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July 2, 2014

The middle-aged man in the costume of a third-grade boy

offers another case of elective slovenliness, not contradicted by the public display of male hirsuteness. 
This type of ugliness differs slightly from the nose-ring and ear-stud type.  Acquiring and regularly inserting the studs and rings takes some minimal effort.  Dressing carelessly like a schoolchild at play and at the same time advertising one’s male armpits is tantamount to saying: "€œI have no dignity and want none. I will dress as sloppily as I please and inflict my ugliness on the public square, and what is anyone going to do about?"€ The cell phone provides the telling clue.  Like an eighth-grade girl, this chronological adult cannot live without constant information from others about what do, or what to be interested in, or simply what to be.  Unfortunately, the people whom he canvasses have no more notion of these things than he does.
Thinking Housewife on Aggressively Obese Slobs

Posted by gerardvanderleun at July 2, 2014 10:16 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

I'm amenable to the idea of dressing neatly. But I hate ties. They serve no practical purpose and are uncomfortable.

Posted by: John Farrier [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 2, 2014 1:35 PM

They serve no practical purpose and are uncomfortable.

So are socks and shoes, but nobody wants to look at your damn bunions. Man up and dress like an adult every now and again.

This whole "I demand the right to express myself and stick it to the man" bullshit comes directly from the marketing of Elvis Presley ("He's such a rebel,") and the whole damn thing's been going downhill ever since. Nothing wrong with dressing up occasionally, or even every day, if for no other reason than to show the other slobs that you've got better taste than they do.

Posted by: Rob De Witt [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 2, 2014 5:39 PM

I dress for comfort and utility, always, and the last time I wore a tie was 6 years ago to a funeral. I have a smartphone but you'd never know it and I don't pay much attention to, or care, what other people think. Unless they get in my face with it. That's what steel butt plates on rifles are for.

Posted by: ghostsniper [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 2, 2014 8:32 PM

It is an Inside Job. Dressing up or down is a manifestation of a person's self-image. It also shows the level of respect one has for themselves and others. Yes, you can judge a book by looking at its cover. Everybody does. We form an opinion of somebody when we first look at them. Subject to change but there it is.
I can manipulate what a person thinks of me by altering my appearance. That gives me a tactical advantage.

Posted by: chasmatic [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 2, 2014 10:57 PM

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