2008 Woodie Awards
Are you 'That Guy?'
Chris Dierks
Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: OpEd Page
Hey, patron reader, stop what you're doing, go to a computer and check out, "My New Haircut" on www.youtube.com. (Fair warning for the faint of heart, this video parody does contain vulgarities. Many.)
This sketch was brought to my attention by my favorite Canuck and "the Dude," and almost immediately, I became intrigued with this concept. I mean, we see these guys day-in and day-out-especially at Miami University. And sadly, in one respect or another, every guy has fallen victim to at least one of these cliché, elitist, yuppie, and "metrosexual" tendencies or acts. I'll admit that I have looked in the mirror more than a dozen times a day, or that I've asked another guy if my outfit "works." I've done it, but then again, at one time or another, who hasn't?
There is, however, a fine line. I don't carry a comb with me and at every chance I get, check my hair and maintain its pristine nature. I don't own a lint roller or brush, nor do I borrow one to touch up my T-shirt before I head off to my 11 a.m. history class. And it doesn't stop there. There are hundreds of telltale signs of this behavior, a behavior that comes with a stigma where no one wants to be labeled as-"That Guy."
So the question becomes, how can you prevent yourself from becoming branded as That Guy? The following is a list of possible scenarios and ways to escape embarrassing and possibly "toolish" behavior.
1. Going out etiquette
First and foremost, if you decide to go out to the bars, make the conscious decision of who you're going with and what kind of a night it's going to be. If you just want a guys' night where you get trashed off of PBR and shots of Jack, then do that. Don't be that guy who invites a bunch of girls to guys' night. Just like girls like girl's night, guys like to have an evening to themselves too, except that we don't paint our toes or gossip.
Next, if the conversation or evening does lead to women being added to the picture, don't refer to the ladies in derogatory terms. Calling girls "hoes," "slamposts," "skanks," "sluts," "whores," (and a list of other names my editor would not let me print), either to their face or to your friends does not make you sound cool. The more you swear, the more often you'll be sleeping alone at night, cuddled up close to your laptop and Kleenex box.
This sketch was brought to my attention by my favorite Canuck and "the Dude," and almost immediately, I became intrigued with this concept. I mean, we see these guys day-in and day-out-especially at Miami University. And sadly, in one respect or another, every guy has fallen victim to at least one of these cliché, elitist, yuppie, and "metrosexual" tendencies or acts. I'll admit that I have looked in the mirror more than a dozen times a day, or that I've asked another guy if my outfit "works." I've done it, but then again, at one time or another, who hasn't?
There is, however, a fine line. I don't carry a comb with me and at every chance I get, check my hair and maintain its pristine nature. I don't own a lint roller or brush, nor do I borrow one to touch up my T-shirt before I head off to my 11 a.m. history class. And it doesn't stop there. There are hundreds of telltale signs of this behavior, a behavior that comes with a stigma where no one wants to be labeled as-"That Guy."
So the question becomes, how can you prevent yourself from becoming branded as That Guy? The following is a list of possible scenarios and ways to escape embarrassing and possibly "toolish" behavior.
1. Going out etiquette
First and foremost, if you decide to go out to the bars, make the conscious decision of who you're going with and what kind of a night it's going to be. If you just want a guys' night where you get trashed off of PBR and shots of Jack, then do that. Don't be that guy who invites a bunch of girls to guys' night. Just like girls like girl's night, guys like to have an evening to themselves too, except that we don't paint our toes or gossip.
Next, if the conversation or evening does lead to women being added to the picture, don't refer to the ladies in derogatory terms. Calling girls "hoes," "slamposts," "skanks," "sluts," "whores," (and a list of other names my editor would not let me print), either to their face or to your friends does not make you sound cool. The more you swear, the more often you'll be sleeping alone at night, cuddled up close to your laptop and Kleenex box.
Be the first to comment on this story