Manbaby Fad Peaked Last Year; Now It Is Just Annoying
Manbaby Fad: alpha male gorilla grunting, whining, and stamping the feet while punching the chest and grunting.
Ushered in by Reality TV
As common with all trend cycles, once a fad becomes something that everyone starts doing it is well out the door. The Manbaby Fad is such a fad that peaked last year and now it is just annoying. I’m not sure when this trend first got its roots, but one thing is clear, it is the result of a Reality TV culture that has swept up the minds of formerly decent folk and put all common sense on the back burner. Where we used to believe ethics and integrity was what should shape America, now it is backstabbing, Twitter rants, and shock for shock sake – the gaudier the better. It’s like the stereotypes, illusions, and manipulations left the TV screens of the Reality TV world, that is only a reality by its name, and started playing like Shakespearean Pucks on our laws, courts, schools, churches, streets, and even our once friendly neighborhoods. When did “Jersey Shore” become the new norm?
Redneck LARPers with Live Ammo Social Clubs
Now we have the ‘Redneck LARPers with Live Ammo’ social clubs with members spouting off crap like “watering the tree of liberty with blood” as they wear their costumes and march the streets drawn as usual to the young college crowd. We have people dancing around statues as though they were the golden cows of Moses chanting and raising their hands in rituals. Football has been replaced with people offended with its pre-game activities. And the entire nation is fighting and growing more exhausted. What a time for America to be divided and conquered by our enemies while we are too busy blaming each other for the mistakes of our ancestors and the actions of people not even in the room.
Treat it Like a Toddler Trantrum
The best way to handle this Manbaby Fad is to treat it like a toddler tantrum.
1. Do not give any emotional support to the tantrum. It’s best to ignore if possible. Whatever you do, do not reason with the tantrum thrower. This is a lose-lose situation. The tantrum is not about what you think, it’s all about attention and the tantrum thrower getting his way.
2. Call out the tantrum for what it is. Admonish the behavior.
Whatever you do, do not give it a microphone and a live audience. That is one way to ensure one tantrum turns into a tantrum of the entire room either by those who are drawn to the adrenaline and excitement
3. Do not let the tantrum change you. Be strong and know it will pass if you do not feed that tantrum.
Whatever you do, do not take the easy way out and give in or play along. This will guarantee the tantrums will become far more frequent in the future with a new crop of tantrum throwers popping up every day. Instead, use the opportunity to teach one of those long learned lessons from your own lived experience. Every pout has a story and every story has a connection to another person.
New Trend of Respect is Rising
It’s time to put this Manbaby Fad of the alpha male gorilla grunting, whining, and stamping the feet while punching the chest and grunting, in the same direction of all the other fads we so wish we could forget ever existed. Let’s start treating each other with some decency and respect again. Contrary to what the Jersey Shore attitude of today may say, respect is just another word for politically correct. You have your traditions & ancestors, I have my traditions & ancestors and neither one of us has the right to tell the other they can’t celebrate those traditions and ancestors as they see best in their own homes. Neither one of us has the right to force our community to celebrate our great grandparents if the community doesn’t want to take part. Respect is really that simple.
Send Reality TV Back to the Screens of Entertainment
Let’s put those stereotypes, illusions, and manipulations back into the TV screens for entertainment purposes only and out of the decisions that shape our futures. We’ll be all less annoyed with each other if we did this. We might even start talking to each other again. Who knows, maybe those shattered friendships are still repairable after all.