From no expense-spared getaways to Prague, dressing the groom-to-be up as a gimp, paying for degrading lap dances and plying the soon-to-be newlywed with as much white spirit as possible, it's becoming increasingly hard to define stags dos as a pre-marriage celebration.
After all, what's so celebratory about being handcuffed to a lamppost in the middle of the Northern Quarter in Manchester in the middle of January – in the buff?*
*Yes, I genuinely know someone who had this done to them*
So, it's unsurprising to read that a new study suggests men don't enjoy the drink-fueled debauchery, the 'extreme shaming, humiliation, and deviance' experienced on many modern-day stag dos.
Research from the University of Salford and the University of Madrid found that many men feel peer pressured into participating in stag do practices that celebrate the groom's last night of 'freedom' and feel ashamed after extreme, hedonistic partying.
Dr Anthony Ellis and Daniel Briggs' ethnographic study of stag parties involving following groups of stag dos in Ibiza, London, Liverpool, Manchester and Bournemouth and saw several instances of men being pressured into doing things outside of their comfort zone, but ultimately following the crowd out of fear of being seen as a bore.
One groom-to-be who told the researchers he didn't want to see 'half-naked dancing women, let alone pay them' in a lap dancing club but didn't feel he could 'reveal his desire to leave to the best man or the rest of the group' while another stag was separated from his friends and had to call the best man and said, 'I'm genuinely f*cking scared mate. I do not know what has happened to me in the last few hours.'
Er, this doesn't exactly sound like these men were enjoying their last 'hurrah' as bachelors with their friends.
Dr Ellis told The Telegraph: 'Harm and humiliation has become part of the theme, and not in a benign way, in a quite sadistic kind of way.
'People told us that they had had quite troubling experiences and the general atmosphere is one of intense pressure to over-consume,' he added.
The researchers also revealed that they'd seen one man have his drink spiked with spirits which resulted in him passing out in a bar, soiling himself and being tied up with cling film in the stags' accommodation while he was unconscious.
The authors of the research – published in the journal Deviant Behaviour – wrote: 'Our contention is that excessive consumption of alcohol and deviant behavior that often takes place are partially rooted in commercial ideology, which has become firmly embedded in the attitudes of young British men.'
Look, there's nothing wrong with a wild night out partying, drinking tequila (in moderation) and the odd, inoffensive blow up doll, but you don't have to act like you've got 24 hours to live on Earth, for crying out loud.
Just, chill out, lads. I mean, have you not seen The Hangover?
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
