Does anyone even know what they mean when they say "alpha male?"

pootsie:

Does anyone even know what they mean when they say "alpha male?"

That movie with Justin Timberlake?

Huffington Post is a legit news site? Might as well be DU or DK.

SouthernManDunWrong: Huffington Post is a legit news site? Might as well be DU or DK.

From HuffPo:
"Professor de Waal is a biologist originally from the Netherlands. In 1981, he moved to the USA, where he now works at Emory University and the Yerkes Primate Center, both in Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for his popular books, such as "Chimpanzee Politics" (1982), "Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape" (1997), and his latest, "Our Inner Ape" (2006). His current interests include animal cooperation as well as the evolution of morality and justice. He has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences."

This is great, it's just like when Bill ORLY brings a "body-language expert" to review his interviews where he wasn't able to beat his guests on semantic grounds. Especially the Obama interview. Wow, watching him and this expert chick trying to posit that Obama's gestures indicated he was afraid of ORLY. Classy.

pootsie

What you said, plus it's his expert opinion. He's not even pretending it's some kind of reporting or news.

So they're comparing McCain to a monkey? That's racist!

pootsie: SouthernManDunWrong: Huffington Post is a legit news site? Might as well be DU or DK.

From HuffPo:
"Professor de Waal is a biologist originally from the Netherlands. In 1981, he moved to the USA, where he now works at Emory University and the Yerkes Primate Center, both in Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for his popular books, such as "Chimpanzee Politics" (1982), "Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape" (1997), and his latest, "Our Inner Ape" (2006). His current interests include animal cooperation as well as the evolution of morality and justice. He has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences."

Okay, this "expert" has just been discredited. Next?

and this matters why?

/voting obama

you buried the lede, subby.

Male chimps who are united groom each other, walk together, display in synchrony, all of which tells everybody else "we stick together, don't mess with us." This is relatively easily done between males, and such bonding has indeed been on display between Obama and Biden

apparently obama has been picking bugs out of biden's hair plugs.

/hotlinked? Baby, it's smokin'!

pootsie: Does anyone even know what they mean when they say "alpha male?"

Alpha, first letter of the Greek alphabet. "First" male. The Top male. Leader of the Pack.

Theological Farker: pootsie: SouthernManDunWrong: Huffington Post is a legit news site? Might as well be DU or DK.

From HuffPo:
"Professor de Waal is a biologist originally from the Netherlands. In 1981, he moved to the USA, where he now works at Emory University and the Yerkes Primate Center, both in Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for his popular books, such as "Chimpanzee Politics" (1982), "Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape" (1997), and his latest, "Our Inner Ape" (2006). His current interests include animal cooperation as well as the evolution of morality and justice. He has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences."

Okay, this "expert" has just been discredited. Next?

That took a lot of balls to say considering you're from Florida.

From another primate guy:

I think people really are missing the point about McCain's failure to look at Obama. McCain was afraid of Obama. It was really clear--look at how much McCain blinked in the first half hour. I study monkey behavior--low ranking monkeys don't look at high ranking monkeys. In a physical, instinctive sense, Obama owned McCain tonight and I think the instant polling reflects that.

Horseshiat.

Conducting a little more research with that Goodall tramp?

The Dreaded Rear Admiral: /hotlinked? Baby, it's smokin'!

Anyone else notice that the guy with the light skin coloring in the picture is the only one that doesn't look like he decended from a chimp?


/Sorry, couldn't help it.
//Gobama!

How long till a repubtard turns this around by posting the racist Obama/ Curious George shirt?

all we need is for them to start flinging poo at eachother during the next debate

Subby? youre showing your stupidity.

McCain wanted to debate Barry TEN TIMES and Barry wouldnt do it.

So NOW you know who is really afraid of having their views made
public.

About that long.

submitter: World class primatologist: actually, it means McCain was terrified

now THAT, i believe.

"I'm the alpha male! I'M THE ALPHA MALE!"

/HA HA! Hotlinked...

The Dreaded Rear Admiral: /hotlinked? Baby, it's smokin'!

Where, oh where, is that picture from? I loves it and always has, but I never knew where it originated.

FTFA: In another primatological reflection, a year ago I wrote about Hillary Clinton as alpha female, stating that only post-reproductive females will likely be successful securing massive support, since they pose no sexual competition to other females. McCain's choice of a female running mate of reproductive age obviously violated this rule, and it doesn't surprise me that she now has more support among men than women. In fact, the logic of sexual competition would predict that the former support will erode the latter. Seeing an older male paired with a much younger female sets off red flags in the heads of many women, so that for McCain and Palin to appear side-by-side may be problematic.

Verrrry interesting. It does get the Clinton\Lewinsky juices going.

Okay, this "expert" has just been discredited. Next?

You mean yourself, because you're a dumbass? OK.

I know you're not trying to suggest that a National Academy member from a highly ranked medical and research school is not highly qualified, even you're not that stupid.

I think they are both wrong.

McCain doesn't need to be terrified, he's got plenty of cash to fund his retirement.

mfaby: Subby? youre showing your stupidity.

McCain wanted to debate Barry TEN TIMES and Barry wouldnt do it.

So NOW you know who is really afraid of having their views made
public.

LAWL

Sorry man... Let me know next time a pre-ticketed, pre-screened "town hall meeting" set up by your opponent is somehow equivalent to an independent debate moderated by the one and only Jim "been-doing-these-debates-for-half-my-lifetime" Lehrer.

This is bad news...for opossums

This just keeps getting better and better.

Whatever it was supposed to be, it was rude and unprofessional.

I don't trust people who don't make eye contact.

Primatologist is obviously a liberal product of the liberal education system who has received too much earmark money to watch chimps have sex.

This was obvious to anyone watching the debate. McCain was terrified of something - my initial theory is that he knew he would blow his stack if he looked at Obama. He barely has control of his temper.

Bacontastesgood: I know you're not trying to suggest that a National Academy member from a highly ranked medical and research school is not highly qualified, even you're not that stupid.

Wow. Fish on? From THAT? REALLY?

/Dude, it was a cheap shot at Atlanta. I couldn't give two hoots about comparing these clowns that are our Presidential Candidates to monkeys.

Someone should check his Depends to see if he was really scared.

mfaby: Subby? youre showing your stupidity.

McCain wanted to debate Barry TEN TIMES and Barry wouldnt do it.

So NOW you know who is really afraid of having their views made
public.

Thanks for pointing out that your opinion doesn't count.

FarKnight: Primatologist is obviously a liberal product of the liberal education system who has received too much earmark money to watch chimps have sex.

Everyone should be as lucky.

It's amusing, yes, but humans aren't apes. ape descended. but not apes. Hence human body language not equal ape body language.

Mr. McPeanut: "I'm the alpha male! I'M THE ALPHA MALE!"

Well, in his defense, In Arizona, where I believe Mr. McCain is from, it is deemed socially improper to make direct eye-contact with African Americans, at least in public.

/ Who's sittin' on my freedom?
// Oppressor people beater
/// Piece of the pick we picked a piece of land that we deservin' now
/V Reparation a piece of the nation and damn he got the nerve/

mfaby: Subby? youre showing your stupidity.

McCain wanted to debate Barry TEN TIMES and Barry wouldnt do it.

So NOW you know who is really afraid of having their views made
public.

3/10 Keep it up and you might get some bites.

Gangway Fathead: Whatever it was supposed to be, it was rude and unprofessional.

I don't trust people who don't make eye contact.

And I don't trust people who do. If you need to see my eyes, it means you're not paying attention to what I'm saying.

worlddan: It's amusing, yes, but humans aren't apes. ape descended. but not apes. Hence human body language not equal ape body language.

Someone is protesting too much. Monkeyboy.

Alpha Male equals winner, McCain was the winner, he was the winner with a time-machine.

mfaby: McCain wanted to debate Barry TEN TIMES and Barry wouldnt do it.

Actually, Obama offered to debate numerous times, Lincoln-Douglas style but McCain refused. If McCain was truly interested in debating ideas he could have opened up his 'townhall meeting' to people other than registered McCain supporters. Only his own people were allowed to attend.

this reminded me of my primatology courses. for a more human look at it you can look at the Yanomamo they too follow a rather similar behavior pattern. Not surprising considering that ours is simply masked a bit by culture and technology.

One thing not mentioned in the article is that a beta male can be turned into an alpha male by the grooming of his peers, in particular the leading females of the group. They choose him, they raise his confidence and once the entire group is on his side he becomes the alpha and the former alpha no longer having he same popularity as before becomes a deposed alpha. Sound familiar?

worlddan: Hence human body language not equal ape body language.

However, it is accurate that when humans are a) defensive and b) won't look an opposing figure in the eye (or look at them at all), they are typically scared of their opponent.