On the other hand, exonerating the least responsible citizens from their consumer debt contradicts Tyler's urging clerks to work harder to become what they dreamed of being. Tyler's goal is not, however, a Marxist leveling of the industrial world nor even a revolution by agricultural peasants. Although dark, this is a very funny film, inspiring much laughter, both nervous and hearty. The transgressional mischief that Jack and his Tyler component engage in is also an important part of being male. Reversing the tines on parking lots so that tires explode dramatically as unsuspecting drivers exit, slipping revised safety guidelines into the rear seat pockets of airplanes which show the passengers praying, weeping, and cringing in fear, bucking the system exploring new realms are all parts of the defiant and creative curiosity that leads men to fly to the moon and climb mountains just because they are there.
T here are two hypotheses about another potential source of masculine identity.
The second hypothesis is that the materialism that is so reviled and rejected throughout the film is the real social flaw, not the stratification of society. You are not the contents of your wallet. You are not the car you drive. You are not your khakis. It may be that working class people's finances and their standards for happiness are destroyed believing the marketing that says that everyone can and should have every convenience and material pleasure.