Setting: At the bar on a Wednesday night
I sat down at the bar on a random Wednesday night at Buffalo Wild Wings in Burbank. I had never been to a bar or a restaurant in general by myself. As soon as I arrived I turned off my cell phone as I had told my girlfriend and family that I would be doing this assignment. Within a minute after sitting down the bartender approached me asking if I wanted anything, I ordered a Vodka/Sprite. I looked around my surroundings and the bar area was at least half-packed. There was a group of guys on the left of me who were really into the Dodgers game that was being shown. There was also an affectionate couple at the end of the bar on the right of me who were both oddly enough drinking wine.
I started off observing the group of testosterone filled guys. This was mostly because they kept on ogling just about any and every girl that walked in front of them. I noticed their reactions and their faces when each one passed by. When a particular attractive female would walk by, they would tap one another as their mouths were literally opened. Their eyes wouldn’t be the only ones following the female as their whole body was turned facing that particular direction. If a particular female that wasn’t as attractive would walk by, the reaction would not be so obvious. In fact at times, I noticed there was no reaction. I observed there quietly staring at them for a good 20 minutes before I decided it was time to move on to other subjects.
I then focused my attention on the couple to the right of me who were still being affectionate. They would caress each other’s hair and ear lobe with an occasional kiss here and there. They seemed to be extremely in love and very attractive to one another. I knew that it was love and not lust by their sensual touches and affections to one another. They would also say they love each other every four minutes or so. In comparison, I saw another couple behind me sitting in a table that were just making out constantly. However, besides the making-out part there was no real sign of sincere affection towards one another. Between making-out, the couple behind me would just talk and neither seemed to be interested. The couple on the right of me had various conversations that went back and forth and they really seemed to be enjoying themselves. Although I wanted to observe them longer, they eventually noticed me staring at them so I had to look away and try to find more subjects. To pass the time I ordered a beer.
I then noticed the bartender flirting with a fellow waitress as he was getting my Sam Adams. The waitress would come and go to the bar area to pick up specially made drinks. There would be a few exchanges between them, with the bartender flirting and complimenting the waitress a lot. The waitress however, clearly did not seem to be interested as her answers were kept brief and concise much to the avail of the persistent bartender. The bartender however seemed to be taking it all in stride for someone who was getting completely shut-down.
An hour had passed and I gathered up all my notes, paid my tab, and headed out.
Analysis
As far as the group of testosterone filled guys goes, I feel that they were a cliché of their own. They were filling the typical mold of the frat boy behavior, look, and attitude. They each had polo or a sweater with a backwards hat, board shorts and sandals. Their behavior was old, tiresome and predictable. None of them really had an identity of their own as they all seemed to be acting and talking just like the other. It’s not as if they were trying to be liked by the other guys, but rather trying to be replicas of each other for acceptance. They seemed to be straight out of a comedy movie because their routine was exact of those of the characters they portrayed. Their group or clique would be that annoying group of assholes picking on the weaker links in high-school or college films. This is kind of an example of life imitating art as these guys were so ridiculous; it’s hard to believe they weren’t created fictional characters. They were seem to be big followers and believers of social identity, which defined in Barker (pg.215) as the expectations and opinions that others have of us. The group members all act a certain way because they want to fit in and be seen as one of the guys.
The contrast of the affectionate couple and the seemingly lusty couple, seemed like something out of a romantic comedy. On one hand, you had the couple that is madly in love with each other and not afraid to publically display it. On the other hand, you have another couple who isn’t as affectionate or sensual to one another but rather seem to rely heavily on attraction. This contrast seems almost comical viewing it in subjective eyes.
Works Cited
Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. London: Sage, 2008. Print.
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