Does ‘Fight Club’ Still Appeal To Men?
By: Akos Peterbencze
Tags: Movies, Self Improvement, Society, Culture, Philosophy

Photo: 20th Century Fox

Does ‘Fight Club’ Still Appeal To Men?

Tyler Durden’s philosophy just isn’t as cool as it once seemed

I always loved David Fincher’s Fight Club. Every time I watch it, its message punches me in the face and I can’t help but grin; blood covers my teeth and all. It’s always a testosterone-powered kick to the brain.

The other night I had insomnia (ironically the center idea of the plot) so I put the film on for the umpteenth time.

‘Self-improvement is masturbation. Now self-destruction is the answer.’—Tyler Durden, Fight Club

Forty-five minutes into the movie Durden makes the comment. He’s clearly emphasizing, or rather entertaining the idea that destruction might be the answer to society’s search for fulfillment.

When I first saw Fincher’s movie, I thought, what a brilliant revelation. Raw, real, and original. Chuck Palahniuk (the author who wrote the book the movie is based on) conveyed it perfectly, and young men like me, those raised by single mothers and who faced trials growing up could relate. Chuck is a smart dude, he’s aware of what triggers us, and what we need to hear to feel intrigued. He’s a masterful wordsmith manipulating his gift to skilfully provoke shock and outrage; all while keeping us entertained.

The one problem: Tyler advocates an inherently wrong belief system that glorifies and encourages violent and destructive behavior. However, to a developing mind such as my own at fourteen, it felt wonderfully masculine. It’s easy to understand why he became a figurehead of “Men’s Right Activism” all over the world. He sold the idea of freedom to young men who felt trapped and powerless in their work uniforms.

‘This is your life and it’s ending one moment at a time.’ — ‘Fight Club’

Self-destruction is easy. It can be done by any idiot who needs to fulfill any urge, and Tyler’s words reassured and encouraged them. Say what you want, but self-destruction was, and still is, the coolest thing when you’re a teenager regularly drinking beers and smoking Marlboros in an attempt to seek validation. When my father left my family, I felt abandoned and lost.

As a result, I desperately searched for approval in a community that made me want to belong. It was an easy “fix” for me at the time, but numbing the pain with substances is never the answer to find an accepting community. Drinking, smoking, and using won’t lead to a better self. You might not see that when you’re young, but decades later you’ll feel the repercussions that such a lifestyle leaves you with. Losing everything you own might feel liberating, but it’s not an essential or rational method of becoming a better human being.

On the contrary, self-improvement takes lots of effort, investment, and time. Building something is a lot harder than destroying it. Ignorant people bully and destroy to gain superficial power. It gives them a sense of authority, making them feel like the king of the world: feared by the weak and oppressed in the social hierarchy.

Tyler’s behavior and appearance are impressive. His words are captivating until we realize they drift towards something darker: insanity. Slowly it becomes clear that he’s a fascist bully seeking to take revenge on society for their lack of acceptance of him. After all, he’s nothing but the creation of a sleep-deprived mind.

He uses a generation’s anger and frustration to sell them self-destruction disguised as self-improvement. He exploits their hunger and desire to belong to something bigger and more complex than themselves to suit his own needs. He romanticizes destruction in order to build a militia. And white guys buy into that idea after they get beaten up, and their bodies release enough endorphin.

Tyler’s messed up value system liberates them, to a point where in a community of equally damaged individuals, they can start to feel they belong. In this place of belonging they can begin to live their lives without boundaries. That’s a promise on the horizon to angry and oppressed men.

In an interview with the BBC, Palahniuk said that “Tyler is like a ‘secondary father figure’ who challenges a person more than a biological father would dare.”

But what he does, really, is that he strengthens that voice in the back of our heads that never stops complaining and rambling. The voice that wants to break out and spit in society’s face. That same voice that screams “you’re not a sheep, you’re not your job, and you’re not the contents of your wallet.” Oh damn, now I’m just paraphrasing. You see, it’s so alluring!

Of course, Tyler is batshit crazy, but let’s not forget he was born out of need. He just pointed out the root of every problem in the Narrator’s head. His intentions may be evil, but not every word of his is false. He needs to say provocative but valid things to gain attention and to lure lost souls to join his mission.

Ultimately, we all want to improve and not give a damn about meaningless things. We want to focus on our goals and dreams.