![]() ![]() ![]() The bitter ones-Greenberg, Chris Eigeman-hide their inability to live up to the demands of the world with cynicism verging on cruelty. They are usually failed artists of some sort, often surrounded by more successful friends and relatives. The Liberal Arts Layabout: Since he’s hanging out with successful artist types, Greenberg falls into this category, along with other Noah Baumbach characters (Jack Black in Margot at the Wedding, Chris Eigeman in Kicking and Screaming) and every role that Jason Schwartzman has ever played. “I’m doing nothing and I’m tied to no one,” Greenberg boasts. He’s generally unemployed, and his romantic relationships are in shambles-he’s either single or, if he’s married, not happy about it. The omega male doesn’t have the power to reject anything-he’s the one who has been brushed off. A midlife crisis implies agency, a man who has the job and the family and chooses to reject it. It’s like imitating other people.” The omega male is not experiencing the tired trope of the midlife crisis. Greenberg says of his somewhat stunted best friend, “We call each other ‘man,’ but it’s a joke. While the alpha male wants to dominate and the beta male just wants to get by, the omega male has either opted out or, if he used to try, given up. In human terms, if an executive or a warrior is an alpha male and a nice-guy middle manager like The Office’s Jim Halpert is a beta male, then Greenberg and his brethren are omega males. In the social hierarchy of a wolf pack in captivity, the omega ranks below the alpha and beta wolves. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |