The Sad Story of Elliot Rodger

Good afternoon, everyone. It's been a while since I've written a post on here; the reason for that is I usually only take time to write on things that are particularly interesting to me and that compel me to conduct research. Thus, today I'd like to talk to you all about the perpetrator of the recent Isla Vista murders, Elliot Rodger.

This guy. 

Now before I even start, I want to make it clear that I in no way condone killing innocent people. At all. Point blank period. The murders of those six people was a tragedy and my heart goes out to their families. However, reading Elliot Rodger's 140-page manifesto (available here if you haven't yet checked it out yourself), I found myself both fascinated and dismayed; fascinated at the gradual decline in Rodger's mental stability, and dismayed at how much of my own experiences I saw mirrored in the pages. 

 For those who have not read his manifesto, it's pretty much an autobiography detailing his life from childhood to days before he began his killing spree (on what he called "The Day of Retribution"). Rodger was born to an upper-class family and traveled to various countries throughout his childhood before settling in California once his parents decided to move to the United States. Even with the comfortable lifestyle he enjoyed, he reflects angrily in his manifesto on the one thing he desired above all others but never got, attention from beautiful girls. Rodger's anger and frustration is a recurring theme throughout the work, his inner hostility the result of what he feels is rejection at the hands of the women he desperately longed for. He writes about things that many males go through in life; trying to fit in with the "cool" kids, buying nice clothes in order to stand out, feeling jealous and inferior when girls overlooked him and gave their attention to other guys who were more athletic or better-looking. As I said, while reading I found myself thinking more than once, "wow, I've been there." 

Let me take this opportunity to say that while some of what Elliot Rodger writes about rings true for several men, it is also clear from reading his manifesto that he was a narcissist with a huge entitlement complex. He viewed himself as someone more deserving of girls than the "brutes" he often saw them with. This angered him to the point that he would spend a lot of time alone musing on the problem, eventually concluding that women are flawed, mentally ill, and need to be controlled. In his manifesto, he details this twisted philosophy, writing that women should not be allowed to choose who they mate with as they will always pick the "brutes" over the "supreme gentlemen" (such as himself). He even goes so far as to declare that sex itself should be outlawed, writing that it gives "too much pleasure to those who don't deserve it" and that if he can't have it, no one else should. We all know how the story ends (like this), so I won't spend much more time talking about it; just know the main reason Rodger carried out those attacks on May 24th was because he felt humanity had snubbed him and that the entire female gender had deemed him unworthy of sex and love. 

Now, I pray to God that the case of Elliot Rodger remains an isolated incident; it's horrifying to imagine that every sex-starved man in America would think it reasonable to wage a bloody war on women and the men who receive their affection. The guy was certainly mentally unstable.......but.....it's not like the time we live in helped curb the anguish he felt...at all. 

We, at this very moment in history, live in a country where we are exposed to sex Ad Nauseam. It saturates our culture. It's literally everywhere, on T.V., in the music we listen to, in school, at home, everywhere. And it doesn't help that sex sells. 

This'll probably be the premier ad for limes in 2020. Not limeade or anything. Just limes

Lately I've found myself thinking about that old Wu-Tang song C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me); I figure for the time we live in, S.C.R.E.A.M. (Sex Certainly Rules Everything Around Me) would be more appropriate (or S.T.R.E.A.M. for "totally rules," but people would be childish). It's a powerful thing and I've seen it both build and destroy. I recall an incident a few years ago where the pastor of my church was arrested for having sex with an underage girl. Now THAT will make you question some things; at that moment I truly realized how sexual desire can cause one to act irrationally. 

I've noticed that over the years, the archetype of the triumphant man has endured; he is tall, strong, and good looking. He's always wearing the latest clothes and driving the coolest car. He's cool and collected, sauntering through life with no worries about anything. And most importantly, he is flanked by beautiful women at all times. If you are a man...and you're not him...you're a LOSER. Most normal men accept their strengths and weaknesses early in life and live accordingly, but I can understand why Rodger, in his desperate attempts to garner female attention, stopped at nothing to be THAT guy. He tried numerous times to adjust himself to what society stipulated he should be and he failed each time, which eventually resulted in the deaths of innocent people. Again, while my heart goes out to the families of the victims, a small part of me can't help feeling bad for Rodger. If I could, I'd go back in time to meet him before he carried any of this out, take him to have a beer and explain to him that there's a better way. Sadly, that day will never come; I just hope no more people will have to be buried before America begins taking mental illness a lot more seriously. 

-Nick G.