It has been very funny to watch Aaron Rodgers, a 38-year-old man, go on a speedrun through every personality type that you have ever seen exhibited by a 24-year-old white American male. In just the last year he's been a Joe Rogan Guy, an Ayahuasca Guy, a Tattoo Guy, a Manifestation Guy, and an Epic Bacon Guy. This week, he's reached a new form: Debate Me Guy.
To be clear, Rodgers did not become this type of guy by actually engaging in any debates (as far as I know), but by embracing the animating principles held tightly by all true Debate Me Guys: namely, by treating his insistence on being an asshole, at all times and to everyone around him, not only as sacrosanct, but necessary for promoting a free and open society. Aaron Rodgers will not apologize for being honest, and can't figure out why anyone who has a problem with his honesty won't just debate him.
This all started on Tuesday, when Rodgers made his regular appearance on Pat McAfee's radio show to talk about the Packers' 23-21 loss to the Commanders. During that appearance, Rodgers talked about how his teammates were making too many mistakes, and said that those who are making mental errors should be benched. "I think guys who are making too many mistakes shouldn’t be playing," he said. "Gotta start cutting some reps. And maybe guys who aren’t playing, give them a chance.”
You could imagine more than a few of Rodgers's teammates being unhappy about getting aired out in public like that, but Rodgers can't wrap his mind around that possibility. He made yet another appearance on McAfee's show on Wednesday, and insisted that nobody in the locker room had a problem with what he said. How does he know that for sure? Because nobody has yet attempted to engage him in the discourse octagon. From ESPN:
"If one of those guys has a problem with it, I'm right here, and I'd love to have a conversation," Rodgers said. "I enjoy those conversations. I enjoy any type of conflict like that because I know the resolution on the other side is going to make us a better unit, a better friendship, a better cohesion on the field. But nobody's come to me and said, 'I've got a problem with what you said.'"
ESPN
This is an impressive Debate Me Guy performance for someone who just recently adopted the persona. It usually takes a few years to master the "If anyone has a problem with the objectively rude and shitty things I am saying, they are free to engage in a discussion with me on the merits of those rude and shitty things" maneuver. Rodgers went on to demonstrate his mastery of another advanced Debate Me Guy technique: an insistence that nothing he says can be held against him as long as he's being honest:
"I don't understand why people have a problem with things that are truthful," Rodgers said. "I'm calling things the way I see it. People don't think I need to air that stuff out, that's their opinion."
ESPN
Someone get this guy a Reddit account. He's ready for the big leagues.
