Containment Random Thoughts & Questions

[drtoboggan]

Anyone else see Coleslaw and think of David Cross immediately? I bet he's a never nude.

 

[Tragi-Chan]

This thread comes from Chris's recent apology video. Now, I don't mean to ignore all that has already been said on the subject, but I must say that his consistent inability to understand that apologizing should not be done in the way he does has made me curious.

Namely, we know Chris was mostly educated by television and videogames. Is there anything in their behavior that might justify the whole 'never apologize' thing? Is it because he thinks he's as wise as Optimus Prime, perhaps, who wasn't exactly one to do wrong in his own series?

Just curious.

I think it's a question of pride. His ego doesn't allow him ever to be in the wrong. Even when he does apologise, the thing he'll apologise for is almost never what he's actually been taken to task over, but some lesser fault (ideally something caused by someone else). I think my favourite example was the Mary Lee Walsh apology picture, in which he had a fictional version of MLW tht he had created apologising for stealing Mary's identity, while Chris himself apologised for not stopping her sooner. The usual form is "Something bad happened that you are blaming me for. This was caused by something someone else (possibly you) did. I am sorry they/you did that and I am sorry that you are angry at me, although really that's your fault, but I'll help you out this once."

I don't think he really understands what an apology is. As with a child, he knows that if he is in trouble, he should say sorry. However, he doesn't understand the link between apologising and making amends - he sees an apology as a self-contained thing, like a password or something. As long as he apologises for something, it doesn't matter if he feels genuine remorse for what he's done. In the recent Mr Smith mini-saga, he was quite open about the fact that he felt no remorse - he had done what was needed, therefore he could go right back to being a prick.

Slightly OT, but he has a similar attitude to religion. I remember one of the letters pages pulled him up on all his many, many un-Christian deeds and his response was basically "I confess all my sins and they're forgiven."

Re the question of whether his attitude to apologies is based on cartoons, quite a common comedy device is for a character to obey a rule or an order, but very literally (an example off the top of my head from Animaniacs: the Warner Brothers and Sister visit a dollar store and are told by the irate manager that "everything's a dollar," so they empty the store and hand over a dollar, leaving the manager seething). Chris may think this is a valid technique. "Ah, they said I had to come out of the closet, but they never said I couldn't wear a disguise and do a stupid voice while I did so!"

 

[timtommy]

This thread comes from Chris's recent apology video. Now, I don't mean to ignore all that has already been said on the subject, but I must say that his consistent inability to understand that apologizing should not be done in the way he does has made me curious.

Namely, we know Chris was mostly educated by television and videogames. Is there anything in their behavior that might justify the whole 'never apologize' thing? Is it because he thinks he's as wise as Optimus Prime, perhaps, who wasn't exactly one to do wrong in his own series?

Just curious.

If he had a philosophy to "never apologize" he would say that. Or at least never try to apologize.

He has made many attempts at apology over the years. He just doesn't seem to be very good at doing it in a way that satisfies people.

 

[Henry Bemis]

Namely, we know Chris was mostly educated by television and videogames. Is there anything in their behavior that might justify the whole 'never apologize' thing? Is it because he thinks he's as wise as Optimus Prime, perhaps, who wasn't exactly one to do wrong in his own series?

If we look at Chris's two heroes from childhood, we see two different schools of thought. Sonic the Hedgehog unapologetically thumbs his nose at Robotnik every chance he gets; meanwhile, Rob the American Rabbit is nice and accepting to a fault.

 

[Stud2Stud]

Chris ''appoligized'' because he feared people would make more eBay cases against him.

You really think Chris was ever true and honest even once since he's on the web?

Well, he was wearing his Medallion and Amnyfest Ring in a lot of his videos...

I think Chris's inability to make a genuine apology comes from a combination of the following:

1. His autism makes it difficult for him to empathize with others.
2. His ignorance/stupidity makes it difficult for him to understand how he was in the wrong.
3. He is essentially a spoiled, bratty child who can't accept the possibility that something might be his fault.

It's not really something he picked up from any one source; it's more the result of his upbringing than anything else.

I think there is another problem that amplifies Chris' inability to apologize.
People treat their own mistakes differently than mistakes done by other people.
When 'someone else' makes a mistake, it's often seen to originate from bad character, lacking skills (in short: personal things) however when 'oneself' makes a mistake it's the circumstances (so: exterior problems one has no control over). In a way, Chris is doing just that.
However most people will realize that a) other people might have fallen victim to circumstances and b) oneself might not be perfect.

The problem is pretty simple: Chris does see other people do something wrong. He has no idea what their circumstances are, so he assumes the people are at fault. Chris fucks up himself, but he knows the circumstances, so he 'knows' it's just the circumstances that made it impossible to avoid the mistake.
So -from Chris POV- receiving apologies is totally logical, however why should Chris apologize for something he had no control over?

 

[asperhes]

Hey Marvin, a few days ago you made the throwaway comment, "Chris is getting closer and closer to finding a dick-sized guillotine." To what extent was this a joke? I know he loathes his ugly growth, but is he seriously pondering self-mutilation? I don't think it's ridiculous to ask, since while Chris typically responds to bad things in his life by shitting himself and doing nothing, in terms of his gender identity, he has taken two radical steps that threw everyone for a loop: public cross-dressing and the unclit. At the risk of sounding like a moralfag, if Chris was resolved to do this, would alarm bells start to go off among his "friends," prompting an intervention?

 

[Marvin]

Hey Marvin, a few days ago you made the throwaway comment, "Chris is getting closer and closer to finding a dick-sized guillotine." To what extent was this a joke? I know he loathes his ugly growth, but is he seriously pondering self-mutilation? I don't think it's ridiculous to ask, since while Chris typically responds to bad things in his life by shitting himself and doing nothing, in terms of his gender identity, he has taken two radical steps that threw everyone for a loop: public cross-dressing and the unclit. At the risk of sounding like a moralfag, if Chris was resolved to do this, would alarm bells start to go off among his "friends," prompting an intervention?

I was joking. Self mutilation is very far off the table as an option because Chris isn't a surgeon and couldn't stand the pain.

 

[timtommy]

I was joking. Self mutilation is very far off the table as an option because Chris isn't a surgeon and couldn't stand the pain.

As dangerous as these words can be, maybe they can be used to help explain why Chris wouldn't chop of Donald and/or Huey and Louie himself:

He's not that dumb.

 

[Francis York Morgan]

Marvin, maybe you can answer this or provide some insight.

Lately, it seems like Chris's tomgirlism has become more extreme and pronounced than it has been. He's back to wearing make-up in public, more openly discussing it, and has added new aspects to the identity (soulginas, lesbian souls, etc). Do you think there has been some sort of new influence on Chris that's driving it or was this always the direction it was heading?

 

[Puranjin]

Sorry, I just wanted to get this clear:

There are two portmanteau names in use: Borb and Charb. I was just wondering if there was one for Bob and Chris? Chrob?

It's funny how little those two need to be grouped together. I mean, besides the fact Bob is dead.

 

[Tragi-Chan]

Sorry, I just wanted to get this clear:

There are two portmanteau names in use: Borb and Charb. I was just wondering if there was one for Bob and Chris? Chrob?

It's funny how little those two need to be grouped together. I mean, besides the fact Bob is dead.

I don't think there's ever really been a need for it. Bob and Barb were a collective influence, so "Borb" makes sense. "Charb" is useful because these days there's just the two of them, but also because Chris and Barb have more in common than Chris and Bob. It's undoubtedly been exaggerated on this forum, but the popular image of the Chandlers is of Bob as the sane one while Barb and Chris fill the house with crap and run managers over.

The only time I can think of when you might need to use "Chob" or "Bis" or whatever is talking about the time they moved away from Ruckersville. They don't seem to have shared much as people. Kinda sad in a way.

 

[ChurchOfGodBear]

I'm kind of wishing to see a follow up to the reunion/gal-pal saga. That was one of the most interesting post-Bob events and I really would have liked to have seen more.

 

[Marvin]

Marvin, maybe you can answer this or provide some insight.

Lately, it seems like Chris's tomgirlism has become more extreme and pronounced than it has been. He's back to wearing make-up in public, more openly discussing it, and has added new aspects to the identity (soulginas, lesbian souls, etc). Do you think there has been some sort of new influence on Chris that's driving it or was this always the direction it was heading?

Everything Chris has been doing this year, aside from videos, was natural on Chris' part. The biggest influences on Chris' tomgirl shit are Chris and the fire.

Chris thought up the idea to pierce his taint entirely on his own, for example.

 

[Francis York Morgan]

Everything Chris has been doing this year, aside from videos, was natural on Chris' part. The biggest influences on Chris' tomgirl shit are Chris and the fire.

Chris thought up the idea to pierce his taint entirely on his own, for example.

I didn't mean to imply troll influence. I was just wondering if environmental factors such as the fire and change of location were a part of his reenergized tomgirl activities. It's looking like a means of him coping with the fire considering how that event forced a drastic shift in his life. Chris looks very uncomfortable with his surroundings in the new videos and he's trying to have something he can control I guess. Then again, he could just be uncomfortable with the subject matter of the videos. Do you have any insight on his feelings with the rental house or anything else that might be inspiring him?

 

[Marvin]

I didn't mean to imply troll influence. I was just wondering if environmental factors such as the fire and change of location were a part of his reenergized tomgirl activities. It's looking like a means of him coping with the fire considering how that event forced a drastic shift in his life. Chris looks very uncomfortable with his surroundings in the new videos and he's trying to have something he can control I guess. Then again, he could just be uncomfortable with the subject matter of the videos. Do you have any insight on his feelings with the rental house or anything else that might be inspiring him?

Eh, I mention the fire, but only just to cover all my bases. The fire barely touched his life. It changed his address, maybe he has less money than usual.

Otherwise I don't think the fire did anything.

Chris has always wanted a better social life. He just recently happened upon a way he can use his tomgirlism to improve his social life. And so he jumped on it.

 

[warongiygas]

The fire barely touched his life. It changed his address, maybe he has less money than usual.

How certain of this are you? Chris is a routine-based person whose life was, in a way limited to his room and the things in it. I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, I'm just surprised that the fire would have such a negligible effect on his psyche.

 

[Marvin]

How certain of this are you? Chris is a routine-based person whose life was, in a way limited to his room and the things in it. I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, I'm just surprised that the fire would have such a negligible effect on his psyche.

Is he a routine-based person?

 

[warongiygas]

Is he a routine-based person?

Routine-based person wasn't the correct expression. I meant the psychological component of routine; routine probably looks very different for Chris because he has next to no responsibilities. Anyway, I gave it some thought and I guess it's difficult to tell how psychologically significant anything that happens to him is. His victim complex filters everything that happens to him and interprets it as just another injustice done unto him. In his mind, there's not much difference between a security guard just doing his job and a mean-spirited kid forcing him to shove his medallion up his ass; they're both part of a grand design engineered to keep him, specifically, from finding his sweetheart. It isn't a stretch to think he would have thought the fire was just par for the course in America's favorite game

 

[timtommy]

How certain of this are you? Chris is a routine-based person whose life was, in a way limited to his room and the things in it. I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, I'm just surprised that the fire would have such a negligible effect on his psyche.

He still has a room and legos and vidya. The routine can shift from one place to another.

But now that it is brought up, it does strike me how little Chris "uses" the fire. He goes on and on about trolls, and autism, and sexuality issues, and needing money. Trying to stir up pity.

It's not all that often that he says "My house burned down a year ago. It was a very dangerous situation and I lost a lot of my possessions. I am still trying to recover, financially and emotionally." He does say it from time to time, but given that almost all of his communications are trying to get pity, I would think he would try to use that card more often. It's really not all that bad a card.

The fact that he doesn't harp on it supports Marvin's point that the fire was not as big a deal to him as it might have been.

 

[Stud2Stud]

Maybe he just understands it's not a 'man-made' (ie: troll-controled) event and thus doesn't really attribute anything to it aside from "it happened and it sucked."
It's hard to really victimize yourself in case of a housefire (he did try to blame Keurig, but that didn't really pan out).

But it's true, it's weird he didn't really use it that much in order to gain anything.

On an unrelated note, today I was (for some reason) thinking about the Movie 'Mary Poppins' and was kind of amused by one of the actor's names:
Dick van Dyke, who played Bert. I bet Chris is torn up over that name...