We are not a Rock Band
by Giulianna LamannaI’m going to be completely honest right now. The Tribe of Anthropik is not an actual tribe, as the word has been defined by anthropologists. We’re much closer to a band, although we don’t technically fall within the boundaries of that definition either. (Also, if we were to start calling ourselves the Band of Anthropik, that would make it sound like we’re some kind of primitivist rock band. And although that would be pretty cool, unfortunately, none of us play any instruments.)
There are a number of different kinds of social groups that one can belong to. There are the people you make a living with. There are the people you talk to and have fun with. There are the people you are related to by blood or marriage. There are people who share your deeply held beliefs. A band - or, with more people, a tribe - is all of this and more. And Anthropik does not meet the first qualification: we don’t make a living together. Sure, we get some money from the Yahoo! ads on the site, and 60 cents whenever someone buys something from the store, and a little bit whenever we link to a book on Amazon and someone buys it through our link. (Ahem.) But as of right now, we don’t make our living with each other.
However, we would someday like to. That is our long-term goal: to move off into the woods and live in a real tribe, one that any anthropologist could stumble upon and agree fits the definition. But does that mean that to call ourselves the Tribe of Anthropik is to lie to everyone who visits this site? In the recently published Fifth World Manifesto, we quote John Hughes, who argued that “Therapy is Fantasy.” He discussed a particular type of role-playing character: a compensatory character. It’s especially useful in therapy, because it allows the player to pretend to be the kind of person she wants to be. It allows her to test the waters and see how people react. It is often said that you are whoever you pretend to be long enough. Sometimes it is said as a dire warning - as in Mother Night, by Kurt Vonnegut - sometimes as a positive, inspirational statement.
In that respect, the Tribe of Anthropik isn’t just a group of blog authors who dabble in role-playing games on the side. In a very real way, we are role-playing our own compensatory character: the tribe that we eventually wish to become. That, more than anything else, guarantees to me that we will someday reach our goal.
Hey, I heard you play the “vox”! (though I’ve never actually heard…)
Comment by JCamasto — 29 May 2006 @ 7:45 PM
Nice change and very easy on the eyes. Is the picture of you?
Think it is a fair idea to describe your group as a tribe
in the sense it is an idea to discuss. Like a spirit, it is
not tangible. The Spirit of the Anthropik. Tribe.
Comment by Rick Larson — 29 May 2006 @ 8:30 PM
Jim: Only in the shower.
Rick: Yup, that’s a picture of me. Open up any Anthropik article (except one written by two or more people) and you’ll see a picture of its author in the upper right-hand corner. The same effect is on our profile pages. Ain’t it nifty?
Comment by Giulianna Lamanna — 29 May 2006 @ 11:24 PM
Well, that’s too bad you guys don’t play any instruments, as it would have been a perfect tie-in to the idea of a “band”. Hmmm…how about just drums? Or just vocals…accapella? You could go on tour and everything, maybe open for the Feral Visions tour. Ha ha
BTW, glad to see Ray Means’ Bushcraft linked on here. I only recently discovered his work myself. Very knowledgable guy, and very sympathetic to hunter-gatherers.
I agree with Rick Larsen, the new site is a lot better and easier on the eyes. Giulianna is easy on the eyes too ! Even though she crushed my heart by choosing to marry you-know-who (ahem)
Comment by Paleo Boy — 31 May 2006 @ 9:07 PM
OH MY GOD. We could be like the anarcho-primitivist version of Da Vinci’s Notebook! I love this idea.
I’m sorry, Paleo Boy, but I simply could not give my heart to a man with such a disturbing toothpaste fetish.
Comment by Giulianna Lamanna — 31 May 2006 @ 10:09 PM
The way I’m readin’ it… I just got an invitation to join Giuli in/at her shower, which I believe traditionally comes prior to all those fussy commitments of monogamy and solidarity…
Comment by JCamasto — 1 June 2006 @ 12:22 AM
Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. Can’t a girl use a winky emoticon anymore without people interpreting it as a flirt? Sheesh.
Comment by Giulianna Lamanna — 1 June 2006 @ 9:48 AM
Sorry Guili, girls cannot use winkies to guys without it being assumed as a flirt.
Comment by Rory — 1 June 2006 @ 3:13 PM
So I’ve been flirting with every single person I’ve ever spoken to on the Internet?
Comment by Giulianna Lamanna — 1 June 2006 @ 4:29 PM
I knew it.
Comment by Jason Godesky — 1 June 2006 @ 4:56 PM
So it’s agreed then…we all hop in the shower with Giulianna and sing A Cappella, while I rub her body with neem toothpaste !
Where are those emoticons when you need them, anyway?
Comment by Paleo Boy — 1 June 2006 @ 8:05 PM
Yes, it is nifty, Miss Lamanna, to be able to see the face
of a blogger. Different. Interesting. Shows the courage of
your conviction.
And also, you and Micheal are a good balance to Jason’s
strong vocabulary.:-) Keep it up and I’ll keep visiting.
Comment by Rick Larson — 1 June 2006 @ 9:54 PM
Oh. And hey. You moderators should be deleting some of
these slips like the one above. Kinda cheapens the message.
Just my opinion.
Comment by Rick Larson — 1 June 2006 @ 9:57 PM
Comment by Jason Godesky — 1 June 2006 @ 10:14 PM