The Gen X Male

The Breakfast Club - Promotional Photo

I was born too late to be a boomer.  That is too bad because the 1960's and 1970's would have been a much richer decade to be a young adult compared to the 1990's.  Pre-HIV, pre-herpes, pre-Reagan.  The clothing styles weren't the best, but the cars were pretty good.

So, I have to live in the Gen X group.  It is better than being dead, but kind of a lackluster group.  Sure, we have some great actors in it, but mostly devoid of anything of note.  All of the ennui is best summed up in a funny post at The Onion.com, Winona Ryder Finally Agrees To Sleep with Generation X. 

My favorite part of the story:

"I will cut my hair to its 1993 length, and we can talk about anything you want before we do it," Ryder said. "Fears for the future, your frustration at having to be part of the corporate machine, anything. We can even listen to period-appropriate music of your choice. Except for Soul Asylum. That is off the table."

Children of the so-called Baby Boomers, Generation X has been characterized as a group unable to speak about anything unironically, while also possessing a mistrust of authority and a longing to have sex with Winona Ryder. According to Ryder, this demographic deserves to have "at least one" of its thwarted hopes and dreams for itself actually come true.

Not many accuse the Gen X'ers of having an irony deficiency.

Awkward loss in the blog family

USS Carl Vinson and Carrier Battle Group - photo by US NAVY

Hear Me Roar's big brother blog, the Photo Fermata, passed away.  I pulled the plug on it last week and it is currently lying in state for viewers.  I will probably bury it in a few months once final arrangements are made.

With the passing of that two-year old behemoth, this blog is in an awkward place.  I created  HMR to be an add-on blog to PF.  This place is a repository of my studies into masculinity and male culture.  For a naval metaphor, PF was the aircraft carrier and HMR is a small corvette supporting the battle group.  It has a small, but important role in the whole fleet.  You would never send a corvette into a theatre alone, where as you can do that with a carrier, if needed.

So, what does this mean for HMR?  HMR is going to be docked for a bit and will occasionally go out on test runs in the waters of masculinity, masculism, mens' health and rights, but will not replace or substitute the breadth and depth of multiple topics that PF offered.

The main reason I ended PF was my inability to be me at it.  I put up my intimate information, my art, and my thoughts, yet I could not put my name on it and take true ownership of it.  The same goes for this blog, BUT this space is just a small adjunct containing my rants and thoughts and acts as a sounding board or diary.  It is not supposed to be my portfolio or public exhibition of my creations (even though I put a few of my own photos).

So, farewell big brother.  Your shoes are impossible to fill, and to be honest, not my job.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight - Dylan Thomas

Patty - 011211

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

- Dylan Thomas

The wingman

Valya - 010611

The wingman is supposed to have your back, talk you up, and help you get introduced in a positive way.  Every time I had a wingman, it failed.  I am a lousy one as well.  After seeing the video below, I agree with the Dos Equis  man.  You should man enough to be yourself.