's writing a novel and using a level.

Yeah, but lukevalentine, can you bind your own novel?

well I was thinking of the deck building thing

but yeah lol it's a BS comparison admittedly

but I know I would suck at building something if I tried

but the point I am trying to make is that not everybody is good with practical things

I mean, I can write papers in my sleep but if I tried to build something it would tons of effort & concentration

involve

lol

Changing a flat tire IS satisfying, really it is. You don't have to feel like you're dominating the other sex to feel like you're especially competent at something. Which was my point with the computer stuff, really -- I personally get my manly kicks by being able to fix broken computer things, to whatever extent. Or by being able to explain the economics and politics of the day better than cable news can. (Not an earth-shattering accomplishment, but still.) Or whatever it is that I feel good at. I won't deny that I get a testosterone-related charge off of those things, and I certainly won't apologize for competence.

instead of using levels to build decks we should be using them to even out our differences

yeah, but lukevalentine, can you bind your own novel?

Ha, never tried but I would hope so

I do agree withe general consensus that it is good to know how to do these things tho

I for one wish I didn't live "in my head" so much

xp

elmo do you think there's anything wrong with that? I don't think ppl SHOULD rely on anyone to mother them. Not on some "who needs bitches" tip, just like, being a grownup IS a good thing.

changing a flat is kinda tedious imo - and it makes yr hands dirty

I am totally of the opinion that if you can't figure out how to use a level within 5 minutes, you might as well go lie down in traffic.

― wtf?!? just randomly started crying! (HI DERE), Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:43 AM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

this bears repeating

changing a bike flat or a car flat? bike flats get you dirty but can be done in 5 min easy

I have a fuzzy memory, maybe five yrs old or so, of using my grandpa's level and pointing out that the cabin he was building was crooked.

lol bike whatever homo

I am totally of the opinion that if you can't figure out how to use a level within 5 minutes, you might as well go lie down in traffic.

Just make sure the traffic in on a slope.

yall are carpentry rockists

I'm more into carpentry electronica.

The thing is, in the realm of skills needed to know how to build something, figuring out how to use a level is on about the same difficulty level as figuring out how to play a note on a piano.

Ok look, a level was a bad example, ok?

if u can't change the tire on a jet airliner take a boat, pantywaist

whitey: no, there's nothing inherently wrong with that -- self-reliance is a virtue in many cases. but the "men should know" construction of these lists is really obviously gendered and prescriptive -- the discussion itt about male-targeted advertising and how undercuts the buyer's self-confidence also applies to these lists imo. it calls masculinity into question because men "should" know these things, then offers to sell it back because you can learn how -- just buy the book!

It's true -- where the hell am I going to build a deck anyway? I live in an apartment! An apartment that ALREADY HAS A DECK!

Let's not get into the cultural ghetto-ization of non-homeowners.

elmo your pie crust science has increased my already great esteem for you.

im going to build a deck INSIDE MY APARTMENT

im going to build a pie inside my apartment, then deconstruct the pie in my mouth

"You know what would be great right here? More floor!"

Ha Mr. Que I thought for a moment you were going to make a foodie-style "deconstructed pie" inside of your mouth, which I guess would be some slivers of deep-fried crust next to a few lingonberries.

agreed elmo, i get what you're saying now.

ive changed like a million tires and frankly i fucking hate it

The thrill is gone, the thrill is gone away.

the practical skills i'm most interested in cultivating are generally domestic, homesteading type stuff tbh -- sewing, cooking, baking, weaving, canning, etc

xpost Yeah but the shit job of changing a tire has to be better than like being stuck on the side of the road for god knows how long and then paying out the ass for something you can do yourself, no?

How to change a tire:

1. Curse repeatedly at tire.
2. Call my insurance co's Roadside Assistance.
3. Relax while tow truck dude changes my tire.

can change a tire, can't tie a tie

― everyone stop (dan m), Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:11 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Flip that for me. I had to tie a lot of ties in high school b/c I was in lol theatre/choir and had to get dressed up for shit like Cabaret Night or w/e. As for as changing tires go, it probably wouldn't be a bad skill to acquire, but judging by my aptitude for technical stuff like that, I'd probably just as soon call a tow truck.

(haha xpost)

Ha well I suppose if you don't really have to pay for it...xp

i ended up having to change a tire a few times and it was a lot easier than i thought it would be, even though i never had done it before until the first time i had a tire pop

most cars come with instruction manuals that tell you how to change the tire

men can't read

-dockers

IKEA furniture comes with instruction manuals, too. Just saying.

actually changing a tire is easier than putting something from IKEA together IMO

yeah changing a tire really seems like something u dont need to learn - its just obvious