The Pressure to be a Macho Male

You can always rely on good old Chuck Palahniuk to warm our hearts with images of blood, guts, and tainted food. Fight Club is a wild chaotic ride that made my head spin into overtime and also caused me to suspiciously glare at individuals around me who had the slightest scratch or bruise on their body. There is a certain appeal and intrigue surrounding secret societies that meet in dingy underground spaces. But, it is certainly not how I would want to spend a Friday night! Fight Club allows us to look at our own culture’s obsession with violence. America gobbles up oversized spoonfuls of fist pounding action from their major motion pictures and their televised sports. Now, competition is all fine and good, put when an adolescent youth wants to join a hockey team just for the opportunity to clobber an opposing player with a stick, we have a problem. Fight Club forces us to ponder the question, “To prove one’s masculinity must one be able to pulverize another human being”? It just seems rather sad that the only outlet our protagonist find cathartic is one consisting of shedding another strong males blood. While the whole idea of faking an illness and envying people who are battling real terminal illnesses is twisted, the idea of beating one’s buddy seems to be so so so much more perverse. Our narrator makes a startling transition from being a victim to being the ultimate macho man survivor. It is amazing how everything really seems to start falling into place for him when he takes on this role of ferocious seedy underground street warrior. What is even more amazing is that the act of fighting helps other men break out of their hum drum mediocre lives. It ultimately gives them a sense of control and no doubt allows them to know that they are living-breathing warm blooded humans. There is nothing like a black eye and a few bloody loose teeth to pull you right back into reality. But, is this truly the best way to get out of the numbing routine everyday life brings? I feel it is very telling about society and the pressure and harsh expectations that come along with being male. And, isn’t it interesting that a weak sickly male character, Bob, has enormous breasts, a feminine attribute and? Yes, I know the “bitch tits” were a result of the testosterone radiation being to high and the body’s estrogen levels rising, but it seems like Chuck threw this in for a reason. Also, Bob has had to have his testicles, surgically removed. This, my friends puts a whole new spin on the phrase “You don’t have the BALLS”! While Marla Singer clearly has no business being in “Remaining Men Together” her very presence could be Chuck’s way of crossing gender boundaries. Amid the asshole-looking scar in the side of the face, heart-stopping graphic violence and naughty raw dialogue lies a novel teeming with subtleties about gender. The movie did a brilliant job with capturing the creep uncensored vibe of the novel. Oh and any excuse to watch Brad Pitt run around with his shirt off I’ll savor and take full advantage of!