Brotips is a website composed of 140-character “tips” on being a better, well, bro. Regardless, the brand goes out of its way to say it’s not gender specific—it’s for anyone who aspires to foster “bro” values (emotional maturity, confidence, leadership, constant self improvement, the ability to enjoy life, self awareness, honesty) within themselves… or their boyfriend. Cock Rock, as a wellspring of similar values, is launching a collaboration with Brotips to support what they do.
Cock Rock recently shut down its comment threads and replaced reader comments with something else: conversations. Real conversations with real humans. To achieve this, Cock Rock set up a phone line to the founder—when you get your call returned or answered, the following conversation will be on the record. Any recorded conversation that actually contributes to the marketplace of ideas will get its mp3 thrown up on the site, attached to the relevant article.
As Cock Rock Founder, Mark Derian, wrote in his post about the new comment system:
“Not only does this class up Cock Rock, but this classes up society. Imagine if, whenever we expressed an opinion, we actually had to explain it coherently and publicly. In a society in which it actually takes thought and nerve to have an opinion, increasingly more dumbasses will sit in the back of the class and keep their mouths shut.”
Brotip #2578 is a perfect example of why this collaboration is good for society, and good for the values Brotips embodies.
Brotip #2578 states:
You don’t sound cool rating chicks on a scale. Be honest, it’s 1 or 0: “Would” or “wouldn’t.”
There were replies from people who felt this mindset is a form of “settling,” saying things like “it’s a lot more complicated than just 1 or 0.” This is true, but for the most part, few people disagreed that reducing a woman to purely her looks with phrases like “her boobs are too small for her ass” takes value away from the man and the woman. But, scroll through the responses to this Tip, and you’ll find many holes on both sides of the discussion.
This is a blunted version of a quotation from Cock Rock’s article, Rate Girls in Binary
“All girls are either a “1″ or a “0″. Either you would or you wouldn’t. If she’s a 1, then it comes down to her personality, attitude, and self-esteem, which is when it’s time to demand high standards.”
The second half of the quotation was the essential context of the Tip. Unfortunately, the internet is often oblivious to context. This is why Cock Rock’s counsel and comment system are important. The more complicated values behind a Brotip need to be fleshed out to be understood completely. In addition, the psychological complexities behind these values need the agility, context, and instruction unparalleled by live, one-on-one, and honest human discourse. As part of this collaboration, Cock Rock will select a Brotip and publish a weekly, in-depth blog post on the more complex themes within the subtext of the tip.
Brotips is a great place to start. But the ideas behind them are more complex than 140 characters can teach. Cock Rock picks up where Brotips leaves off, making this a pretty rad collaboration.
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