TAKE OFF YOUR MASC
Rhizome

HYPER MASCULINITY POETRY

UPDATED

A contribution by the “mikro-keller-crew”:

The poetry show, which was shown in the cellar at the Tuntenhaushoffest July 2018 in Berlin, is printed here again. In October 2018 the exhibition was shown at the Hot Club at the Koch-Areal in Zurich. The text of the exhibition with an introduction – and thoughts on why this exhibition has to be – is documented at the end.

At the bottom of this page: the exhibition text

Drawing of a semi nude very male man by Murat Önen, Leipzig 2018
Drawing by Murat Önen, Leipzig 2018

Claudia Gülzow
Sieben Haikus

er ist mein Titan
ich sein Tauchsieder und klar
Mutti die Beste

ich dacht – ich liebe
dabei bin ich verrückt nach
deiner Anspannung

ich hops auf deinem
Sixpack wie eine Kirsche
in geiler Sahne

hart wie Stahl
kein Arschloch bleibt Virgin
so soll es sein – Amen

abgebrochene
Nägel und Träume wegen
Muskeln aus stahl – ach

so homo hyper
hypermasculinity
so homo hyper

dein Pelz getrimmt wie
ein Cricketplatz im Orient
und die Hitze perlt

Real men,

  • hairy chest, big strong arms,
  • They fuck women and go to the army
  • and kill and watch football
  • and roam this world like they own it, because they do.
  •  
  • Never having doubts,
  • Never asking before taking,
  • Never saying sorry,
  • Never having problems starting a grill.
  •  
  • I am not a real man.
  • My chest not hairy, My arms thin like matchsticks.
  • at school I sucked at sports and
  • and preferred playing hopscotch with the girls.
  •  
  • When I enter a new room I am full of fear
  • that room is always someone else‘s,
  • And even when they say they‘re friends
  • I’ve learned to always keep my doubts
  •  
  • I don’t want to be weak,
  • I want to be as stronger as my oppressors,
  • I want to beat them in their own game.
  • So tonight I’ll hide behind my masc mask,
  •  
  • And become them.

XXX, Berlin 2018

im a total babe
I’m a total babe

Grindr, Berlin 2018.

Er-Er-Erdo-Wahn
(Auszug)

  • Er-Er-Erdo-Wahn
  • He Pascha, Ho Macho, He Sexist, Ho Fascho
  • Er-Er-Erdo-Wahn
  • Mehr Waffen, mehr raffen, freie Presse abschaffen
  • Mit seinen dicken Klöten Hohohoho
  • will er alle töten Hahahaha
  • die sich ihm nicht unterwerfen woll‘n.
  •  
  • Er-Er-Erdo-Wahn
  • He Pascha, Ho Macho, He Sexist, Ho Fascho
  • Er-Er-Erdo-Wahn
  • Will ‘nen Palast und ‘ne große Moschee haben
  • Lässt die Frauen bügeln Hohohoho
  • Und die Bullen prügeln Hahahaha
  • Recep Tayyip ist Staatsreligion.

Text: Rattenchor,
zu singen auf die Melodie
von „Dschingis Khan“

 

Hyper­masculinity

  • ‘hyper-’?
  • What d’ya mean; like in ‘toxic masculinity’?
  • Which, of course, implies
  • but doesn’t legitimize(!)
  • some kinda ‘healthy’ masc.
  • yea, masc., like a mask,
  • ’cause that’s all it is:
  • a mask worn
  • on a world stage
  • spinning in nihilist space
  • where whichever personality you assume
  • is but a character acted out
  • a pose
  • . no essence.
  • All nurture
  • Nature? Ach, if you must, can’t something like:
  • ‘sperm-er’ or ‘egg-er’ suffice
  • as labels for sexual differentiation
  • specific to the human reproductive system?
  • Do we really need
  • To dichotomize the human behavioral palette
  • based on a procreative binary?
  • to Stereotype gender roles accordingly?
  • What for? diversity?
  • D’YOU THINK diversity by itself IS a good?
  • master & slave, oppressor & exploited, rich & poor
  • etc. systems of social stratification
  • they’re all expressions of diversity
  • but in no way intrinsically good
  • they’re toxic – pun intended
  • Not to mention the religious bullshit
  • of the ‘divine masc. and fem.’
  • oh-my-godlessness!
  • Toss it out! Make that shit history!
  • The gender binary is inherently chauvinist
  • and will always dispose society to classism
  • gender struggle is class war
  • up it, already
  •  
  • no shit i’m an anarchist, miss marple

 

black flag fag

  • Meine Männlichkeit ist eine Prothese,
  • die ich mir überstülpe,
  • aus einem Mangel
  • mich nicht behaupten zu können.
  •  
  • Sie neigt dazu mich auffressen zu wollen.

 
J.K.R.H.

  • bist du eine tunte vor dem herrn
  • ha‘m dich die machohomos gar nicht gern.
  • +++
  • macht dein leben keinen sinn:
  • werd hyper-hyper-maskulin!

von dr. nihil
(„wer klatscht muss auch schunkeln“)

(english version below)

Octavio Dutra Nogueira, 2018
Amor Preto

  • São corpos pretos
  • Lábios pretos
  • Desejos pretos
  • Como eu
  •  
  • Mas não há corações pretos
  • Não há amor preto
  • Você sabe
  •  
  • Fazemos tudo o que quiser
  • Fazemos do jeito que quiser
  • Mas isso não basta
  • Minha pele não basta
  •  
  • Por que eu sou perfeito para sua cama?
  • Por que eu sou perfeito para a sua carência?
  • Mas para sentar ao seu lado há pessoas melhores?
  • Mas para segurar sua mão há peles melhores?
  •  
  • Eu sou o seu preto
  • Eu sou o seu contraste
  • Mas só por diversão
  •  
  • Eu estou na sua cama esperando para ser usado
  • Eu estou na sua cama esperando para ser amado
  • Mas só tarde da noite
  • Mas sem ser mencionado
  •  
  • Eles não podem saber que você tem um preto
  • Um preto na sua cama
  • Um preto nas suas fantasias
  • Mas só por diversão
  •  
  • Não há amor preto

Octavio Dutra Nogueira, 2018
Black‘s Love (Version)

  • Black bodies
  • Black desires
  • Black mouths
  • Like me
  •  
  • There is No black heart
  • There is No black love
  • There is no black proud
  • You know
  •  
  • We do how we want
  • We do all we want
  • But it is not enough
  • But my skin is not what they want
  •  
  • Why am I perfect for your bed?
  • Why am I perfect for your lack?
  • But do I have to be white for your side?
  • But do I have to be white to take your hands?
  •  
  • I am your black
  • Your contrast
  • But just for fun
  • Late night
  • When you’re high
  •  
  • I am in your bed waiting to be used
  • I am in your bed waiting to be loved
  • o make you scream
  • To make you happy
  •  
  • But just for fun
  • Late night
  • When you‘re high
  •  
  • They do not know
  • That you have a black
  • In your bed
  • In your bath
  • In your neck
  •  
  • But just for fun
  • Late night
  • When you’re high
  •  
  • There is no black love
Siri, show me fragile masculinity.
Fragile Masculinity
TAKE
OFF
YOUR
MASC
AND

SHOW
ME
YOUR
HEART
4

  • Na portalach randkowych tylko męski dla męskiego,
  • ja maluję paznokcie i chuj ci do tego.
  •  
  • Żadnych Azjatów, zero krągłości,
  • dla bardziej kobiecych nie masz litości.
  •  
  • Niewiele się różnisz od dresiarza z Pragi,
  • dałbym ci po ryju ale brak mi odwagi.

 

  • You are so masc on the dating apps,
  • so clean the mirror when you show your abs.
  •  
  • No femmes, no Asians and definitely no curves,
  • get the fuck out of here you getting on my nerves.
  •  
  • I paint my nails you like g with ice,
  • work out your shit and start to be nice.

 

 

  • Two versions of “Masc4Masc”
  • (fragment, unreleased, 2018)
  • of Pan Bałagan (Mr. Mess),
  • Polish rap texter, living in Berlin.

VIDEO INSTALLATION

videostill from the movie hyper masculinity on the dancefloor - fit shirtless men dancing

  • „Hyper Masculinity On The Dance Floor“
  • 49min54sec
  • Video von Emre Busse und Selin Davasse, 2105.
  • Text: Selin Davasse
  • Director of Photography: Chris Phillips
  • Soundtrack: Furfriend

Dance floor mikro cellar Tuntenhaushoffest 2018

Dance floor mikro cellar Tuntenhaushoffest 2018

fotos: m. reinacher, basement of tuntenhaushoffest, 2018.

to the top

Exhibition Text

Personal and projected attitudes/­expectations of „hyper-masculinity“ are increasingly affecting alternative, self-organized spaces. – Time to deal with it once more.

The term hypermasculinity was adopted from the deviation of the sex chromosome arrangement. It is increasingly used today to express the powerful performance of various ideas of masculinity: I am not male (enough). – I „play” it. In this game, bodies appear as machines and have the urge to perfect their presentation; the expansion of one‘s own (physical) boundaries. Even exaggerations (perhaps as an expression of the crisis?) become possible, obvious or compelling.

However, this does not remain without consequences for others and the environment. Domination and devaluation of non-masculinity are possible, if not obvious consequences; as well as as the inevitable homo-eroticism of hypermasculinity and its fetishistic attachment to ‘the Male’.

Many find the techno-house floor here at the Tuntenhaus backyard party hot and horny (and that‘s a good thing). Year on year, these tight, sweaty, spaces are filled with topless guys dancing. However, individuals sometimes experience it as a place were they fail in an athletic sense. Further those of us who’re drags, femmes, women, not-so-male or otherwise – who fail to conform to this projected ‘Perfection’ some times have to struggle to participate in this sexiness. It’s clear Hyper Masculinity is an eroticism that creates exclusion. That does not have to be considered problematic right now. On the contrary, this freedom is a privilege, that must be defended and expanded. But of course we also want to defend the inclusivity of self-organized and queer cultures, with all its facets and open spaces.

We – the crew that organizes the cellar – have reason enough to reflect on the ideas, attributions and expectations of hyper-masculinity. In order to effectively deploy a certain critical distance, we have chosen one of the least expected ways associated with this discourse: poetry.

What can be read here is subjective and without any claim to an interpretation sovereignty: questions posing positions. They do not represent the opinion of any groups participating at the Hoffest.

All the texts we show here have been written to be exhibited here today. Thanks to those involved!

The Mikro-Basement-Crew

 

The text was also presented on stage during the show.

to the top