The Fallout: Although the President publicly denounced the group a few days later, let us just say, the partisan media were given a gift.
“Proud of Your Boy”
Gavin McInnes first heard the song “Proud of your boy” at his daughter’s school production of Aladdin. The song itself was cut from Disney’s 1992 animated classic, and according to McInnes is “the most annoying song in the world.” That conclusion was not based on its musical composition but on its lyrics. According to McInnes, “if there’s one song that would make a father totally devoid of pride, it would be this ‘Proud of Your Boy’.” The core message of the song involves Aladdin apologizing to his mother for what McInnes would consider a boy acting “like [sic] boys do.”
McInnes is no stranger to controversy. In 1994 he co-founded Vice Media which he left it in 2008 due to “creative differences.” Since then he has been involved with multiple right-wing and alternative news sites. His activities have ranged from being a commentator on Fox News to having his own internet show on various independent networks.
Many media outlets and journalists consider him to be some sort of “racist hipster,” likely due to his profane and unfiltered nature and punk rock attitude towards politics and culture. McInnes has written guest columns in white nationalist affiliated websites such as VDARE, American Renaissance, and Takis Magazine.
Furthermore, McInnes has openly given a platform and even praise towards prominent white supremacists like Jared Taylor, Augustus Invictus, and Richard Spencer. Despite being documented using racist and sexist language, McInnes vocally claims that he or his Proud Boys are not white nationalists or racist in any way. Media outlets think differently, and they commonly label both parties as allies of the white nationalist movement.
Ideology, Unit Composition, Tactics, Techniques, Procedures, and All the Other Good Stuff.
The group’s official website claims that the Proud Boys are a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists.” Although only men can be part of the organization, women have their own supportive sub-group called “Proud Boy’s Girls” that is officially recognized by Proud Boys.
- Ideology. The Proud Boys state their values as: “Minimal government, maximum freedom, anti-political correctness, anti-drug war, closed borders, anti-racial guilt, anti-racism, pro-free speech, pro-gun rights, glorifying the entrepreneur, venerating the housewife, and reinstating a spirit of western chauvinism.” Despite being labeled as a white nationalist group, the Proud Boys claim to be open to all races and their membership corroborates that. Nonetheless, there have been ties between some Proud Boys’ members and proclaimed white nationalist groups, as well as appearances at affiliated rallies. The group has publicly decried those members and separates them from its base.
- Command Structure. Unlike the ANTIFA and Boogaloo ideological movements, the Proud Boys have some semblance of a command structure. At the top is the Chairman, followed by an Elder Chapter consisting of seven other members. Outside of the centralized command, various small local chapters make up the bulk of the group’s composition. The current Chairman is a man named Enrique Tarrio. Tarrio is a Cuban-American. This complicates the claims that the Proud Boys are a white nationalist group.
- Uniforms & Appearance. Black and yellow are the group’s official colors and, until recently, a similarly colored Fred Perry polo shirt. Proud Boys commonly sport those colors on various items, although some members dress casually. Caveat: no cargo shorts allowed.
- Membership & Initiation. There are a total of four degrees within the membership system:
First Degree: A prospective member openly declares: “I am a western chauvinist, and I refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.”
Second Degree: Firstly, a first degree Proud Boy must be “jumped in” by receiving a physical beating by established members while loudly reciting the names of five breakfast cereals. Secondly, the Proud Boy must take a personal vow to give up masturbation thereby increasing testosterone and having increased sexual encounters (I am not making this up).
Thirds Degree: A second degree Proud Boy must get a Proud Boys tattoo (size, shape, etc subjective to each individual member).
Fourth Degree: The fourth degree is more of an “addition” to the primary three. This degree is awarded to a Proud Boy who has “endured a major conflict related to the cause.” McInnes himself wrote an article on the official group’s website clarifying what that means after controversy over the degree’s adversarial and violent tone.
- Protests/Counter-protests: Proud Boys’ participation in political and social protests is what ultimately turned them into a topic of national conversation. Some view them as the right-wing answer to the ANTIFA movement. Nevertheless, they have been documented, both journalistically and judicially, as being at times an aggressive and violent force in some of the most contested recent protests in the U.S.
The New Normal
The Proud Boys are not going anywhere, and their recent media coverage has only energized them more. The central threat they present is of violent political and social protests, although they are not known to attack or harass civilians. At grassroots rallies, they organize in support of their causes. The direction that the group will take in the coming months is unknown, but the conditions are set for ample opportunities to demonstrate its growing activism and membership. Media coverage is likely to inspire more people to join the group in protest of the media and groups like ANTIFA who are in direct opposition to the Proud Boys’ ideology.
This article was written by Michael Ellmer and originally published on Grey Dynamics.
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