Dangerous By Design (New Noise)… (2-13) – Commentary

Commentary (The Receipt)

If you’re here, you’ve probably already read Dangerous By Design (New Noise) and felt a mix of “hell yes” and “wait, should I be worried?” in response. That’s intentional. This piece was meant to unsettle and inspire. I want to unpack that here.

First off, let’s address the title and theme: “Dangerous by design.” I’m very aware that what I write – what we’re doing here – can look edgy or risky from the outside. Some people no doubt clutch their pearls and label me an “edgelord,” claiming I’m just courting controversy. In this commentary, I want to make it clear why I embrace the dangerous aesthetic and why it’s not just for shock value.

Edgy vs. Empty (Setting Myself Apart)

One big point of the post was to draw a line between substance and stunt. I even poked fun at the try-hard shock jocks out there with those over-the-top lines:

  • “I’ve got the competitor’s URL pinned to a board with a big red X on it…” (You can laugh – I was laughing at that caricature myself when I wrote it.)
  • “Here’s another cum tribute, mommy oink oink.” (Absolutely absurd – and meant to be.)

Why include those? Because that’s not me. Those lines parody the kind of brainless provocation some creators rely on. The “genocide-as-edgelord content” crowd who say outrageous things with no higher purpose – I’m separating myself from that. Yes, I talk about dark, taboo, NSFW topics. Yes, I’ll push buttons. But it’s on purpose and with purpose – never just to one-up the next shock factor. If I’m being “dangerous,” it’s in service of truth or depth, not destruction.

So when I say “dangerous by design,” I mean this whole venture (my writing, The House of Zan, our community) is built to challenge norms. It’s intentionally not sanitized. It will rattle some cages – by design. But it’s done with forethought, ethics, and yes, design – not just chaotic noise for clicks.

The New Noise (Making Waves vs. Making Progress)

I subtitled it “New Noise” for a reason. There’s noise out there in the kink/relationship space – a constant drone of hot takes, performative outrage, and cookie-cutter advice. I’m adding new noise, meaning I’m injecting a different frequency that stands out. Some of that frequency sounds like dissent, or “who da fuck is this?” energy to those who aren’t used to it. And that’s fine.

In the piece I acknowledge the whole “adult-content brand synergy” BS. I’m basically saying: look, I know I’m operating in a space where people talk about audience segmentation and worry about offending sponsors. That’s not me. My brand, if you want to call it that, is authenticity. If something I say ruffles feathers, that’s part of the design – not as a gimmick, but as a side effect of being truthful in a very guarded world.

The “new noise” is also about refusing to stay quiet when silence would be easier. It’s me promising I’m going to keep speaking up about things most people won’t touch. That’s going to create some noise – in discussions, on the internet, maybe even in your head as a reader – and I’m okay with that. The commentary gives me a chance to assure you: I’m not making noise instead of saying something; I’m making noise to say the things that need saying.

Fear and Vulnerability (Yes, I Went There)

If you caught the line about a “fear of death in me now that used to not be there,” you read one of the most personal admissions in this cycle. Let’s talk about that, because it’s key.

Why mention fear in a post that otherwise swaggers with confidence? Because it’s the truth. I do have a fear now that I didn’t before – the fear that everything I’m building (this life, these connections, this purpose) could end or be taken away. When things get quiet and I’m alone with my thoughts, that’s when it hits. It’s the cost of caring deeply about something (and someone).

Including that vulnerability was intentional: it’s me saying “I know I’m playing with real stakes now.” I’m not a nihilist courting danger for fun. I’m a man who found something worth losing, and that makes the risks feel more real. I wanted readers to feel that heartbeat under the bravado. Because that is the difference between me and a hollow edgelord: I have skin in the game, I have something (and someone) I love in this. If I seem dangerous, it’s because I’m fighting for something meaningful, not because I feel nothing.

For you as a reader (especially if you’re also with me in some dynamic way), this is me owning my humanity. I can go out there and wage war with bullshit ideas and noisy detractors all day – I will. But I’m not pretending to be invulnerable. I have fears and soft spots. Arguably, that makes me safer, not scarier: I know what I stand to lose, and I take it seriously.

Bracing for Impact (Covering My Ass)

So, how do I “cover my ass” with a post like this? By clarifying intent:

  • I’m not encouraging recklessness for its own sake. I’m encouraging principled boldness. If someone quotes me out of context like “Zan said he’s dangerous by design, avoid him,” so be it – but anyone who reads the whole thing (and this commentary) will know I mean intellectually and socially dangerous, not physically or ethically unsafe. I take consent and safety as gospel (that’s evident across all my writing). Nothing in “Dangerous By Design” contradicts that.
  • I fully expect a post like this to draw in the wrong crowd along with the right. Some edgelord-wannabes might cheer it without getting it – that’s fine, they can cheer. But they won’t feel comfortable for long, because I’m not actually validating their irresponsibility. In fact, this commentary is likely to send them running once they realize I’m advocating accountability, substance, and earned authority, not just noise.

Consider this commentary a friendly debrief after the bombshell. In the post, I lit a firecracker and tossed it into the room. Here, I’m saying: I lit it on purpose, here’s why, and here’s what I hope it ignites in you.

Dangerous By Design was me planting a flag. I’m not going to tone it down or play nice just to blend in – that’s the new noise I’m bringing. But every seemingly dangerous thing I say or do is grounded in a commitment to truth, to depth, and yes, to love (of what I do and who I do it with). This is calculated risk, not chaos.

If you felt a spark reading that piece – a mix of excitement and that healthy concern – then it landed exactly right. It means you see the heights we could reach and the realness of the drop below. That’s where I want us: awake to both. Because when we’re aware of the risks, we can proceed by design – eyes open, hearts open.

So, am I trying to be notorious in the kink scene? Maybe. But only for the right reasons. If being uncompromisingly honest about desire, power, and fear makes me “dangerous,” then I’ll wear that label with a grin – and continue to back it up with integrity every step of the way.

Cycle II – Coming of Age · 13 · Commentary (v1.00)

Go Deeper with This Piece

Continue Cycle II

Try Something Else