By Te’Devan Kurzweil
Everyone wants to have their own entourage since the days of Sugar Ray Robinson, The Dirty Dozen, The A-Team and the modern times of fictional character Vince based off of Marky Mark. Now they either have tons of money or an extraordinary amount of fame…and in most cases, both. But, this doesn’t mean you can’t have your kick ass entourage if you’re lacking in those areas. Learn the necessities of an awesome entourage after the jump.
First and foremost, every entourage needs a “front-man.” This is the person who draws all the stares and looks. He can be of athletic prowess, great talents, incredible attractiveness, etc. They are the ones who are the first representation of the group. Next is the “diplomat”; this person speaks on behalf of the group. He can get the group out of any situation with his gift of rhetoric and smooth talking. This member pitches the “front-man” of the group when he is in the thralls of his antics. He also allows the “front-man” to do his thing and appear to be relatively humble even if he is a bit of a narcissist or egomaniac. The third member of the group is the “smack talker.” This guy says the things most people may want to say, but never will. He is also likely to get the group into a bit of trouble and hopefully (if you’re lucky) he will choose to keep the smack talk within reason. Please note that some people love “smack talkers” while others cannot stand them. An ideal “smack talker” has a really good heart despite his incessant smack talking and therefore has a redeeming quality. This usually shines through regardless of what is coming out of his mouth. Next is the “muscle.” This is the person who, if things really go down hill, they can keep the rest of the group from getting their asses kicked. He is generally a simple guy and doesn’t actually like to fight. Fighting is usually a last resort if the “diplomat” fails and the “smack talker” or “front-man” piss off the wrong people. This has been known to happen quite often. The “muscle” is also the one who knows when the group will be slaughtered and plans an escape route out if need be. But, there is also a fifth and often left-out character; that is the essential “wing-girl.” She is smart, somewhat sophisticated, attractive and very funny. She makes other guys want to be your friends and other women think, regardless of how you behave, that you guys must have something going for you. I actually prefer having her instead of the “muscle.” It should be mentioned that in every great entourage any of the four or five can fill in for the others, but everyone has their specialty and that is how the group best works. Also, in regards to the wing girl, she should not be dating anyone in your entourage and if she is, for the sake of the group dynamic, it better be a stable relationship. Otherwise the group loses two members if and when they are on the rocks.
All good entourages have the ability and magnetism to pull other people into the fold very quickly since otherwise you might have more difficulty convincing others to hang out if you were all alone or merely just two people. An exception for this is as follows: a great “front-man” or “diplomat” or “wing-girl” can go out as just two people and immediately form a group for the night or longer. The “front-man” all by himself can sometimes appear to be a lunatic or crazy and, therefore, the rest of the group validates his insanity or his antics. The “diplomat” might appear to be normal or even dull, so never expect him to get the party hopping on his own. The “wing-girl,” if she is a great one, might have to spend all night, bored, fighting off annoying guys or getting dirty looks from girls who are threatened. The “smack talker,” well he will merely get himself slapped, punched, kicked or quickly tossed out from said function while the “muscle” will stand around, looking big and overly intimidating. But when you bring all these people together, you create a beautiful thing – a hell of an entourage. Yes, these are labels and generalizations, but it is the general guidelines to follow to have an amazing entourage. Better to make your own entourage and have those personal experiences instead of merely reading about or watching it on your television. I truly love it when a great entourage comes together.
