Tuesday

men, marines, and maple syrup

I find it frustrating that the more intellectual, supposedly highbrow, of the Catholic males here tend to fit into a neat stereotype. Which is that they tend (again, emphasis on "tend". sweeping generalizations are my strong suit.) to be disappointing. Rife with non specific inclinations to Latin, inability to distinguish Old Rite from New (if it's Tridentine, it's the "Latin Mass", as if you can't say Novus Ordo in Latin), and a most singular predisposition to tobacco, alcohol, and antisemitism. And on top of all this, of course the understated attitude that women should be covered and silent in church, and probably shouldn't vacate a building unless attired in a full skirt. That last one is more of a vibe I'm getting, although it was alluded to in a passing conversation. As was a subtle but definite slight of the USMC. At which point I say: OK. I understand you think it's cool to grow beards, smoke pipes, and bellow Irish drinking songs (a whole separate issue I might address later). But that doesn't make you manly. Put simply, it's emasculate to be that nonathletic, sallow skinned, and the longish hair isn't helping either. Perhaps dreams of becoming Celtic warriors are simmering somewhere in the subconcious, but let's be honest. You wouldn't last five minutes against the Marines you feel superior to, and I'm guessing some real Celtic beserkers would take you down in roughly the same timeslot. Before you demand unequivocal femininity from all women, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself if you actually approximate any reasonable definition of manhood. Because I would much rather take a guy who's more of a Marine mindset and less of an egghead. And finally, the maple syrup here does not tast like maple syrup. I'm hard pressed to tell you what it tastes like, but maple isn't really the first thing that comes to mind. I fear to know what they make in or out of.

4 comments:

Ben Milton said...

Haha! This isn't a bad approximation of some of the guys I live with too. I think it's one inevitable end of the spectrum around catholic college students. Though I have to say I haven't heard anyone criticize the marines around here...

Btw, there's a good article on Mormonism in the new issue of First Things, if your library gets that.

Tsunami said...

Preface: I'm a TAC guy, just for the sake of identification purposes.

Actual post:

I agree quite markedly with a lot of the stuff (although at the moment the Celtic fetishists compose a smaller part of the campus pie chart at the moment) as regards the stereotype trad Catholic...before I came to the school, I didn't know the Tridentine was such a big deal, and you can imagine the horrified looks on the faces of the Latin purists when I said so.

I suppose I would only take exception, in the case of my particular circumstances, to the lack of respect given to alcohol and tobacco. :-D I rather enjoy them, and would hate to think that such a wonderful study aid as the only-recently-ignobled cigarette or such a pedigreed mode of enjoyment and relaxation as the cigar should have to suffer from comparison with the male division of the jumper crew (who, as I know a lot of them personally, I must say have fine personalities but could really use being acquainted with some social first principles.) And I mean, come on, alcohol? Jesus changed water into wine at Cana, shows Himself under the accidents of bread and wine, and saved entire parishes from the black plague by sending us St. Arnold in the Middle Ages. So maybe the association with mentally emasculated man-children is a bit unfair. Although I am rather tired of people calling themselves "Irish" because they like Guinness. That could use a rest.

esther said...

catherine: huzzah!

few things are more off putting than those males who think acting a part somehow makes them manly and appealing.
kind of like those adorable creatures who dress up in capes and think that makes them elvish.

Lawrence Gage said...

Ha ha. Try this for femininity:

Women Know Your Limits.

LG

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