Culture

Have We Reached Peak Narcissism With The “Selfie Stick”?

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Get ready for the next level of attention whoring; the selfie stick.

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o-SELFIE-STICK-facebook

Yup, it’s what you think it is. A giant stick so you can take selfies without talking to a stranger. ROK founder RooshV explains:

You may be wondering “Why don’t they just ask someone to take a picture of them?” Two reasons why:

1. That would require communication with a stranger. The situation could get creepy/awkward/weird/uncomfortable.

2. The stranger would only take one picture. A selfie stick allows you to take an infinite amount so you can pick the best photo for your facebook/tinder that actually looks very little like you on a normal day.

American social skills have devolved so much asking a stranger to take your picture is awkward.

whyselfiestick

The selfie stick reveals how social values have changed. Taking pictures used to be a social occasion. You took pictures because you wanted to commemorate a great time you had with friends—a wedding, a family reunion, a great party, a stunning vacation, etc. Now pictures are something you use to get friends by projecting an interesting life through social media.

This is how social media isolates us. While a timeline full of perfectly framed selfies might look better than the candid photo your buddy snaps, it isn’t the same social experience. Asking your friends to take a picture means having a shared experience, whereas taking a selfie requires self-conscious focus. Instead of enjoying the moment, you’re thinking “will this look good on Instagram?”

Couple-on-instagram

The selfie stick is a new level in shameless attention whoring, and it’s already creating backlash against it. Forbes reports:

The selfie-stick-takers on the other hand cannot be surreptitious. Their stick is a loud (and proud) declaration of self-portraiture. No covert selfies for them. Putting a smartphone on the end of a stick says, “I’m not ashamed that I want this photo of myself.” Those taking photos of the person holding the stick are saying, “Well, you should be.”

Public attention whoring should be shamed, or even better, ignored. If you see someone using a selfie stick in public ask them, “Don’t you have any friends? Why don’t you ask someone to take your picture?” Don’t like, repost, or share others attempts at attention whoring. If someone isn’t adding value beyond “hey, look at me” they don’t deserve an audience.

The selfie stick could be a fad, but it could also become so common no one comments when someone pulls one out. The selfie stick is already popular all over Asia, where social degeneration is a couple years ahead of America. Vendors in the United States report selling out of selfie sticks, and the GoPro-Edition telescopic monopod is currently the 49th most popular item in the Amazon camera store.

asiaallover

The selfie stick represents the beginning of peak narcissism, because is shows that Americans are willing to look absurd in real life and ruin actual experiences to look better in the digital world. The only way Americans could look more absurd is if they put motion capture dots on their face, so they could digitally replace themselves in videos with a more attractive digital stunt double.

Rather than actually having friends who will take a good photo, the users of the selfie stick have surrendered reality to a false image where it looks like they have friends who will take a good photo. Advertising for the selfie stick reveals how Americans have become divorced from their real needs. Since when is attention whoring an evolutionary goal?

selfie-stick

Before the ubiquity of cell phones, a technically skilled member of most social groups would naturally take on the role of photographer. He or she would snap pictures, direct friends, and document events so everyone else could just enjoy themselves and be present in the moment.

If you’re ambitious, learn photography. Camera game has been a popular topic on the RVF forum. Asking a girl to take her picture can be a great opener. You don’t even have to be a pro—just tell her you’re studying photography, or starting a photoblog, and thought she’d make a good subject. Many attractive women have multiple social media accounts and maybe even a model mayhem profile she’d love good photos for. Direct her a bit, and exchange info so you can send her the pics or meetup later.

Instead of buying into the culture of attention whoring, remember that photography can be a social experience rather than an isolating one. If you really want a photo of yourself, try talking to another human being and asking them to help you. Or even better, do something interesting enough that someone other than you would want to photograph it.

Read More: Women Fight For Attention On Facebook Like They’re In A War

207 thoughts on “Have We Reached Peak Narcissism With The “Selfie Stick”?”

  1. sweet merciful fucking fate. its things like this that make me want to quit society altogether and go live in the mountains, possibly after going postal on as many of these vapid subhuman fuckers as i could find. just shockingly bad. i propose that everyone who sees a group of people using these things snatches it off them and breaks it in half.

    1. Having grown up in south chicago and moving to rural oregon I can tell you: there is no escape. But it is much better. People in cities have no clue. They think they’d be ok if al rural counties seceeded from the union. They think cowboy hats are fashion statement and make fun of cowoy hats. All while wearing uggly eskimo oots.

    2. Dude. It’s a stick you use to take a picture. You should relax. Maybe get a massage.

        2. “strength in numbers” is like bragging about having all the idiots on your side.

    3. cameras should be restricted to professional photographers who have passed a 7 year Ph.D and paid $100,000 for a license…. i hate fucking cameras, all they do is steal the moment….

      1. Gotta disagree Ray. That would be more government and generally speaking government is bad for men. Instead I would suggest allowing employers to fire people who take stupid selfies. I say this and I say scrap all welfare payments.

    4. I thought women taking dozens of pics of themselves in the bathroom with all their cloths on and posting them on social media was bad enough.

  2. I’m photographed a lot by both men and women. Usually one photograph leads to more and when I go out I get asked if I know this person or that person. I don’t know any of these people because I keep my social media friend count to as low as possible i.e. if I know you personally then your request will get accepted.

      1. Glad you liked it. I saw the irony too. But hey more often than not the social proof pays dividends so what’s the problem?

    2. I’m sure it’s not just your ‘media’ friend count that is low. Mannequins and blow up dolls don’t count as friends except in your moms basement 🙁

      1. I laughed so much my stomach hurts! Least a blow up doll knows when to shut the fuck up 😉

  4. Oh for fuck’s sake.
    Archaeologists at least will have a good pictorial log of the decline from all these selfies.

    1. Actually, they may not. Unlike every stage in history until the present, we now are generating primarily electronic record. A scrap of a Babylonian paper at least reveals as much of itself as survived. A scrap of a hard drive or dvd says nothing about its former contents. Future historians will probably wonder what the fuck happened to us…

      1. I see this world reverting back to a Babylonian state after we’ve just fucked ourselves over into oblivion. Maybe this has happened multiple times in our existence and we just will never know.

      2. That could happen. I suspect for one of these reasons, or maybe a combination of both.
        If there is some “Mad Max Level Collapse” (not as likely as one would think given inertia but work with me here) here is what I think could happen:
        1. Without paper money, precious metals are back in vogue. Electronics have gold in them. Immersing junk electronics, carefully mashed up of course, in muriatic acid will extract the gold from the electronics scrap. A garbage can full of scrap electronics will yield roughly an ounce or two of gold.
        2. In order to cover their tracks, the elites come up with some kind of religion that “blames the decadence of the fallen civilization for all our woes!” or some crap like that, and like the book burners of old, electronics would be sought out simply for destruction. Imagine people in robes knuckle-dragging about destroying electronics systems shouting “praise the Lord” or something.
        I say “both” could happen because one could compliment the other. Yes save your cheeeeeeldren from decadence! Smash the computers! Oh and give the remains to the priests for uh…. proper exorcism to make sure the demons are vanquished.
        As before, it was Irish monks who saved civilization (as Robin Williams said “then being Irish got drunk and forgot where they put it”) by transcribing the ancient rotting texts into new ones – of course there was slant and bias and much was lost. Ancient Egyptians had medical technology that, while comparably primitive tool-wise (metallurgy is EVERYTHING) they were spot on with the direction of treatment.
        So consider the loss of technical databases, university systems, etc, getting smashed up by the “usual beta fucktards” to whom you need only wave a flag and flap a bible and then all hell breaks loose.
        That’s why or how they might come to wondering what happened to us.
        Now you might think “well wouldn’t it be good if say the womens’ studies courses are lost to time?” I would agree that yes that would be good – but imagine a successor in 1000 years in a world possibly without feminism digging through the rubble of Ancient America, finding a hard drive with the course material of Women’s Studies. They would probably look at that and wonder what the fuck was going on. It could add to the clues they need.
        And, if all is truly lost, at that time, then the researcher who concludes that feminism was a huge contribution to the collapse will be “the one who never gets funding or never gets published” – just like right now. But I think 1000 years without feminism, and then the rediscovery of it in the rubble, plus the potential purging of beta genetics that happens when civilizations collapse, we might be able to contrast it against reality that time around (instead of it being our reality) and see it for what it is.
        Then the human race is on a good course.

    2. Runes carved on stones can survive eons. My flash drive full of teen creampie porn can not. The data fades after just decades, I believe.

  5. I think the “why don’t you just ask someone to take a picture of you?” response is the best one. There really is no good answer to this question and it is a poignant shamer

  6. Public attention whoring should be shamed, or even better, ignored.
    Then why this article?

  8. When you travel abroad, eschew photo-taking in all its forms.
    Live, dammit.

    1. This. Last time I was in Europe I left my camera at home. It was an eye-opening difference from previous trips.

      1. Freedom from photo-monotony. And the gigantic photo gear getups burdening people who think they are going to take an award-winning shot of nothing.

        1. oh my gawd…. wait, we’ve got to stop and take a photo…. yeah… like i want to put my life on hold for your shot you will probably never look at beyond today.

    2. I totally get your point and agree with it… Partially. I’ve been all over Europe and Asia and now kind of wish I had taken some photos after all.
      Been to a ton of places and I’ve literally nothing – except memories of course. A few photos to spice up those memories, give them clearer edges, help me remember and ‘feel’ them would have been nice.

      1. There is nothing wrong with photography but I do know some girls on my facebook that clearly love all the comments and likes from her male friends… she needs that shit like a drug.
        I also wish I had taken more photos of different parts of my life. Its always mindblowing to look back at yourself 10 years ago… you can learn a lot.

      2. Yes, agree. There is nothing wrong with taking photos of your trip.
        But, people will usually take pictures of interesting things or places that they have visited (or at least stand in front of a monument to take a pic).
        Many people, today, are taking self pics (first) and everything in the background is just the ‘setting’. You can clearly see the difference when someone shows you photos of their trip (hint: they’re not in every photo.).

    3. I saw just about the funniest/saddest thing a couple of days ago. I was walking back from uni and there was this couple about my age prob 19 or 20 years old across the street from me, the guy looked fucking empty inside while the chick was just rambling on incessantly eventually the couple stopped because the chick wanted to take a selfie at first the guy just kept walking and I thought “nice one dude ignore that shit” but his girlfriend yelled at him to “get your fuckin arse back here now!” after a pause like a little bitch he finally gave in and walked the 15 or so steps back to his girlfriend to take the selfie. The look on his face was just so fucking depressing. FUCK THIS SHITTY SELFIE CULTURE.

  9. I have been a solo traveller many times, and sometimes it sucks trying to take a pic of yourself in a tourist spot. Asking strangers for help varies. Americans and Japanesse tourists seem happy to help and are more or less able to take a picture. Europeans suck taking pics and don’t really like helping strangers.
    This stick would be really useful for solo travellers.

    1. Do you honestly think you’re going take a picture of something nobody had ever seen before? Most people go to Europe and go to the same places everybody else goes, do they same things they do at home, and eat the same stuff they get at home. Why bother? A selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower? Real cute. Never saw that before.

      1. Stand for a moment at any tourist site and listen to the sound of thousands of photos being taken.
        The killer for me was watching a German man and his wife in Ta Prohm Cambodia. Both were jabbering on their phones and the man was snapping photos of the entire scene at the same time, not once removing the camera from his face as they hurried on to the next site.
        And when I returned through US Customs they arrogantly reviewed all the photos on my digital camera.

        1. wow. note to self. Upload to cloud, delete pics on phone. NSA is going to scan them anyway but I don’t need some mouth breather getting up in my personal life

        2. I work for a NYC Firm; we do Commercial appraisal of major anchor malls all over the nation, each deal is usually over $20Mil+ ; I work for the guys who give money to the bankers to give to the buyer/investor “CMBC”. I have to photograph the exterior and every interior of each store. I’m amazed at how paranoid most store managers and employees get when they see me whip-out a camera and start taking picture, you would think they were protecting national security secrets or a mountain of gold, maybe they think I’m some kind of terrorist laying out the joint; so I’m very discreet makes me feel like a spy half the times.
          I don’t know how many times they’ve called security on me but as soon as they find out who I represent they shut the fuck up quick.
          I was doing three Hilton hotels in the Indy area andwastold to speak with the hotel manager to arrange the photo shoot. I was booked in a suite at one of the hotel. So, in the morning I ask to speak to the hotel manager; when I told the dude what I was there to do the guy turned into the biggest arrogant asshole you could ever meet and tells me ” No way Hilton never allows photographs!!!” you should have seen this guy’s pompous face and the nasty looks he was giving me. I said call your owner here is my card.
          The faggot’s face while on the phone turned from I’m Alpha Dog hotel manager to oh Fuck I might be fired. Guy kept apologizing like a bitch all day.
          Most people are pathetic and live little lives.

        3. If you must take photos them yeah email them to yourself and return through customs empty-handed.

        4. Wow. He was trying to do his job well. You have an assholish attitude. Hope that doesn’t catch up with your circulatory system.

      2. When the picture is of somebody you care about it rises over the level of random person standing in front of random landmark. It could be the last picture you took with that person before they died. It could be the first picture your parents ever took together. Whatever.
        I do agree with Emahray Trolle that these days too many people take pictures of things that they aren’t even experiencing. That I believe is the downside of the digital revolution, because prior to that only the Japanese would take 400 pictures over the course of a week vacation.

  10. A young guy at the bar once asked me to take a picture of him and his two girlfriends. I replied, “Hell no.” The girls laughed and he says, “Come on dude, why you gotta be like that?”
    “You didn’t say the magic word.”
    He grins and the girls laugh again. “Would you please take our picture good sir?”
    “It’d be my pleasure sir.”
    In a small way I may be partly responsible for this invention.

  12. I somewhat relate this device like the tripod and timers on traditional cameras…even digital ones. You don’t need to ask someone to take the photo for you either. It does require you to know how to set the image and where to plant yourself once the timer starts.

  13. Hey guys, don’t knock it, with the selfie-stick, Elliot Rodger could have live-tweeted himself while on his rampage. Think of the number of hits he would have gotten.
    /it’s only sarcastic because I wanted the attention.

  14. JESUS H. FUCKING CHRIST!!!! It’s shit like this that makes me hate humanity.
    WW3 couldn’t start soon enough in my opinion. Maybe an asteroid hitting Earth and resetting everything is in order. Something.

      1. Yup. Unfortunately for everyone, things are about to get very interesting.
        Although, blowing up an airliner to start a major war just won’t cut it in the 21st Century. As fast as the news cycle works these days, they would have to top 9/11 to even get peoples’ attention. Remember the Boston marathon bombing? 20 years ago that story would have been in the news for 3 months. It was a major story for maybe 2 weeks, then it became so labored that the news networks dropped it. Then nobody gave a shit. Some new cute cat pics came up on Facebook, so everyone forgot about Boston.
        9/11 rattled people, but not to the point of making them take any action personally. People just went out shopping. The powers that be are so old-fashioned and out of touch when it comes to their false flag operations. The public wants something big and juicy to sink their teeth into to get them riled up for war. Maybe some celebrity assassinations would get the juices flowing. Maybe some terrorists will blow up George Clooney on his yacht. That would be a juicy story.
        On a side note: NSA, this is just satire. Move along.

        2. i think it was an acccident… they were shooting at a transport plane and missed, or fired multiple rockets and one carried on up to 30,000ft and found whatever it could… it might have been a seagull… sadly it was a 777.

        3. I think you are correct. It appears to have been an accident.
          The powers that be will not let a good crisis go to waste though. Time will tell.

    3. In the 1930s, particularly in Europe, humanity briefly embraced the idea of human slaughter houses to rid the world of all these useless human sheep. Something tells me humanity is gearing up for that again.
      There are so many unremarkable ‘individuals’ in this world. The selfie is proof of that. It is very difficult to be proud of the human race when mediocrity is celebrated so widely.

      1. Did you just hint at advocating bringing back death camps because of … selfies? Get over yourself.

    4. I’m counting on Yellowstone to erupt pretty soon, hopefully. Of course it wouldn’t be worldwide apocalypse, but the world economy would as a huge portion of the Grain belt would be wiped out, covered with ash. Livestock dead where they stood. Millions trapped.
      An event of this type would reset the scale SOMEWHAT to something more natural. Beta providers who could secure work would actually be getting positive attention from women, while the lazy Alpha dickheads would have to step up and be more economically productive for a change. Single motherhood would probably drop. Gender roles would become more traditional to some extent, as is natural.
      We could use a hard, loud, Earth shaking slap in the fuckin face from Mother Nature right now to snap us out of our deluded, feminized, social media whoring, gender-blurring, solipsistic, narcissistic funk.

      1. I wouldn’t count on alphas going away. We’ll thrive more than ever. If a Mad Max style apocalypse happens I’ll let you be an eunuch to guard my harem.

        4. If a Mad Max style apocalypse happens, you’d be traded to the Gays as a buttslave in exchange for arms or fuel or scented candles and exotic soaps or whatever the fuck they’d be trade in.

      2. the canary islands have a volcano, massive like Hawaii… with a fracture system straight down the middle…. when that sucker blows, a mountain the size of everest to the sea floor, will split in two and send a 100ft Tsunami into the East Coast US…. perfect…..
        better sell the Miami condo….. while you still can.

      3. Hahhaha, I’m ready for that, I’ve got my hunting and survival gear at the ready.
        In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”
        We will have our pick boys; and they will be calling me Sir, and Master or GTFO!

  15. You know when you’ve reached a peak in narcissism when everyone has a live camera of themselves living their “exciting” lives 24 hours a day 7 days a week. With that kind of narcissism I believe that it would spell the end for spy agencies worldwide. I mean what else would they have to do? Their lives would turn into the equivalence of a low paid security guard watching CCTV’s all day.
    It’s for that reason where I believe that the government will never let us get too narcissistic. Because then they would devour themselves. The only secrets that are left are in the government. But by then I think the earth would implode on itself.
    http://lbpost.com/images/sander/Lewis_Black-Kyle_Christy.jpg

  16. Fish around on Facebook and it’s clear that narcissism is an epidemic among American women.
    Not only do they take endless “selfies” and post them nonstop on FB, but they have taken to doing all manner of varieties of those self photos. One of them comes up with a new “look” for their selfie and it spreads like a virus to all other American women. Different angles, from below, from above, various filters, half face, top of face, bottom of face, eyes only, boobs only, etc. etc. etc.
    But I can tell you who is going to LOVE this selfie stick thing: FAT American women.
    American fatties have figured out that taking a photo from arm’s length over head (standing or laying) creates an optical illusion that makes them appear more or less a normal size. They use this method on dating sites to trick guys into going out on date with them. The further above they can go, they more they can get out of the optical illusion.
    This method of selfies shows that fat women are not “accepting” themselves. They want to hide how fat they are with optical illusions.
    WARNING: Never go on a date with a woman that only has photos of herself taken from above her head !!

    1. Narcissism is about low-self esteem.
      If a girl hates her life, and hates herself, the only way to ego-preserve is through narcissism. Sunday through Friday sucks, but boy am I something when those guys look at me in my skimpy skirt at the club on Saturday. I may hate my life, but those 50 likes reassure me that I am not shit. Oh boy, if I turn this guy down, that reassures me that I AM cool. Oh shit, that guy is ignoring me, if I get him to fuck me, then I that means I am not worthless.
      Girls who are truly at ease with themselves are not narcissists. The best girls you will meet have high-self esteem, the problem is that they are exceedingly rare. Guys see the girl all dolled up in her Instagram photos and they don’t realize she is doing it because she feels shit about her life. Even cunts, who treat people like crap, do it just to feel like they are not completely worthless (after all, the are so above everyone, right?). The difference is that in the past, seeking validation was frowned upon. Now those barriers have been released into an attention-whoring frenzie.
      I don’t blame them. I do not believe in female agency, they are organisms lead by emotions and social imperative. They have many bad things, but many good things aswell, and if you understand them you can navigate the web to your benefit. The problem with ROK is all the hate. You don’t realize that women are not like men, who are responsible for their decisions, they are like animals or children, a product of their emotions and their conditioning. You wouldn’t blame a dog for pissing itself, don’t blame a woman for what she does.
      How this applies to game: Although women have deeper needs, the sexual and emotional needs, what moves them in their logical brains is validation (at least the 90% who are not high self-esteem). That is why they fuck the guy who withdraws attention. I have a move where I go on about a lover from years ago who I loved, and I am convinced I will never find that again. Now her validation is on me falling in love with her, so that guarantees me a fuckbuddy for a few months.

      2. “I have a move where I go on about a lover from years ago who I loved, and I am convinced I will never find that again. Now her validation is on me falling in love with her, so that guarantees me a fuckbuddy for a few months.”
        That is pathetic and abusive.
        Narcissism isn’t just about taking attractive pictures of yourself. You’re half right; it’s also mainly about dominating and degrading other people to avoid being vulnerable by keeping them in a subordinate position. Bullying, manipulating, and using others is a manifestation of narcissism. If you’re going to do the “game” thing, don’t hypocritically accuse others of being narcissistic. It’s narcissism squared.
        Edit: This is funny for a reason. Several, actually, chiefly of which is that Dennis’ is a piece-of-shit narcissist.

      1. I’ve been wondering where that is…people couldn’t take it, Facebook would have to shut down.

  17. Our grandfather’s are turning in their graves. Seriously WTF is a selfie stick doing in the hands of these so called ‘men’. I commend ssass or whatever this company that created the selfie stick for taking advantage of our age of narcissism

  18. Just pumped and dumped a Filipina who I called The Selfie-Queen. This chick is a master of self-photography with her i-phone. Her selfies make her look like an 8/10 but naked in the sack she looses at least 3 point; so pump and dump.

  19. Too bad they don’t have one of these for iPhone yet.
    I would get one for my girl precisely because it is an isolating, not social experience. Im playing with fire here, but at this point selfies are a cost-of-doing-business with American women.

  20. Couldn’t someone use this to take upskirt shots? Not that I would do something like that, but this sounds like a terrible invention.

    1. One could integrate a digital camera with footwear for that, reminiscent of the old-school trick of gluing a mirror to your shoe.

    2. If sluts want attention..They’ll get attention! Pretty soon we’ll have RateMyUpskirtDotCom

  21. Dammn… Wish I thought of that….
    Guys… how can we make money off this narcissistic ME!!!! culture?
    Whoever invented and promoted that stupid fucking stick is on the right track. Same with tinder and all this bullshit… If people didn’t want it they wouldn’t be buying it…
    The smart people are the ones rejecting the culture and making their own lives… but fuck the sheep… How do you get rich off these idiots???
    Roosh and Game Co. caught on to the wave of Game and horny depressed young men as it became popular but it aint stopping there… its only getting started.
    What do you guys think? How can we make some coin off this shit? If you got an idea pitch it and we can brainstorm… doesn’t matter how far fetched it is.
    Wheres the money Lebowski?

    1. PUA can not invent shit as all the creative (sexual) energy is wasted on women.

      1. So you’re saying that Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Einstein, and all those fucking smart people weren’t interested in having sex with women?
        Give me a break dude.
        Who are you? You’re always posting anti-RoK stuff… Why are you even on this forum?

    2. What about an app that rewards you coins or points or whatever for every minute you DON’T check your social media accounts?? Or docks you for every fucken selfie you take? It would totally reverse this problem and make you rich at the same time.

  23. Sit back and watch – we are being gradually socially conditioned. It’s already considered “normal” and even socially preferred to take pictures of yourself 24/7 and document your day-to-day life for the world to see. Soon enough that will be what is expected of everyone, and if you go against that status quo then you will be suspected of “suspicious behavior” and simply not being on social media will be evidence enough for authorities to invade your privacy because you obviously have “something to hide.”
    These are weird times and we live in a sick world.

    1. You know your shit,Stalin. I feel it coming too, people think I’m weird because I don’t have an Instagram or Twitter. They ask if its by choice or that I’m out of touch with technology. I”m 29 and I just simply choose to not adopt that lifestyle.

      1. Same here…29, No Social Media…friends think its weird as most of my awake hours are spent in front of screen but i am trading & investing rather on fb,twtr…Sometimes i think I am the odd man out as everyone, i mean everyone i know is spending their time on social media..

      2. I had an OKC girl flake on me because I didn’t have a FB account. She wanted my FB so she could scope me out and – she refused to get to know me traditionally, and thought it was weird/”creepy” I didn’t have a Facebook and tried laid on the victim trip to shame me about not having one.. That’s fucked up. No two ways about it.

    2. George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four. Somewhere off in the not so distant future a man will be born into this society you described and he will most definitely have to deal with the feminist thought police. Of course by then it would no longer be called feminism as it will be the “normal” way to live and think. It could happen.

    3. Quite so, General. For example, not long ago I read about a late-middle-age exec who was moving part of his private life on-line to (he hoped) better relate to his young employees.
      Imagine if you’re in his area and don’t follow his lead. It would be obvious you’re not a team player, and are failing to keep up with the demands of the modern business environment. Here’s another one, with the same thrust:
      http://www.ekaterinawalter.com/2013/09/to-get-reluctant-employees-on-board-with-social-media-put-em-through-boot-camp/
      Your personal brand matters, and that involves presenting yourself online. Or else.
      http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324735104578118902763095818

    4. I think this shit is gonna come full circle though. Fine, I’m weird because I don’t tweet or have instagram. …what I DO have though, is a big chest, strong game, and several pieces of ass available within an hour. These look-at-me weenies can suck it, at the end of the day, Natural Selection is on our side.

        5. Yeah…sitting down to the computer checking up on Shep with plate in front of me, fork loaded…..definitely gross…

        6. No amount of brain bleach can wipe away that mental image.

        8. Awwww…
          *********
          No worries. Delete that one form your short term memory. You’ll get to see it again.
          *********
          ‘sides, I got a million of ’em!
          *********
          Thanks for the laugh!

        11. Well, glad I could be part of your life today!
          ***********
          Bwahahahahahahahahha!
          ***********
          Now if I can only get Carvin to squeal like that…

        12. One can tell a lot about a person by the way he touches other peoples lives…
          *********
          I should work as a writer for Halmark, not as a photographer. Definitely not as a photographer.

        13. I see your “stupidar” is also very finely tuned. People like Carvin—who refers to himself in the third person singular, BTW—prove that American fags somehow manage to be even more insufferable than American women are these days. Gotta hand it to ’em, though: That takes real talent.

        16. Oh Honey!
          *********
          You’re so nice that even Wayne Newton is insufferable by comparison.

        17. “My peepee! It burrnnnssss…”
          **********
          Overheard by the drunk guy who was rambling hard one night and tagged this hipposlobomous.
          **********
          Whenever that guy needs a boost for his self-esteem, he watches “Girls” reruns so he can feel superior to those gigolos who will debase themselves by banging Lena Dunham on screen for cash.
          **********
          Those gigolos must need money for one helluva drug…

        21. Don’t they put the two together and call it photo-urinalism?

        22. A prize?? It better not be a participation ribbon or one of Carvins selfies 🙁

        26. Well I am not sure how to take that. I know people that love him and I know people that hate him. I will assume you meant it as a compliment – I won’t mention it to Leonard-this time. 😉

        27. It was a compliment.
          *********
          Yesterday afternoon Leonard came into my office and systematically knocked everything on the floor while cussing me.
          *********
          He has also developed this huffy attitude about owning MY couch.
          *********
          Did you talk to him yesterday morning? What do you know about this?

        28. Haha! Beautiful markings on his coat. I like his attitude. I am sure he’ll let you use his couch if you’re nice to him. Looking at the pic It appears a little one is gonna lose a toe or two if they don’t get off his couch. I had a cat that loved to watch hockey on tv and would take swipes at the players He also would hide under chairs and lunge out and scratch your ankles as you walked by – especially if you had just kicked him off his couch 🙂 Just sayin’

        29. He loves the kids. They’re perfectly safe.
          *********
          He reserves his occasional hostility for me. I have no idea what he was thinking while he was pushing files from my desk, but he moved from one to the next and was very deliberate, making lots of eye contact and chewing me out as he worked.
          *********
          Before this pic I told him to get off of my couch. He looked right at me, put his head down, and grabbed with both legs. I pushed him off and he immediately jumped back up, head down, and grabbed again. Sometimes he just hasta give me attitude.
          **********
          Of course the kids were laughing. Maybe he was just showing off.

        30. Kids and animals- can’t live with them, can’t live without them. LOL. Sounds like good times 🙂

    6. Some potential employers already do that – look at your Klout score, which is a measure of your “influence” on social media “and in real life” (only if you’re famous). Any public use of social media, including likes on here, figures into this score, and you have to actively opt out. Employers don’t want this to be too low because it would mean you are a drifter, or too high because it would mean you are lazy and are on social media all the time. If you opt out, you seem paranoid and oppositional. Welcome to the new corporate world order.

    7. My friends guilt trip me every time I see them for leaving Facebook. They always want to know when I am going to come back. I’ve had the same cell phone number since 2003, I’m not hard to reach. :-

  24. The modern Western world celebrates mediocrity in all of it’s forms, and labels it individualism.
    Selfies represent the epitome of the celebration of narcissistic mediocrity. Millions of people have visited the leaning tower of Pisa. Nobody gives a shit when you have a photo of that expensive, pointless experience. The sad truth about selfies is that people who take them are usually so alone in the world that they don’t even have another person to take a simple photo of them.

  25. In fairness, who wants to hand a $600 smartphone over to a stranger. Cameras used to be cheap $20 things and the contents (film) only valuable to one person. Even the nice digital cameras of last decade didn’t really have any lasting value. Somebody’s smart phone however could go for $300 on ebay and if they are lax about security you might even be able to get their bank information

    1. Good point really,didn’t think of that. My solution? Run and tackle the fucker.

    2. Always ask fat people to take the photos. In tourist traps there is no shortage of fat foriegners.

    3. and that $600 smartphone is useless as shit. and even makes you dumber. it is way better stolen.

  26. My main mobile device has been a Tracfone for several months and I use it more like a pager. If someone contacts me, I text or call them back from my Gmail account for free.
    I highly recommend doing this! You don’t really notice how distracting and destructive a fully-featured phone is until you remove it from your life.

    1. I can relate,Ex- Iphone user here.I got shitty flip-phone and my life has improved in so many ways. I remember “disconnecting” from reality every 20 minutes to check IM’s and Emails, etc. Dropping it was a great decision.

      1. I have noticed those who either never adopted the whole “smart phone” thing or drop it for the simple phone which is just the phone are the types who get their shit done. I have been considering saying screw the iphone for a while but I still use it for various things that are not social mind numbing nonsense.

        1. Don’t do it then. If your phone’s features are of practical use to you then so be it. I was just giving an example of how it ate up my attention so much that I had to just wake up and tell myself to bail out of this bullshit validation social media madness. The funny thing is I see almost everyone in public get buried in their phones within a 10 minute interval. it’s sickening.

  27. I can’t wait until someone gets this stick taken away from them, and then gets savagely beaten with it. Or have it rammed up their ass.
    It’s really just a matter of time before this type of shit makes somebody snap.

    1. The phenomenon will be cheekily referred to as “fucksticking.”
      “Hey, did you hear about Frank? He was taking drunk selfies outside of a bar and then started mouthing off to some bikers. They proceeded to fuckstick him in short order.”
      “Oh shit. He’ll be ok, His dad is a proctologist.”
      “Cool bro.”

  28. I have female friends who take a shit load of selfies and this article nailed it,” You can’t just ask someone?” I’ve never been anywhere where I asked some one to take a picture and said ‘No’, that’s never fucking happened. Not in a bar / club, not while out and about, not in foreign countries.Ever. You right though, maybe these people despite them telling me they have social skills maybe they really don’t and *fear rejection*. Maybe the social skills I thought I really didn’t have are actually damn good by comparison. I don’t know but I’m certainly not overly afraid of getting rejected by a women and even less afraid of asking a total stranger to take a picture of me and some friends.

  29. I went to see my 18 year old nephew graduate from high school last month. The valedictorian of his class, the fucking VALEDICTORIAN, started off her speech by taking a selfie. Then she praised Pharrell Williams and Beyoncé as her two biggest life inspirations. I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.

  30. If Dirk Nowitzki or Dwight Howard got one of these he could take selfies from SO FAR away from his face. A ridiculous picture like that would provide me with maybe a full second of entertainment.

  31. Next: The implanted Camera – right in your skull it goes. No joke – NYU professor let a camera be implanted into the back of his head:

    1. Wait, is that so he can have eyes in the back of his head? Pissed off grade school teachers of the world rejoice!

    1. Meh. Unless you’re a photographer of professional quality, pictures of stuff is boring, even if it’s an interesting thing. You could get a better picture of whatever thing on google images.
      Personalizing it not only shows the object/place, but shows something additional: that it’s part of your life.
      My grandma does not want to look at a random picture of Notre Dame, but she does want to look at a picture of me in front of Notre Dame. Ya dig?
      There is nothing wrong with taking a picture of yourself in front of things.
      If anything, it is inconsiderate that men do not do it more often (if they want their pictures to have an audience and be interesting to that audience). Why get one-upped by the ladies, guys?

    1. yeah, I think I might have fucked the one on the right…
      At least her tits look familiar.

  39. A selfie stick?
    A selfie stick….
    People use this intentionally?
    And such naming….sounds like any female using this wouldnt have a camera with it….

  42. Let the ego go. Quit seeking validation from others about your value or your life.

  43. Wow….. words cannot even come close to describing what I am thinking…..
    How far have we De-evolved in only a short time.

  45. Lol, just lol. One would think this article is from The Onion; one would sadly be quite incorrect.

  47. You know what, guys? Am actually glad the Selfie Stick exists. I think it’s a brilliant idea. I don’t like any stranger asking me to do her a favor by taking a photo of her and her friends. I don’t like going out of my way to help accommodate someone; I don’t like burdening myself w/ useless, unbeneficial tasks.
    When someone asks me to take a photo, especially when it’s a chick, I get thrilled saying ‘No’. Their self-entitled asses think I’ll automatically say yes because they’re supposed to get whatever they ask for whenever they please. Don’t think so.
    Fellas, try this: when a woman asks you to take a photo of her, simply but politely reply ‘no’…and watch her expression…tingles.
    And as far as the selfie stick is concerned: who cares?!

    1. You might’ve overseen the big picture of the article. It’s mostly commentary on how society has declined to this level that accepts this device with open arms like the fucken narcissistic sheep they are with out a 2nd thought.

  48. useless invention, the tripod and the self-timer function already exists, that selfie stick will shake too much and get bad images

  49. Any special tips for gaming a narcissist and leaving her feeling like shit about herself?

    1. Real narcissists are so insecure that any obvious saying about their true flaws will make them miserable for hours (“your hair are not dyed evenly? Did u use different shades on purpose?” has once soured the mood of a gf). If you say that they have small tits and look boyish (if that applies, on the reverse of course u can call them too chubby) hence don’t attract you they will definetely be stressed for days. However nothing said about their personality traits seems to bother narcissists (talk all u want about them being immoral assholes with no empathy and that they will never make any human being happy – they will rationalize it away)

  50. One of the saddest things I saw… this guy at the gym taking selfies of his biceps in the mirror….

  51. Good info; nice article, Runs.
    Yep, it’s pretty sad to watch people “disengage” today. On a side note – I can see more people going to the doctor in the future complaining about neck pain (due to looking down so much at their phones).
    I got rid of the FB account about a year ago (tired of all the attention seeking behavior) and I won’t take my phone into places where I’m supposed to be “socially engaged” – with real people. I’ll usually leave it in the car (in case I need to make a call) but I’ve learned that having it all of the time is not healthy. It conditions people not to be ‘socially engaged’ with others…even saying ‘hi’ when you enter a room to someone (courtesy).
    I’ve grown up with technology and I have an I.T. background (so it’s not that I’m behind the times)…I just know better. I’m an adult.

  53. I bought one of these a few years ago, but rarely use it. Basically you can take a better selfie without having to ask a stranger or leave someone out of the pic to take it. It works for video recording too. I’ve never seen someone using it though. Most people aren’t going to carry around camera equipment just to take selfies.

  54. NOTE FOR EVERYONE WHO TAKES A “SELFIE”:
    You look like a FUCKING IDIOT with your stupid pictures. “Selfie” is not a real word.
    You stupid hipster millenial asshole social media fuckers.
    You are a disgrace to society. REAL MASCULINE MEN do not participate in this hipster millenial trend.

  55. I have a selfie stick built in. It’s called my cock.
    Those 2 girls with the large breasts could be useful when the cruise liner sinks. No need for a lifeboat, just grab onto one of them.

  56. The inventor of this is capitalizing on blue pill attention whores like it’s cool.

  57. The world is burning down, people are losing their jobs, people are dying.
    Yet the world is more concerned with taking pictures of themselves.
    Sick, sick world we live in….
    I think I am the only person on earth who does not have a smartphone or use social media… Does that make me wierd?

    2. You’re on social media right now. That’s ok. It’s totally normal to want to connect with others in an increasingly dehumanizing time.

    3. No, it most certainly doesn’t make you weird. Think about Faceplant, Twitpost, InstaStoopit, PinHeadTerest, et al, and then consider whether you’d like to be led over the cliff following the rest of the… well, you know.
      Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  58. I’m both disgusted and angry. Disgusted at the decline of modern humanity, and angry that I didn’t think of a simple stick to sell to said declining excuses of humans.

  60. Glad I stopped using social media after highschool…this is getting wayyyy out of hand.
    strong everything…

  62. After reading this I noticed all my friend’s photos had been taken with one of these stupid selfie sticks. Lost respect for him after that. In Europe, being a single American male needing a photo taken is a great conversation starter.

  63. Selfie sticks can be cool. It just depends on the context.
    I believe this is a go-pro stick, but same concept. I doubt most people will be using it for pics like this though!

  64. Some of the selfie sticks can be sick. Depends on the context. The go-pros during skiing and surfing are cool as fuck. I doubt most will be using it this way though!

  67. Selfie “president,” selfie stick. The fish rots from the head down.

      1. Thanks for introducing me to it. Had no idea it existed until I saw your posts here.

        1. You’re welcome! I probably owed you one for taking me to all of your hotspots!

        2. It’s kinda like gaydar, only it seems to be calibrated for detecting those with sub-90 sub-80 sub-75 on their Stanford-Benet results.
          ;-D

        4. Nah thass jess crewel! Who brung you up anyways, bowie?
          Seriously: You need to find some compassion and fast, thought criminal.
          :-

        5. Well, unwitting (and more often than not sub 75 Stanford-Benet scoring) adherents to the Frankfurt School’s philosophy have been alternating between boring and entertaining us at parties at least since Ayn Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged.
          **********
          Let’s continue to boldly go to those parties.

  69. So wait… this concept is hilarious, but it does do two things:
    1) It keeps people from stealing your camera.
    2) It makes sure that everyone in your group can be in the picture.
    This seems like it’s actually more social than asking a random stranger to take a picture of you or leaving someone out.

  70. I miss the days when the phrase “whipping out the selfie stick” meant something else entirely. Dumb jokes aside, don’t take your damn sticks to rock concerts!

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