Ask DB1: Resistance to Mocking?
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Hey DB1,
I’m a long-time fan, first time e-mailer. There is something that has been bothering me….
Yesterday I was studying pesticide use on farms, and the textbook explained that pests, over time, will become immune to the particular chemical..The farmers would then have to resort to different forms of chemical to kill the pests.
This got me thinking about douchebags. Does mocking them make them immune to further mocking (i.e. Donkey Douche, Arthur Kade)? If you take a look at culture right now, people continue to be walking billboards, and Ed Hardy still stays strong. Do we have to resort to other forms of douche protesting, like physical beatings?
Jason
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While I grant you that the last year of Hardy-esque resurgence in douchal apparel has made me wonder if the tide is still turning, there have been a number of victories in our war due to our power of mock.
Ridiculous bling has become more muted. Popped collar is going extinct. Gang gestures and sneery lips are also less prevalent.
This doesn’t mean this war won’t continue and get worse. There are billions of dollars to be made by saturating our mediascape with an entanglement between erotics and market product. Brands like Axe Bodyspray and L.A. Looks, and many of the cheesy energy drink companies, are incorporating self-mock and pseudo-irony to stay in the game.
There’s a long way to go. But we’re making in-roads.
