Okay, I’ll admit it- I am happy to move between here and next door. This is kind of a first, since I’ve spent most of my time on DKos relatively exclusively (I’m not interested in places like Redstate, and my own blog languishes). Still, as a newbie here (but not a newbie to the game) I thought I’d write a bit about why I got here without making it some horrible Horowitzian ego-stroke.
So,
(deep breath)
I am a Nice Guy.
Oh sure, there are a few people out in the world who would disagree with that, and yes, they are women, but I say they’re wrong, and you’ll just have to believe me, because I am a Nice Guy in the blandest, most general meaning of that phrase. Oh, but I hate macho crap, and like being where the smart uppity women are.
I was raised by a feminist mother and (for a little while) a feminist father, with later help from a feminist aunt & uncle, grandparents, and stepfather. I am shy and hate violence, but for some reason still like to play rock & roll. I have only ever been in jobs where my supervisors were women (of any preference), except the first job, where my boss was a gay man. So, that’s growing up without macho crap and working in environments without macho crap.
I don’t buy the Fight Club logic of “I’m wondering whether another woman is what we really need”. Granted, a psychopath spoke that line, and it was funny in context, but I don’t agree with it. I resent it when people say superficial things like “be a man, dammit” in situations where it so totally does not apply. I have many male friends (my brother is still my best friend, as are my bandmates) but have many more female friends, who have always been easier to talk to for some reason.
The girls I’ve dated have always seemed to like me a little less than their moms do, and when they dump me, have invariably been asked “but why? He was such a Nice Guy”. Except my current girlfriend, apparently. She’s put up with my Nice Guy crap for 7 years. I’ve tried to be a Jerky Guy, but my gigolo days were a terrible failure of a joke. I’m much better being the dude who hates even calling for a pizza. It’s bugging someone, you know? This has also made job interviews and booking gigs more challenging than they should be.
Anyway, I guess the point is that I jumped over here cause as a white straight male I don’t understand macho crap, or the need to behave that way. I just don’t get it. I’m not done with DKos, though (I do like the orange, you know) because some heavy hitters are still there and hey, it’s an addiction I’m living with. I don’t like the policing of language as far as what is or isn’t sexist behavior but usually people do it for the right reasons in these contexts so IMO it’s ok to err that way.
Since this has rapidly become All About Me I’ll stop. I figured if KO can write about video games (kind of) then there will be some tolerance for totally unrelated self-absorption. I’m not necessarily happy about being a Nice Guy. It definitely hampers me in many endeavors. Still, I figured I could get away with some navel-gazing for my first diary here.
Okay. The last few years were pop albums. This is Rock. Thanks for listening.
