13 Comments

I have a love-hate relationship with your content. I hate it because i relate to it and have been a part of these communities that u write about. But i love the way you write you about them and bring them out into the light.

Expand full comment

This was a great piece examining a sub culture I don't know existed. Maybe this is where all roads end for capitalism.

Expand full comment

Right there with you Pete. I didn't know this existed, but to the point Magdalen includes in her analysis, which you very well summarize, this is as much a result of what's not there as much as what's available. So not only is this technically possible, but also the environment has not provided satisfactory alternatives to the goons involved.

In synthesis, it is another example of a person getting lost in an environment they can control and find pleasurable because the 99% of Us are mostly plugged into the capitalistic system without an ounce of control or particular pleasure of what we do on our day-to-day to get sustenance. People are tired, distracted, unmotivated and worried about surviving today so you can see how a cheap, pleasurable experience can become a popular go-to for these folks.

Expand full comment

Like the connection. Masturbation as consumption - or self-cannibalism.

Expand full comment

Found this from a link from your more recent piece regarding the intersection of porn and generative AI, but found this equally fascinating. Please do a follow-up piece analyzing the similarities/differences between goon culture in America and the Hikikomori phenomenon in Japan. The Venn Diagram isn't nearly a total overlap, but the parallels are hard to ignore...

Expand full comment

I'll admit that I clicked on this because I think the whole goon thing is funny (even the word goon is funny!) but it's also interesting and somewhat horrifying - and I don't think I've seen anyone articulate what you have here: that we suffer from a void of positive culture that creates things like this. You should interview some gooners if you care to follow up

Expand full comment

This is really, really terrible! Thank you for writing.

Expand full comment

Someone needs to go Eliza Mondegreen on this and make the connection to MtF.

Expand full comment

Where I'm from, we call this the "masturbatorium."

Expand full comment

What’s NEVER spoken to is the motivation of the female video artists. Surely, it is not simply to earn money. What else can explain this vast flow?

Why else induce men to degradation even ruin?

What’s NEVER spoken of is misandry. It’s staring us in the face yet I know of no investigative journalism, looking at this purposeful destruction of the lives of men.

Expand full comment

I think there's definitely an element of checking out completely - withdrawing from the world to your meditative dungeon to get away from all the difficulties of life.

Okay, in this case, it's a fap dungeon, but the idea is there.

Expand full comment

Your conclusion is a 100% right as someone who is an on/off nofapper who got into gooning at one point. Its not about being into gooning, its about literally having nothing else in your life thats productive/satisfying

Expand full comment

I thought goons played hockey. Doesn’t anyone get sore or chaffed? 😬

Expand full comment