Tamaki liked handsome men. She was a sucker for good looks. As Aomame saw it, this tendency of her friend’s ranked as a sickness. Tamaki could meet men of marvelous character or with superior talents who were eager to woo her, but if their looks did not meet her standards, she was utterly unmoved. For some reason, the ones who aroused her interest were always sweet-faced men with nothing inside. And when it came to men, she would stubbornly resist anything Aomame might have to say. Tamaki was always ready to accept—and even respect—Aomame’s opinions on other matters, but if Aomame criticized her choice of boyfriend, Tamaki simply refused to listen. Aomame eventually gave up trying to advise her. She didn’t want to quarrel with Tamaki and destroy their friendship. Ultimately, it was Tamaki’s life. All Aomame could do was let her live it. Tamaki became involved with many men during her college years, and each one led to trouble. They would always betray her, wound her, and abandon her, leaving Tamaki each time in a state close to madness. Twice she resorted to abortions. Where relations with the opposite sex were concerned, Tamaki was truly a born victim.
- 1Q84, Haruki Murakami
Fascinating, is it not, how much both art and science reliably support the basic precepts of Game if one simply keeps one's eyes open. What are "sweet-faced men with nothing inside" if not Alphas with an abundance of Dark Triad traits?
Is it any surprise to anyone with even a passing familiarity with Game that they would always "always betray her, wound her, and abandon her" without her ever learning the error of her ways? And note how the author portrays the Tamaki character's total lack of interest in male character or other qualities.
I tend to doubt that Murakami has ever even heard of Game, and yet he somehow happened to describe its consequences in far more vivid colors than any of its advocates, with the possible exception of Roissy, could ever manage.
~ archived since 2018 ~
