Masculinity

By Manav Chauhan

*WARNING*

“Fight Club” being the most controversial movie on men’s rights due to it’s excessive violence and wild twisted ending, became a hot topic in the manosphere since it’s release in 1999. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me tell you more about it. But first buckle up your seat belts, it’s hell of a ride ahead…

Introduction

Fight Club was a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It was based on the 1996 novel ‘Fight Club’ by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton played the role of the narrator, who is not satisfied with his job. So he forms a group named “fight club” with a soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), and becomes engaged in a relationship with a destitute woman, Marla Singer (Bonham Carter).

Above lines are the simplest explanation I can give you on the film. But as you see, things don’t go as monochromatic as described above (in the movie).

Box Office

Fight Club failed to meet the studio’s expectations at the box office, and received polarized reviews from the critics. It was quoted as one of the most controversial and talked about films of the year. The film later found commercial success with its DVD release, establishing Fight Club as a cult classic causing media to revisit the film once again. In 2009, on the tenth anniversary of the film’s release, The New York Times dubbed it the “defining cult movie of our time”.

What actually happens ?

Plot: Twisted!

Edward Norton (actor) who’s “The Narrator” of the movie plays the role of an office worker who is discontented with his boring life, suffers with sleep apnea and insomnia. He is sleep walking while working, working while sleeping, and doing whatever we do in our day-to-day lives in a semi-automatic mode controlled by his brain. He is not aware of his surroundings. His brain creates scenes which he confuses them with reality. He questions the very origin of the circumstances happening around him. So in order to cure his sleeping cycle he starts attending support groups which he thinks are helping him from his psychotic disease in the form of a therapy. He starts attending support group meetings for blood parasites, testicular cancer and whatever he finds useful for his insomnia. Although he doesn’t have any problematic disease mentioned above but crying and relieving his office stress (generally happens in such meetings), he finds it easy to sleep at night and gets his full natural sleep without taking pills which he used to take before.

In one such meeting, he meets Marla (Helena Carter) who, like him, is also a fake attendee. She is neither a victim nor a survivor but still attends to get free food. This thing annoys him and he confronts Marla. Both blackmail each other to expose the other person. After a long verbal brawl they come to a conclusion they’ll split the week and the meetings.

*Note: We are all Jack here. There’s a reason I’m saying this which you’ll only understand after watching the movie.

Now his life actually changes when he meets Tyler Durden on a flight home.

The interesting part beginnns!!!

***Jack (Edward Norton) and Tyler (Brad Pitt)***

The Narrator (Jack) is impressed by his charming personality and useful information which they share along the way. Jack asks questions to Tyler and gets to know a lot of things about him. His not giving a f*ck attitude, boldness and usefulness. Tyler is so useful that he can actually make explosives with household items!!! He is bold and ambitious. He takes whatever he wants. Isn’t afraid of the crime, murder or poverty. Such things don’t seem to concern him much. In short Tyler has no rules, no limits, no breaks either. You either follow him or are against him. Just like a jungle, he’s the wolf, he’s the lion. Kill for a kill. He lives in an old house which was ruined almost a century ago. He doesn’t care what he wears either. By the way, he makes and sells soaps for a living. Both get along after a few conversations and decide to start the Fight Club.

Tyler Durden: A Sigma Male

According to him (to every man reading this), “Man, I see in Fight Club the strongest and smartest men who’ve ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables – slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, movie gods, and rock stars, but we won’t. We’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off”.

Meaning: Evolutionarily, men were developed and evolved to hunt, to fight, to kill, to survive only by the force of their own muscles and instinct. They were the providers for their families, tribes, and societies, and thrived in a state of struggle and warfare against each other and nature. Naturally, their bodies and minds developed to reflect this reality, and even down to a neuro-chemical level, they derive value and meaning from such a way of life.

The modern world has completely removed this aspect of life and replaced it with soft, decadent, dissolute, little-hearted, consumer capitalist men. Not only are men not supposed to be violent, aggressive, and driven by their very real biological urges, but they are told that these aspects of themselves are barbaric, evil and worthy of condemnation and punishment. The term misogynist is used frequently for such men to oppose them.

*Note: This is called psychological emasculation of Men.

*Solution: Be Tyler. Period.

But but but, the aim of this philosophy is to take out the best from the men. It means and states no harm to other genders and especially women. Women are an integral part of the ecosystem and Tyler understands this too.

*Attention please:

I’m limiting this article to only the storyline because the movie “Fight Club” is really very complicated and cannot be articulated into a single article. Plus I don’t want to give spoilers. There are many more philosophical quotes and scenes in the movie but I’m restricted by the word limit or else I would have elaborated more on the movie and the current reality but no worries!! I’ve still got you. Checkout the links below for more information.

General FAQs you might want to clear up after reading this article.