From:
The Lure of Drinking Fraternities
What else do they love to talk about over the rounds of liquor? Adam’s rib can’t help but get (disturbingly) curious. “It depends on the level of drunkness, so to speak,” says Rock, a confessed groupie drinker. “We usually start with what happened during the day, airing our frustrations with our stupid boss and lousy jobs then proceed with graphic details of our sexual conquests and sometimes saying them loud enough.” The women they would brag about, he notices, are usually those whom they fantasize about, or one who runs after them, but almost never their wives or girlfriends. Call it the ego-trip phase.
Rock went on to say that “sometimes the men start to become philosophical the more they drink, then they start to talk about more serious stuff.” The more drinks are being absorbed into the body system, the deeper the level of conversation among group drinkers. At this stage, the “Marsians” open up and breathe out their heartaches mostly involving their personal relationships. Rock also observes that drunk people are not afraid to cry — an act that’s taboo among the men. They seem to take advantage of the fact that they can always rationalize when the drinking palaver is through. “Who me… cried? Blame it on the booze, man!”
“It’s like they are in a therapy session or some kind of a confessional booth without walls where the talker feels absolved from something after venting out his thoughts and feelings,” says Christabel Garcia-Chao, MA, psychologist and professor of psychology at the Assumption Graduate School.
Unlike the real therapy sessions, however, “too much drinking produces significant damage to one’s health, career and relationships with self and one’s family,” Chao warns.
That’s when we also hear of so many brawling and fighting where too much alcohol is involved either, since drunk guys are no longer sensible, and if someone dares to disagree with someone else then the trouble begins. Some conversations lead to arguments and fights, especially when alcohol reaches the head as the belly is full. They would then seem to center around doing what they wanted to do, saying what they want to say without regard for the rights, wishes or privileges of anyone else — which they can later on regret as they snap back after the morning nausea.
Still, it’s a reality that men who drink in groups may see alcohol as the panecea of all ills. A chorus from the Mighty Mighty Bosstone’s Another Drinking Song can further show where they are coming from:
“Counting on a remedy I’ve counted on before
Going with the cure that’s never failed me
What you call a disease
I call the remedy
What you’re calling the cause
I call the cure…”
So why ruin a good thing by suggesting that two drinks per day is enough or else, that assertiveness training seminar is readily available, or that Alcoholic Anonymous is standing by should they go overboard? “Upgrade guys, we now have reached the era of cyber bonding and cafe society,” I even find myself pointing to another bordello.
to be continued….