All the Ugly Men

[dynasaw]

The world seems to be dominated by ugly, rich and powerful men: Dominque, Arnold, Newt, the Donald, not to mention the parade of republican uglies who have swindled and lied their way to the top leaving trails of broken marriages and lives behind them.

Media, movies and TV also seem to be fascinated by them: I am surprised by the younger generation of twenty somethings who seem hooked on "Mad Men," "The Social Network," etc that focus on unscrupulous, exploitative males.

Does all the focus on these men and their bad behaviors inevitably glorify these types?

[CBGLuthier]

1. It is not a new idea that bad sells big

Sorry, but this smacks of the same hand wringing over comic books in the 50's, television in the 70's and the recording industry in the 80's.

I am curious about your use of the word ugly. I would hope you are referring to their character and not just their appearance. I could not imagine how quickly a thread about ugly women would be taken down.

[dynasaw]

2. Ugly as in

character. Vulgar, sleazy, totally duplicitous. Perhaps hot accidentally, what's inside gets reflected outside. DSK's arrogance for example is reflected in every picture.

[seabeyond]

3. look at #4 face. i was told he was "hot". women wanted him. 62 not old. no saggin and baggin

in order to defend this man

i hear what you are saying. i am amazed at what we perpetuate in order to defend agenda.

amazing

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. I'm amazed at your obsession with his appearance and age

You don't normally seem to judge people on their looks.

[seabeyond]

8. i dont until i am told by a couple of defenders that the man is hot and women readily fall to their

knees to give blow jobs. that 62 is not old. that there is no sags and bags.

really, i have to get past this astounding bet of info, before i can move on. i have not heard anything so outrageous in a long time, and we get a lot

can you tell me 62 is not old, with a serious face

i will get over that one in time. jsut have not moved past yet

on edit... not to mention reading french media perpetuating the great seducer and how it is all about his wonderful sexuality adn po po rapist. these are excuses why he did not assault.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. As far as I can tell, it started when you called him "an ugly old fart"

and the reply to you was "he's not particularly ugly, imo".

You have chosen to represent that as "being told he is hot", and think that someone saying he's 'not particularly ugly' is the most outrageous thing you've heard for ages. And go on endlessly about 'sags and bags'.

Yes, I can say 62 isn't that old. I don't think I've ever seen anyone on DU, let alone you, be so ageist and obsessed with the looks of someone. You're sidetracking yourself into an inconsequential obsession with whether someone is 'ugly'. Should it be his behaviour that matters? If you came across a man damning a 62 year old woman, in several threads, as an 'ugly old fart' with 'sags and bags', would you think their comments reasonable?

[seabeyond]

12. disagree with you on about all counts. i find this incredible. old is not a nasty word

i guess it is ageism to say 62 is old, if you think old is a nasty word. i dont.

amazing post. i understand your position. i will leave you to it.

[nolabear]

4. I believe it takes a fair amount of narcissism to do what these people do.

And society supports it, particularly in men. Politicians and athletes are stroked and treated with deferrence and have their natural narcissism, which up to a point can be healthy (and that causes them to take risks and make strides that most of us wouldn't even consider) supported in order for them to continue to be of use.

Unfortunately that kind of thing can become pervasive in one's personality and cause a sense of omnipotence and untouchability. Combine that with the kind of hypersexuality that often accompanies narcissism and the tendency of some people to be deeply affected by being around such energy and you get all kinds of shennanigans. The rest of us stand back and watch in shock, but in that world it's surprisingly common.

(I won't go into the underside of narcissism, which I think is often shame that is never quite overcome by those extreme acts, but sometimes the collapse can be spectacular when the hammer falls).

[dynasaw]

10. Agree with all you've said

The pervasiveness of narcissism is troubling to me. In some ways, our culture seems to have come to accept narcissistic behavior and to encourage it. Celebritology by the media is one way I think the public has come to accept bad behavior and to promote narcissistic people: give them "star status," elect them into high office, trust them with our lives and collude with them by concealing their pecadillos.

[BuelahWitch]

6. The fact that Newt has even been able to crawl out of his hole

and be considered a viable candidate for office is the fault of our idiot news media, not any movie or TV show. He should be laughed into oblivion and not be allowed to have any more of a public life than giving speeches to Amway groups (if that).

[Bluenorthwest]

7. Staight people. All of those men had female counterparts.

As a gay person, I get tired of the portrayal of affairs involving two or more people being framed as 'ugly men' and such. The women were under mind control? They have no adult will? What is the take on that?
And If the OP does not get the message of Madmen, the OP is missing much. Much.

[Fumesucker]

9. I'm not gay but I agree with you..

I was faithful in marriage for thirty years, never so much as flirted with another woman and yet my ex screwed around and then divorced me for the other guy.

[dynasaw]

13. I agree there are women sleazies

but I think we need to frame this in terms of the fact that the social patriarchal order is one made up of straight men who run the world and
who hold dominance in both the public and private arenas. There are women who are male (.i.e., straight, dominant males) identified and who
are mirror images of the "ugly" types. In all cases where there are dominant and subservient groups there can be a desire to identify and act like the dominant group.

[CBGLuthier]

14. men bad. if woman bad, she must be a man?

Loopy logic.