GUYS SWILLING IN THE MIST
CHRONICLING THE RITUAL OF BOYS' NIGHT OUT.
BY GEORGIA PATERA
The bastion of male bonding commonly referred to as guys' night out is gaining attention lately as beer ads and bar rooms rejoice in the pack mentality. According to Urban Dictionary, an online site that lets users define slang and other pop culture terms, boys' night out "involves going to a bar or nightclub and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, shouting obscenities at members of the public, harassing members of the opposite sex and generally being obnoxious."
Kwesi Graves, 22, is no stranger to this sort of behavior. Built Ford-truck tough, he is seasoned in the art of liquor appreciation. "When we boys go out together and alcohol [is] around, we are looking for trouble," he says.
More than that, guys' night out provides the excuse for men to gather in the name of comparing gaming, drinking and ribbing ability where, according to Andrew Houston, 24, "You can really cut loose and get as stupid as you want." While the consequences may include physical injury, public ridicule or even jail, men continue to uphold the glorious tradition of mayhem.
Houston, a guys'-night-out -veteran, had a recent brush with just such mayhem when he and his friend Ryan, a black belt in karate, decided to, "re-enact Fight Club," while taking a breather outside Springfield's Prime Time Bar. In a swift move of alcohol-fueled intelligence, Ryan delivered a snap kick straight to Houston's gut.
Alcohol, it seems, forms the backbone of a classic guys' night out. But the night out would be nothing if not for women — both escaping them (girlfriends and wives) and attracting them (strangers in bars), if even for just an evening. "Nobody plans a guys' night out without girls," says Andy Ewoniuk, 20.
The act of picking up women is a complex component of guys' night out. "It's a combination of wanting to make fun of them and wanting to hook up with them. It's a huge competition," says Graves.
For men who are decidedly off the market, guys' night out serves a different purpose. To them, such evenings serve as a jail break from the watchful eye of significant others. "Sometimes especially young guys feel constricted or tied down. So guys night out lets you do things that you used to do when you were single," said Zack Cords, 22.
Whether it's an excuse to imbibe far too much alcohol and participate in ludicrous schemes, or a way to attract women but avoid responsibility, the bottom line of guys' night is about bonding.
"Guys night out is all about memories," Graves says
— memories of grown men doing together what makes them happy — even if it spells trouble in the end.