Who are the “Proud Boys”? The Proud Boys are a far-right, male-only, neo-fascist (is it really new or did the fascists never leave?) hate group that has been tied numerous times to white supremacy. However, The “Proud Boys” have publicly denied any ties to white supremacy, and enforce themselves as a counterbalance to Antifa, a far-left anti-fascist protest movement.
The “Proud Boys” were founded in 2016 by Gavin McInnes, a Canadian-British right-wing activist. Since then, the men in this group have left a history of violence in their wake: fighting at left-wing protests, death at “Proud Boy” sponsored rally’s, and online warfare. Twitter and Facebook have since banned the “Proud Boys” from their platform, sending them running to more obscure online social media outlets.
Like any organized male-centred, male-dominated organization (say, frat houses), there is an initiation ritual.
It is about as ridiculous as one would expect when they picture a “Proud Boys” initiation.
On November 14th, 2020, Twitter user @RexChapman posted a video on his Twitter with the caption “Proud Boys initiation ritual. Try not to laugh…”
That’s right, you heard it correctly. Beginning with the public declaration, the “Proud Boys” initiates state: “I am a Proud Boy. I am a Western chauvinist. And I refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.” The surrounding “Proud Boys” veterans then proceed to pack as much hyper-masculine energy into punching the energy until he’s on the ground.
The founder himself, Gavin McInnes, explained another facet of the ritual:
“You must get the crap beaten out of you by at least five guys until you can name five breakfast cereals. If you hammer out, ‘Chex, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, and Special K’ in a matter of seconds, you’re free to go. If you get flummoxed by the punches and cannot think straight, well, sorry, you’re going to get pounded.”
In the clip above, you can hear the initiate saying “…Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Puffs…” while the men punching him are counting.
This all feels like a fever dream. This can’t be real, can it? Share your thoughts below!
