by Andy Nowicki
To make an allusion to a certain hairy-fairy poet of
celebratory bombast and glorified deviancy (no, not Milo), every mass movement
can be said to “contain multitudes.” Such a circumstance is inevitable, when
one considers the fact that “mass” invariably equates to “massive”; when more
people are added to a group, that which could be called the group’s essential
core is in some way diluted by the result.
Thus, the would-be leaders of any burgeoning movement inevitably wind up imposing, or at least prescribing, with a heavy dollop of “extreme prejudice,” a certain top-down set of precepts or attitudes, to which those in the general herd (that is, the would-be underlings under these would-be leaders) feel a need to conform, lest they be ridiculed for the ridiculous gesture of standing alone with their hideously contrary views and looking like a bunch of uncool, uncouth, autistic fedora-clad goofballs who most assuredly never get laid.
Thus, the would-be leaders of any burgeoning movement inevitably wind up imposing, or at least prescribing, with a heavy dollop of “extreme prejudice,” a certain top-down set of precepts or attitudes, to which those in the general herd (that is, the would-be underlings under these would-be leaders) feel a need to conform, lest they be ridiculed for the ridiculous gesture of standing alone with their hideously contrary views and looking like a bunch of uncool, uncouth, autistic fedora-clad goofballs who most assuredly never get laid.
The social impetus to fit in is particularly effective when
the leaders are at least somewhat charismatic; such a circumstance inspires in
the lowly and insecure a need to prove themselves to be worthy by showing
themselves to be dutiful regurgitators of the party line, as promoted by their
perceived betters. Among men, charisma manifests itself most markedly in the
form of quick-wittedness mingled with brashness, bravado, and arrogance; such
manifestations have an undeniable appeal to young men, even when the ostensibly
charismatic possess significant character flaws and generally mediocre minds.
Would-be Alt-Right shepherds of the (predominantly male)
Alt-Right-oriented flock have seen fit to mandate a direction for the movement,
and have largely succeeded, with largely baleful results. I have already held
forth on the “cuck" linguistic phenomenon, wherein a certain slur, having been adopted by those
wishing to be known as the “management,” has caught on among those lower-status
men eager to display their in-group bona fides.
What "random" was to early 90s collegiate artfags, "cuck" is to mid 2010s alt-right fags. That is to say, its sudden overuse signifies both a lack of imagination and a conspicuous compulsion towards conformity on the part of its smitten adherents. The "catching on" of this term, to the point where it has now attracted attention and provoked consternation from various quasi-mainstream sources, confirms its newfound notoriety. However, the discerning observer detects that the explosion of "cuck" is generally due to the desire of some to "be like the cool kids," the better to signal their legitimate badassedness and thus feel that they truly "belong" as edgy rebels.
Unlike the valley girl-esque "random," "cuck" is a harsh-sounding term, with the rancid backwash flavor of a schoolyard taunt. Still, there is something ironically effeminate about those who most relish slinging this slur, alleging the emasculation of their foes. Hearing them carry on puts one in mind of a pack of lads who cluster around a core group of "alpha" leaders, like pledges to a fraternity; by duly expressing themselves in the prescribed manner, they carry out a ritual of self-abasement, in which they display fealty to their ostensible superiors. One might even say it's how the Fuhrerprinzip tends to play itself out among the non-Fuhrer caste.
A few months later, I
noted the tendency in Alt-Right circles suddenly to be hostile to, and to sneer at, anti-statism, as a form of (you guessed it), "cuckedness." Somehow not
loving Big Brother was made to equate to wanting to watch your girlfriend get
gang-banged by Spike Lee, Flava Flav, Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Cosby, "Webster," and "Urkel" while being a "real man" supposedly meant worshiping a
brusque-mannered, socially-liberal, serially-adulterous New York casino
magnate with really bad hair. It was clear at this point that the ad hominem level
surrounding "cuck" had reached past the "11" mark; slinging the "cuck" slur really was just another instance of
silly name-calling, with no proper rationale beyond the attempted shaming and
embarrassment of a perceived enemy, much like terms like "racist," "misogynist," and "homophobe" function on the totalitarian Left.
I didn’t opt to defend anti-statism as any sort of
principled or doctrinaire libertarian. Still, I found it hard not to notice a
certain strain of the "It's the Current Year" syndrome manifesting itself here,
whereby one could support Ron Paul-esque policies in 2012, but now (it being 2016, after all!),
Paul-ian decentralization has become hopelessly outre, something that simply isn’t
done, like wearing white after Labor Day or calling an African-American a
spade, or recognizing flaws in Donald Trump's candidacy.
***********************
The latest sneer-fest on the Alt-Right is being directed against those benighted folks who are into “sportsball.” It is being said that
rooting on your college or pro team, whatever the sport may be, just amounts to
being a (yep, you guessed it yet again) “cuck.” Here, the critique—if indeed
the orgy of sneerage can legitimately be granted such a descriptor—amounts to
little more than the kind of silly insults one generally hears from macho-baiting
lower-tier feminists: “Har har, you guys sure love watching a bunch of sweaty
men in tight trousers run around and tackle each other! Are you sure you aren’t queer?” Of course, lower-tier Alt-Righters are sure
to creatively mix in some race-baiting: “Har har, you guys sure love watching a
bunch of sweaty niggers in tight trousers run around
and tackle each other! Are you sure you aren’t queer?”
There is, to be sure, something legitimate in calling
attention to improperly-placed priorities. But it’s important to note that the “sportsball”
critique doesn’t amount to “You care too much about sports spectatorship, and
not enough about what’s really important.” Instead, it instantly devolves into vulgar
and lame caricaturing (see “watching sweaty niggers… you’re queer” above).
Moreover, it blithely evades a point that must be pressed if we are ever to
understand anything: between sports and politics, it is the latter which is truly bread and circuses
on a vast scale, not the former.
(to be continued: "Politics as the True Sportsball")
Andy Nowicki, assistant editor of Alternative Right, is the author of eight books, including Under the Nihil, The Columbine Pilgrim, Considering Suicide, and Beauty and the Least. He occasionally updates his blog when the spirit moves him to do so. Visit his Soundcloud page.
