# What, to you, is a circle jerk? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553 "2005-10-10T13:51:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/21 "2005-10-11T18:36:01Z")
I thought a clusterfuck was a series of little fuckups that combine into a huge fuckup. Like a clusterbomb but with fucks replacing the bombs. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/22 "2005-10-11T20:27:51Z")
I only knew the meaning of “circle jerk” in the sense of “mutual hands on” type behavior (and heavily influenced by that National Lampoon cartoon). I’ve never even heard anyone ever tell any story what so ever of any group activity of this kind. But note how one would interpret the alegorical meaning based on your interpretation of the original phrase. If you think it means “mutual hands on” then you think in terms of a bunch of inflated ego types mutually congratulating themselves. If you think it means “independent self gratification” then it covers, e.g., meetings where each manager is talking because he/she likes to hear themselves talk. Clusterf**k became popularized by 'Nam vets. (Although it goes farther back.) Think in terms of a whole lot of little _stupid_ decisions by morons that adds up to _other_ people getting messed over badly. It would be very unusual for a single meeting to contain a clusterf**k. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/23 "2005-10-11T21:09:31Z")
No, no, no, imagine 20 people getting together and trying to fuck in a giant cluster. You can imagine that there are going to be some rather serious slip ups and flying lube. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/24 "2005-10-11T21:15:14Z")
When I was very young and nerdy one of the older members of the wrestling team asked me if I wanted to come to their circle jerk. I had no idea what that was, but wanted to fit in, so I said “sure.” He said “Good, you can be the pivot man.” Everyone laughed. I was a big enough nerd to still have no idea what the hell he meant, so one of my friends explained that a circle jerk involved a group of males standing in a circle jerking off. Inside that circle was a person (male or female) who was the pivot man. It was that person’s job to “pivot” whenever one person of the circle reached his orgasm and catch the result in his mouth. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/25 "2005-10-12T05:52:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Most threads about Bush on the SDMB. > > Regards, > Shodan Goddammitt! I read through this whole thread for the sole purpose of stating that the only circle jerks I’ve personally witnessed have been in GD or The Pit! > [@Shalmanese](#): > > I always thought a circle jerk was a meeting in which everybody was busy congratulating each other for how fantastic they were. Yeah, that’s the type I was talkin’ about. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/26 "2005-10-12T06:04:43Z")
It’s kind of a sexual version of the [dining philosophers problem.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dining_philosophers) Especially the ookie cookie version. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/27 "2005-10-12T14:21:59Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > I think of a band from the eighties. Notably, a punk band. One of the bands in The Decline of Western Civilization and who played in the bar in Repo Man. And, they’re still in action. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/28 "2005-10-12T15:11:48Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Actually, there is a website devoted to variations of this. I certainly won’t post the link because it is **way not safe for the workplace** , but if you wanted to find it, you might try jerk off buds dot com on google and then go to the galleries section and find the buds section. There are only a few pictures of larger groups, so unless you are so inclined to, ahem, peruse the site for awhile to find said group photos, don’t bother. > > Not that I have ever gone to that site or submitted photos or anything…I, uh, read about it in a book. Really. No kiddin’. Never been there, nor done that, no sirree Bob. I hate how I read this, and was like “Hmm, that’s interesting, I wonder who posted it? Ah, **DMark**! I had better go check it out.” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/29 "2005-10-12T17:30:20Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > I hate how I read this, and was like “Hmm, that’s interesting, I wonder who posted it? Ah, **DMark**! I had better go check it out.” \>\>DMark looks down, casually rubs toe in the dirt and blushes\<\< So, uh - did ya find what you were lookin’ fer? ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553/30 "2005-10-12T19:26:10Z")
Well, I don’t remember what your face looks like, because I don’t think that you EVER post in the picture threads. Or maybe you do, and I’ve forgotten. That, and I’m certainly sure that couldn’t pick your genitals out of a lineup, and I was on a public computer when I read this thread earlier. If you wanted to provide me with a direct link, that would make things easier. In fact, I think that every other gay male doper that I’ve stalked to any appreciable degree needs to. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-you-is-a-circle-jerk/325553.md?page=1)