Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Necktie as a phallic symbol

For over two thousand years - since at least the Quinn dynasty - the necktie (or cravat) has been the most widely used, and the most multicultural of all phallic symbols. The necktie has always been, for a certain class, a celebrated piece of male equipment. The ties were a mark of allegiance, wealth, and belonging at a time when cloth was hard enough to come by for clothes, never mind for articles of gratuitous adornment. They told others, both inside and outside the elite, that the bearers of the neckpieces were the people who mattered - the people who belonged. The tie is a pure fashion statement, a useless, unnecessary item of clothing in addition to its symbolic announcement. However, there are other negative attributes associated with the necktie.Indeed, the tie was suitably born soaked in blood. The word "cravat" comes from "Croat", the nationality of the soldiers who won Turkey (previously in the Austro-Hungarian Empire) for Louis XIV of France, and who marched victoriously into Paris adorned in colourful silk handkerchiefs tied around their necks. The French King soon copied this style and began a similar fashion among the European aristocravats, pun intended. Indeed, Louis XIV called an entire regiment the Royal Cravattes. Most reference books blame the necktie on the French. The tie evolved from the French cravat, a scarf tied around the neck. The French called it a cravat in reference to the Croatians, who wore colorful scarves around their neck in battle. Considering its origin and symbolic meaning, why do we wear ties now? Ties which both hang flaccidly from the neck to the groin like a penis, and also point to it, are the very symbol of the phallus, which is so envied by other men and women not for its actual qualities, as much as the social meaning attributed to the gender of its owner. The tie is thus a symbol of the domination of men over women, and of power in general. Consequently, a ruling was made by a particular group..."Ties Banned in Hanover Workplace as 'Phallic Symbols'" SEXISM ROW AS WOMAN ORDERS MALE CLERKS...TAKE OFF YOUR TIES HANOVER, WEST GERMANY (AUG. 28) REUTER - Male civil servants in a West German office are hot under the collar after their female boss banned neckties as phallic symbols."the necktie constantly reminds the wearer that his employer, the federal government, and significant others, all have the wearer by the neck... The necktie functions like the ring in the nose of the bull, the bit in the mouth of the horse. A necktie is a rope around the neck, a choke collar inviting enslavement that is constantly accepted..." ( The Washington Post, 12/23/94).“I notice that the tie looks suspiciously like an arrow. Now, assuming a tie is an arrow, what is this arrow pointing to? Yep, that is correct. The “arrow” is pointing down to the penis. Now, if you look around in a typical office space, you’ll no doubt notice that only males wear a tie. What does this say? That males want their penises noticed? If you think about it, it makes sense. Back in the day when it was more socially acceptable to claim that the men were in charge of the world (it was during a time before women let men on the little secret that they in fact control the world… Wise man once said, “she who controls sex controls the man and in essence, the world”) the men would put on these phallic symbols of their supposed superiority and flaunt their power (i.e. penis) around like they were kings.”Professor Niko Tinbergen (1951) and Sigmund Freud explained the origin of the tie. At some point in the human evolutionary past, penis size became a male status-determinant that functioned as a conflict-resolution mechanism IRM's (instinctive releasing mechanisms), to use Tinbergen's terminology, activate innate reactions without the mediation of verbal/symbolic processing. The tie would activate a deference reaction in the same way that the two large spots on the wings of a butterfly might activate a fear-reaction that evolved to alert animals to the presence of large binocular predators. The butterfly, in this example, takes advantage of an instinctive sensitivity to having eyes trained upon you, which is found in many species. The butterfly manipulates the potential predator; a shrew, for example. The tie wearer manipulates this hypothetical status-marker instinct in a similar way. We can tell when it is going to rain, then why is it that we cannot discern the times in which we are living? Jesus posed that question to all people for every generation to answer. The world is telling us that the necktie is phallic in origin, but we do not care because we have sanitized it. Similarly, we have totally disregarded the proclamations from Thomas Dorsey (jazz musician – the father of gospel) and Michael Ventura (a voodoo priest) who are telling us that gospel is not Christian. We seem to have the same attitude with any questionable practice that we have sanitized, for example, the necktie.“The necktie is the male organ made feminine, redesigned to appeal to and entertain the female. Not the functional old tool, the horny weapon, but this frivolous, fluttering windsock, useless but amusing, an announcement to women: Take me lightly, I live to please you!!”To those of us who wear it to work the tie is a burden, another rule to follow in a workplace dominated by rules and regulations. It represents the very essence of discomfort, as it applies light pressure to the very tube we all require to breathe, reminding us of our life sentence to capitalism by tie hanging, of how much our lives are owned and controlled by the elite, and how much our very life force is maintained because of our servitude to another class. Wearing a tie, we simply don't feel free, just as we don't look free, donning an article required of many workers regardless of their individuality or creative abilities. The very essence of conformity!! The necktie is a useless item of clothing that serves no purpose. The world understands and has acknowledged the necktie as a phallic symbol. Many who are forced to wear it at work are fighting against it and others just do not care. The question is, where do you stand on this issue? We cannot change history, we cannot ignore facts and we cannot silence the truth. What are you going to do with it? Can you handle the truth?

11 comments:

Mithrandir said...

TOTALLY AGREE WITH ELTON....THEY MAKE YOU WEAR THEM AS A SIGN OF YOU ARE MINE TO CONTROL...I REFUSE POINT BLANK TO WEAR ONE

Lord of the Ties said...

I totally disagree. Your whole argument is childish. Neckties present an opportunity of self expression that other garments cannot for a man or woman. Yes women can wear them too. In todays work place where does it require you to have to wear a tie? Business casual has taken over the work place. So wearing a tie is no longer conforming. Your talking as if we live in the 1940's where every guy wore a hat and a tie and every woman a dress. Not all ties point to your dick. Ever seen a bow tie? Or how about a square end tie? Your whole argument sounds like the rambling of a paranoid mental patient. Neckties not only express an individual's personal taste, they compliment the outfit overall as well. I will continue to wear my ties as an expression of my individuality and just because ties look so cool.

BeyondClix said...

Here's something interesting.... very compelling arguments to people who protect the status quo or rationalize it by calling it "choice" or "individual taste" or "fashionable" and "looking cool".
http://blogs.smh.com.au/executive-style/allmenareliars/2008/06/27/thetieasasy.html
Read on and enjoy!

Horace Canyon said...

I'm proud to show off my big black tie wherever I go! I notice I get a lot of compliments from the ladies when I wear it, obviously there are ladies who love to see big black ties! HA!

Papasaurus said...

Ridiculous and completely fabricated to symbolize what YOU want it to symbolize. Too bad you spend so much time and energy on such petty and contrived "subject matter". Redirect your energies to something productive and non-divisive, and who knows.....you might actually inspire rather than incite!

Unknown said...

I totally agree with "Lord of the Ties" and "Unknown"

BakingReview.com said...

Also check http://ediscount.co.in/product/tie-for-men/

Unknown said...

What dies a bow tie say? I am confused?

Torben Fewell said...

Lmbo!

Pardelope said...

Trump's red tie always is lower than his waist and hanging like an arrow toward his crotch. Says a lot.

Unknown said...

That's like saying slavery today is fine as long as it's not for the originl reason .