[FRIAM] wackos

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The "in our lives" part *should* have given my meaning. Obviously it did not. Whatever.

But one who hooks their identity to their outsider-ness, then complains about non-outsiders may not be *technically* guilty of ethnocentrism. But that smacks of sophistry. All we need do is look at the "Revenge of the Nerds" series and the rise of the modern "nerd culture" to see that. You are only as outsider as you *choose* to be. We can choose not to listen to those around us. Not to see them as fellow outsiders. Or we can *pretend* that we're the select elite with special feelings of outsider-ness ... persecution complex?

The reality is we all feel that way *most* of the time. This is the primary insight from social media. All we see in posts from "influencers" are the views from their "good side" ... sucking in their bellies on the beach in Belize ... adhering to their fad diet ... smiling ... What we DON'T see is selfies of them after downing a whole bag of cookies because their life is totally empty and they're about to commit suicide.

We all *feel* like outsiders. That's part of the modern condition.  And it's very sad that many of us lack the empathy to see through the mirage.

As to the wak culture I feel most comfortable in, that's the metal [sub]culture. Our flags and common dress are well known, tend toward earthy colors, particularly black. Satanic imagery. Particular ways of dancing. Tests of "street cred" by mentioning obscure artists, festivals, events, or styles (like downtuning). Etc. That this culture is *viewed* as wacko was evidenced by the "Satanic Panic" of the '80s and '90s and continues today in some ways. We've clawed our way to respectability over time as a sibling to other geek/outsider [sub]cultures. As for my own outsider-ness, I still don't fit that well, even there. One fellow member gave me the "side eye" when I told him I had switched from math rock and industrial to psytrance as my background music for programming grooves.

On 12/2/20 7:08 AM, Prof David West wrote:
> My original cite:
> 
> /"what many of us purport to *want* ... common ground with which to have a discussion with the right wing wackos in our lives."/
> 
> I took /"the right wing wackos in our lives"/ as a reference to a subset of the body of Trump supporters, and more specifically the 74 million who voted for him, that we happen to be in contact with.  I think that is consistent with comments in various threads about talking with / trying to understand Trumpists. Nick's and Marcus' responses in this thread would seem to affirm my reading of the referent. In that case, I stand by my remarks.
> 
> It is quite possible that I was wrong. Your comments suggest that I was. Perhaps you literally meant to reference a group "Wackos," a subset of whom are "right wing" (without any implication that "right wing" within the wacko group have any correlation with right wing in a US political context), and the subset of them who are in our lives.
> 
> If this is the case, then nothing I said pertains to Wackos or the Wacko culture. You would certainly be correct in asserting that I do not understand that culture, as I am unaware of the group, qua group, itself.
> 
> However, I am the consummate outsider, identifying with no group nor culture and therefore can be guilty of egocentricsm, but never ethnocentrism.
> 
> An ethnography of the Wacko culture would be an interesting project. As a self-professed, flag possessing, member of that culture, could you provide some pointers to the commonly accepted hallmarks of a culture: shared world view, shared language, shared values, shared customs/behaviors, shared modes of dress, definitions of kinship (blood or virtual), shared technology, etc.?

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