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The Myth of the Alpha Male [by Pop Culture Detective] (www.youtube.com)

submitted 2 months ago by solo@slrpnk.net to c/breadtube@slrpnk.net

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/26908581

There’s no such thing as an “alpha male.” It’s a false myth with no bases in biology or science. That fact, however, hasn’t stopped the pseudoscience behind a natural dominance hierarchy among men from spreading like a virus through our media culture.

Since bell hooks' book is mentionned, I thought of adding a link to listen and/or download it.

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[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I was hoping he’d do more of a debunking on the scientific side of things but I guess he’s not an anthropologist.

[–] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

From the zoology perspective, it is often infuriating how many times I have to re-explain that there's no such a thing as an alpha male* in wolves. So if there was a simple video about that subject, I'll gladly take it.

But the think is, it is a lie that is repeated ad nauseam in most media (even kids books about wolves).

Still, I do like Pop Culture Detective, altogether with Folding Ideas is part of my high-brow Youtube time.

Do not ask about my low-brow Youtube time, it is not a place of honor.

*As in it doesn't mean what you think it means.

just in case: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-alpha-wolf-idea-a-myth/

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Thanks. I agree this video was good, just not quite what I was looking for.

I think the issue is that while the wolf stuff is well debunked at this point, the myth has grown well beyond wolves at this point and is widely assumed to be part of human nature.

I haven’t seen a great debunking alpha social dynamics in specifically humans. If anyone has one, please share.

[–] solo@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 weeks ago

The closest thing I could find (so far) is around primatologist Frans de Waal who

inadvertently popularized the term ‘alpha male.’ Now, he’s debunking common stereotypes to explain what an ‘alpha male’ really is – empathetic and protective.

I've only seen the following 2 videos. I can't say I was super-thrilled, but I understood how the alpha male narrative jumped in a distorted way from chimps to humans.

[–] HarvesterOfEyes@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago

So if there was a simple video about that subject, I'll gladly take it

Something like this?. Seems to be pretty simple and accessible to me, as someone who knows next to nothing about it.