You know what’s gratifying? Wondering if you’re the only one who feels a certain way and finding out you’re not.
Happened to me in the last week when I saw two videos I want to share with you. Late Show host Stephen Colbert has added a new segment to his show called “Are Men OK?” He pokes fun at the manosphere with hilarious clips of various dudebros saying dudebro things.
Then I saw comedian Josh Johnson do a whole bit asking, “Are algorithms raising modern men?” Johnson is one of my favorite new comics for his insightful takes on big societal issues.
I think it’s relevant that they’re both comedians. They both use humor to probe difficult subjects and laughing at something often takes away it’s power. And while it’s funny, it’s also a great way to make people slow down and recognize that a lot of the stuff that is aimed at boys and men via their phones deserves a tone of ridicule.
Johnson points out that a lot of the manosphere influencers are really just performing, but that the things they say are causing real harm because they cause some viewers to emulate the performers in their very real lives. And he posits that what these guys really want is simply the affirmation they get from having followers.
Not exactly a laugh line, but that’s Johnson. Right when you’re inhaling after a big laugh, he makes you hold your breathe because you realized a truth.
I remember being that same skinny kid Johnson says he was. I would have given anything to be something other than what I was, because I got tons of societal feedback that I was not living up to an ideal. And today, I see some of the same messages creep into otherwise benign stuff that hits my inbox or social feeds. I can see how easy it is to believe a lot of the toxic ideas influencers are peddling. As Johnson points out, they identify with their subjects’ weaknesses, offer a vision of a more successful ideal, and empower it with acting on some ugly impulses. “You wanna be an alpha. You wanna be a high-value male. Just buy this course/eat this food/treat people this way and it will lead to your goal!”
I’m not very funny, but I started Warm Current exactly because I saw the same things Colbert and Johnson see.
I hope you’ll watch both of them. Colbert’s clip is barely five minutes, while Johnson’s is an entire hour-plus set with some tangents typical of his act.
One really positive outcome will be the impact this has on your algorithm. Maybe share the links with men or boys in your circle. It might improve their algorithms!