Writes Hope Reeves, in "My Teenage Sons Love U.F.C. Here’s What We Saw at the White House Cage Match" (NYT).
"Honestly, I had hoped that bringing my kids to a U.F.C. fight, letting them witness the brutality up close, would end their obsession.... 'I am just overcome with emotion,' [my 15-year-old told me afterwards], and when I asked what kind, he cried: 'Every kind!... I felt so bad for the fighters, and it made me realize that watching it on a screen makes it lose all its humanity. I don’t think I’ll ever look at it the same way again, but I still love U.F.C. In fact, I love it more than ever!' My 18-year-old agreed. 'This was the peak, the pinnacle of my life!' he gushed..."
From the comments over there: "What a sad story. When will parents step up and take responsibility for their children. Without this mother paying for this trip how could they attend? I have two grown sons who have never showed any interest in this barbarism.... I have no hope for people who indulge in barbarism as a form of entertainment."
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22 comments:
He gets it, and pretty well for a 15 year-old.
Something else that Trump haters can appreciate is that it always has the promise of having the loudmouth braggart get humbled by the quiet guy.
"I have no hope for people who indulge in barbarism as a form of entertainment."
With regards to Charlie Kirk's last speaking engagement, what is your opinion of people who indulge in barbarism as a form of public policy?
I don't think it could possibly replace team sports in sustained popularity, but I do find myself watching it a lot more than any other sport. Maybe it's the short attention span it supports.
Something else that Trump haters can appreciate is that it always has the promise of having the loudmouth braggart get humbled by the quiet guy.
Reminds me of one of my favorite shows back in the day. Bully Beatdown.
Some obnoxious asshole gets outed as a bully and agrees to take on a professional MMA guy. If the bully wins - or advances past certain rounds - he gets upwards to $10,000. If he loses, the person (or persons) he bullied get the money.
Spoiler alert: The bullies got their asses kicked. Every time except once.
From a NYT reader: "I have no hope for people who indulge in barbarism as a form of entertainment."
But when a male (Imane Khelif) was beating the crap out of females in Olympic boxing, that was stunning and brave to Leftists around the world.
I hate people who revel in barbarism, but that Luigi guy sure is dreamy!
The male world perceives displays of physical aggression quite differently from the way women do. It will shock many to learn this, but there are fundamental differences between men and women.
A threat, but no affirmative action of abortion, in darkness or otherwise. No rape gamgs or equivocation and inclusion. It's wholesome by popular cult-ural standards and performative arts.
There are few things more amusing than watching the New York Times treat the entertainments of ordinary Americans like Gorillas in the Mist.
I always look to the NYT to explain flyover country/middle America — when I need a few laughs.
""I have no hope for people who indulge in barbarism as a form of entertainment.""
But pretending you're a chick or sucking cock is cool.
It's fighting... but it's ULTIMATE. What's so hard to understand?
Ted said...
It's fighting... but it's ULTIMATE. What's so hard to understand?
It's to THE MAX. Totally. PEAK fighting.
"What a sad story. When will parents step up and take responsibility for their children. Without this mother paying for this trip how could they attend? I have two grown sons who have never showed any interest in this barbarism.... I have no hope for people who indulge in barbarism as a form of entertainment."
Only those people who engage in that violence could be counted on to save her ungrateful, AWFL ass if someone tried to mug or rape her. Certainly not a Beta male bf or her lesbian wife.
My son who has a 3rd degree black belt watches it regularly. He watches it for the techniques. He predicted undefeated Ronda Rousey getting KO’d because he knew Rousey could not defend Holly Holm’s weapons.
Even the peace loving Amish grapple at barn raisings. Fun to watch. You throw the man down you win.
I tuned in for the spectacle and stayed for the fights. I saw them as mini lessons in how to behave under pressure, especially the main event.
Justin Gaethje versus Ilia Topuria hit close to home for me because Gaethje comes from Safford, Arizona. I wanted him to win, but I didn’t think he had much of a chance. Joe Rogan had talked for a long time about what a strong, dangerous fighter Topuria was. When he walked out you could immediately see why. He was downright scary. He kept advancing forward with his fists tight to his face, leaving almost no opening for Gaethje. And, as Rogan said, Topuria had a fast, hard punch.
What struck me was Gaethje’s demeanor. He came into the cage with no visible emotion and no sign of intimidation, even as a big underdog. He just accepted the back‑and‑forth chaos and took advantage of his moments. Watching him do that reinforced a life lesson for me: in tense situations, you don’t have to feel safe to act calmly and intelligently.
As the fight wore on, Gaethje’s composure and pressure added up. Topuria was still dangerous throughout, but he was getting marked up and worn down. By the end of the fourth round, he’d taken so much damage that his own corner stopped the fight, and Gaethje walked away with the belt and one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
For me, the lesson was: even when things are going your way, don’t coast. Keep your attention on the moment in front of you. Gaethje never checked out mentally, and that mindset is a good model for how to handle any high‑stress situation.
I’m planning to watch more MMA. Thanks to whoever mentioned I could watch these fights with my Paramount+ subscription.
Ampersand Me this. Why do women go absolutely crazy for the fights at hockey games?
There’s nothing more basic than fighting. Two guys beat on each other until one can’t answer the bell.
I have mixed feelings about MMA. I don’t like seeing people get beaten bloody, and CTE is a serious concern. But as a sport it’s fascinating. Martial arts used to be divided into mutually exclusive styles—boxing, wrestling, karate, judo, kickboxing, etc. They were like religions—you learned the style of your school and looked down on the others. Then the Gracies came along and said, “Let’s just have them all compete with each other and find out what actually works in a real fight.” They made MMA a science, and many new and more effective techniques are still being invented, especially in grappling.
Should people do it? Well, those who do seem to love it, and those who watch enjoy it, and it’s really nobody else’s business.
.. and it’s really nobody else’s business.
@Smilin’ Jack, tha weds to be all caps and bold
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