Men's Group

we become characters, puppets, caricatures of who and what we really are.

Plus I think the whole "puppet" thing is funny on DU; sometimes, especially in the old days before we were able to air such stuff in meta, at times I felt like I was the only one in a given thread who was not some sort of sockpuppet... Arguing with 8 tentacles of the same octopus. So, I thought the irony of taking a "puppet" name would be nice.

(Or, maybe I really am a puppet, and it's my idea of a subliminal joke... Hmmmm!)

I try to present myself genuinely online, but aside from people characterizing me and mischaracterizing me based upon what they imagine I say- as opposed to what I actually DO say (which happens alot)- yes, certainly I think I probably come across in a way that isn't necessarily close to who I actually am.

The tired "MRA" shit isn't even worth bothering with, I've addressed that enough times now that it's not even worth getting into... really the only logic behind it seems to be "MRAs fight with me on this and you are also fighting with me about this so you must be an MRA"

And of course, you run up against the stuff in other peoples' heads, too- for instance, if I post a picture (in the dread "hot celeb" thread) of an attractive woman in a bikini -to throw out a completely random example- for some here, it means I must be a lonely loser, or maybe a pimply adolescent who sweats and stammers when he talks to a "real girl" and then runs off to OK Cupid to complain about it. To others it means I must be a locker-room he man misogynist who would *never tolerate* similar "objectification" of "hot men" in the thread....

and both are ridiculous; given that I'm a happily married guy nearing middle age (that's as close as you're getting me to it, thanks), who appreciates the physical beauty of women and who is abso-fucking-lutely thrilled for my LGBT brothers and sisters when they appreciate the physical beauty of the folks they are attracted to. I don't think sexuality, in and of itself, is a contest or even a system of oppression, (it certainly shouldn't be, which is why the FREEDOM for consenting adults to be whoever they want to be and express themselves is so crucial!) but rather a wonderful facet of the transcendent kick-assedness of raw existence, of simply being and feeling and fucking and loving in this awesome, head-scratchingly mysterious universe of ours.

I'm really kind of an old-school hippie, with a hard-nosed rationalist skeptical streak, a small dash of mysticism and a liberal blending of peace and love man compassion mixed in with gen x irony and snark. That's kind of where I'm at. I don't think I'm a bad guy, and I've tried to explain where I'm coming from politically and elsewhere- but I suspect that sometimes it gets mashed around and certainly misinterpreted.