I remember the times in Poland, back in the 1990s, when mobile phones slowly began to become popular. There was a joke back then that every businessman coming to a meeting would take out three phones from his briefcase and place them on the table in front of him: one from the Era network because it had better coverage, one from the Plus network because it had cheaper calls, and a very old one from the pioneering Centertel network, the size of a brick, to make it clear that he could always afford it.
I also remember a friend telling me about an incident that she allegedly witnessed, although I suspect it was also just an anecdote, where in a restaurant, a young man took out his mobile and, in a nonchalant pose, started talking very loudly to it as if he were in a call with someone, when suddenly his phone rang. The flustered man quickly left the restaurant.
To understand the humour of the latter, it’s important to remember that at that time, the rules of etiquette when it came to mobile phones, which were still a novelty, were completely different. On the other hand, this gadget was something that some—men, of course—tried to impress with. Back then, a phrase that describes them became common: skóra, fura i komóra (leather jacket, expensive car, and mobile phone). In Polish, it sounds a bit comical because these terms are slang and they rhyme.
What is most important in all this is that we will always find a way to show off, try to impress others, and demonstrate our superiority. By we, in most cases, I mean men. We are like birds in the mating season—peacocks trying to get a partner and mark their territory. And even if sometimes it is merely comical, it ultimately brings with it many problems. The question is: how can we change this testosterone-laden male culture?
hidden pilcrow 