Quote: (04-15-2013 05:01 PM)Tuthmosis Wrote:
I just hope this doesn't reactivate the over-the-top apotheosis of firefighters, police, and "fire responders," like after 9-11. While their work is worthy of respect and gratitude, that hero-worship shit went way overboard. It's not any more valuable than the work of the guy who paved the road that got the ambulance there on time or the guy who makes sure the stop lights are in working order. People just doin' their job.
It can be tough to stomach the hero-worship of these guys until you realize what it really is: one of the few remaining outlets for people to openly appreciate traditional masculinity in modern America. Aside from sports and the military, emergency personnel like cops and firefighters are really the last reserve of anything even close to traditional masculine values. Since it's taboo to speak well of traditional masculine values openly, we instead pay homage by proxy. It would be one thing if we just acknowledged that these guys were doing a great job---this is what healthy, sane societies do. But we Americans go way overboard instead because our culture is trying to fill a gaping void brought about by intense misandry.
It's kind of sad, but that's where we are.