On masculinity and ‘real men’

Hyper-masculinity? Toxic-masculinity? What is this masculinity thing that is painted as such a blight on society?

Why is there is never any mention of toxic femininity when (to varying extents) many of the same issues apply? Just look at my posts on for example, female violence, lack of empathy, sexual abuse by women, and damseling and the shameless exploitation of male chivalry.

The articles below all address the concept of masculinity, alternately either from a feminist, egalitarian, MHRA or another alternate position:

‘A fatal miscalculation’: masculinity researcher Richard Reeves on why Democrats lost young men (9 November 2024) USA

Did sexism propel Donald Trump to power? (9 November 2024) USA

Kamala’s Anti-Male Sexism Drove Men from the Democratic Fold (7 November 2024) USA

The sad truth is that anti-feminist backlash helped propel Trump to victory (6 November 2024) and another related item ‘No sex, no babies: 4B Movement goes viral after Donald Trump US election win‘ (8 November 2024)

Regarding the #NotAllMen assertion (October 2024)

‘Toxic masculinity’ is toxic terminology (3 July 2024)

Masculinity isn’t toxic, it’s the tonic society needs. An interview with therapist, Professor Miles Groth (27 October 2023)

Fears for Australian women as more die allegedly at the hands of young men and experts speak out (16 April 2024) Hey, let’s ignore the men and boys killed, the growing perpetration of abuse committed by women, and in fact any thought of holding women accountable … for anything

Helping young men to have healthy, respectful relationships (25 October 2023) Australian Federal Government media release. Another $3.5 million down the feminist toilet

Landmark research study finds clear evidence of pro-women/anti-men bias (28 September 2023)

In praise of heroic masculinity (30 August 2023)

The Best Way to Find Out If Someone Is a Trump Voter? Ask Them What They Think About Manhood (14 July 2023) Written by Katelyn Fossett

Andrew Tate’s Career as the Baddest Boy on the Internet Might Be Over (16 January 2023)

This man really knows how to deal with kids playing on the driveway (3 July 2022) Video

The words Will Smith didn’t need to say in his latest apology (2 April 2022) The female journalist implores readers to go easy on Will (for many reasons as listed).  The journalist uses the term ‘toxic masculinity’ but then states that “In no way, shape or form did Smith’s actions harm the people attending the Oscars, or anyone watching at home.” Whilst it’s rare to see people being asked to show empathy for men, what’s the bet that it’s only happening here because Will is perceived to have ‘done it for a woman’? #WhiteKnight

Will Smith, we don’t need men to protect us’ (28 March 2022) Meanwhile, in real life and starting immediately after Will Smith hit Chris Rock, the media began exposing women stating things like “Gee, I wish I had a man to protect me like that!” #EyeFlutter

The tragedy of modern love (25 July 2022)

Men love women more than women love men (22 July 2022)

Gender Self-Confidence as a Protective Factor for Suicide Risk: Analysis of the Sample of Lithuanian Men (23 May 2022)

Buy a real shaver – Jeremy’s razors (22 March 2022) Video satire, though meaningful

Oh but men commit 95% of all violence, blah blah blah (18 March 2022) Some real stats about the prevalence of male violence

‘Just part of everyday cowboy life!’ Hero dad, 40, who saved his son, 18, from raging bull at Texas rodeo says he was just ‘glad he was there to protect him’ (2 March 2022)

How much do you know about male psychology? (2022) Video

A Philosopher ponders ‘What Do Men Want?’ Insights and quotations from Nina Power’s book (14 February 2022) Book review

‘Dehumanizing the male’. Another book review (2 December 2021)

Testosterone Administration Induces A Red Shift in Democrats (2021)

When did traditional masculinity become toxic? (25 November 2021)

Is toxic masculinity the reason there are so many climate-hesitant men? (13 November 2021)

Stop calling people ‘toxic’. Here’s why | Hannah Baer | The Guardian (26 July 2021)

Tweet regarding men expressing emotion (9 July 2021)

Man expresses enthusiasm = creep. Man expresses frustration = incel. Man expresses anger = toxic. Man expresses sadness = weak. Man shares emotions other than happiness = emotional labor. Man shares no emotions at all = emotionally distant

How Has Feminism Been for Young Men, with Tristan Glosby // Men are Talking Podcast – Episode 1 – YouTube (7 July 2021)

Stop Emasculating Men, Then Wondering Where All The Good Men Went (thefederalist.com) (14 June 2021)

Gender Equality and Where Feminism Gets It Wrong – Woke Father (24 May 2021)

The push to “Raise Boys Right” implies that men need to be fixed (20 April 2021)

The pandemic of male loneliness (24 February 2021)

China’s gender roles: War on ‘feminisation’ aims to build boys’ ‘masculinity’ (5 February 2021)

The Atlantic obviously doesn’t have any idea ‘What it means to be a man’ (19 February 2020)

Can we talk about ‘Toxic Femininity’ yet? (22 July 2020)

Watch: Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh on modern culture destroying masculinity (20 November 2019)

Well, America, Gillette’s idiotic ad may have finally turned the tide on ‘toxic masculinity’ (22 January 2019) USA

Masculinity isn’t a sickness (16 January 2019)

Traditional masculinity has been dubbed ‘harmful’ by a major health body (16 January 2019) with related tweet her

Psychology as indoctrination: Girls rule, Boys drool? (15 January 2019)

Barbara Kay: American Psychological Association declares masculinity an “ideology” (12 January 2019)

You can’t help men by attacking masculinity, by Dr John Barry (27 November 2018)

Male authority – Be a “Man”, by Rollo Tomassi (13 November 2018)

Brown University Offering Programs for ‘Unlearning Toxic Masculinity’ (25 October 2018) See related tweet from James Woods

The fact that we’re considering making misandry a hate crime should concern everyone who believes in equality (17 October 2018)

The mysterious invisibility of men’s good deeds, by Mark Dent (14 July 2018)

Feminism: Toxic Masculinity (26 June 2018)

Why men are refusing to help women and children (6 June 2018) Video (and also take a look at this Jim Muldoon article on the same theme)

How feminists developed ‘Toxic Masculinity’ (14 June 2018)

Rethinking Gender, Sexuality and Violence (25 October 2017)

Charts – Where You Fall on the Alpha / Beta Scale (9 October 2017)

Does the NRL have a culture problem? (13 September 2017) Video

Duke recruits men for program to fight ‘toxic’ masculinity (13 September 2017)

Houston Rescuers Prove the Lie of ‘Toxic Masculinity’ (1 September 2017)

Andrew Cadman: We are paying a high price for the feminisation of Britain (3 August 2017)

Delingpole: Too Much ‘Maleness,’ Complains Feminist Reviewer of ‘Dunkirk’ (2 August 2017)

We’re doomed and only women can save the day (20 July 2017) How men think of, and treat other men, is part of the problem.

SJW DYLAN MARRON GETS OWNED l Response to Unboxing Trump’s America and Masculinity l SJW Cringe (6 July 2017) Video

First police officer at London Bridge attack “was rugby player who took on all terrorists until forced to ground” (4 June 2017) UK

Study: Most Women Like ‘Manly’ Men, Don’t Worry About ‘Toxic Masculinity’ (13 May 2017)

The epidemic of sexless marriage is symptomatic of the modern emasculated husband (undated/2017)

The ‘Toxic Masculinity’ Trend Blames Boys For Being Born Male (12 April 2017)

Missed a spot, by Dalrock (1 March 2017)

E.B. White’s Touching Letter to Man Who Lost Hope in Humanity (27 February 2017)

Feminists wage war against romance on Valentine’s Day (14 February 2017)

Gender wars: Is masculinity toxic for boys? (9 February 2017) Reddit discussion thread and linked video

Toxic masculinity: Will the ‘war on men’ only backfire? (28 January 2017) Australia. Related Reddit discussion thread here.

‘Toxic masculinity’ is ruining men’s lives, by Corrine Barraclough (26 January 2017)

Dear Feminists, male vulnerability isn’t a virtue (3 January 2017)

Today (30 December 2016) I noticed two articles that took a now common approach of using/portraying generally positive attributes associated with masculinity (protectiveness towards women & risk-taking behaviour) in order to mock or criticize men:

Men are weirdly concerned about trans women’s use of female bathrooms according to new study and Drownings blamed on men’s risky behaviour

Male college students to undergo ‘critical self-reflection’ of masculinity (3 January 2017)

Feminist Prof: Cats are the solution to ‘Toxic Masculinity’ (15 December 2016)

To what should males aspire? (15 December 2016)

No Gender December: When did ‘gender’ become such a dirty word? (13 December 2016) Australia

The miseducation of young men, part 3 (9 December 2016)

Why women can’t complain about men (4 December 2016) Video

Masculine white men more likely to be mentally ill, says new ‘study’ (22 November 2016)

Why Colleges Should Stop Teaching “Toxic Masculinity” (16 November 2016)

The False Dichotomy of Feminist Ethics (11 October 2016)

‘Toxic White Masculinity’: What is it all about? (10 October 2016) USA

If gender is a social construct, why aren’t women ever accused of exhibiting toxic masculinity? (9 October 2016) Reddit discussion thread

What will feminists accomplish by defining masculinity as toxic and pathological? (8 October 2016)

This Woman Never Looked At Her Fiancé The Same Way After He Abandoned Her During A Violent Mugging: Toxic lack of masculinity? Reddit discussion thread and linked article.

‘Effeminism’ and the War on Boys (23 September 2016)

It’s not Muslims or people with mental health problems who are most likely to kill you in a terrorist attack – it’s men, by Janey Stephenson (28 July 2016)

Oddly, there has recently been other articles very similar to this one published in different countries, but with ostensibly different authors. See ‘What mass killers really have in common’, by Rebecca Traister (17 July 2016) and ‘One group is responsible for America’s culture of violence, and it isn’t cops, black Americans, Muslims or rednecks. It’s men‘, by Melissa Batchelor Warnke

And here is an MRA response to the type of article listed above: ‘The bizarre feminist response to Islamic terror in Orlando‘ (27 July 2016)

I Am A Transwoman. I Am In The Closet. I Am Not Coming Out (11 March 2016)

Joy of Masculinity (9 June 2016)

YouGov Poll: Only 2% of men aged 18-24 feel masculine (20 May 2016) UK

The Myth of the Masculinity Crisis (9 May 2016)

As a female college student, what can I do to empower my male friends who are (seemingly) very emasculated and don’t stand up for themselves? (9 May 2016) Reddit mensrights discussion thread

‘Masculinity isn’t toxic — our attitudes to it are’ (8 May 2016) UK

Violence in Men vs Women. Things aren’t how they seem (6 May 2016) Reddit discussion thread

Miranda Devine: Stop telling boys to act like girls (24 April 2016) Australia

39 Things Women Will Just NEVER Understand About Being A Man (14 April 2016)

Shaming Men Doesn’t Build Healthy Sexuality (9 April 2016)

New York Times: ‘Teaching Men to be Emotionally Honest’ (4 April 2016) with related Reddit discussion thread here

Toxic Femininity and Heroism (14 March 2016) Australia

Female counselor says men are increasingly ashamed of their masculinity (28 January 2016) UK

European Queens Waged More Wars Than Kings (27 January 2016)

How the European male was turned by the feminist into a “WIMP, PUSSY, AND MANGINA”, is it on it’s way here? (25 January 2016)

European men now being criticized for their lack of masculinity (25 January 2016) Video

Although the vast majority of people who risk their own lives to save others are men, this BBC article doesn’t mention that this is mostly a male behaviour. Every time there’s a mass shooting or a terrorist attack, feminists blame “toxic masculinity”. Why they don’t talk about ALTRUISTIC MASCULINITY? (5 December 2015)

Audio: Karen Straughan’s brilliant lecture on “toxic masculinity and toxic femininity” at SFU (21 November 2015)

Question to feminists regarding “toxic masculinity” (29 July 2015) Reddit discussion thread

Male Definition of Masculinity Is a Surprise – Toxic Masculinity Debunked (2008) with reddit discussion thread here

Feminism’s Real Target is Masculinity (December 2014)

It’s time to do away with the concept of ‘manhood’ altogether (29 October 2015) Nauseating pieces penned by mangina journo for The Guardian, but which attracted plenty of reader’s comments

“Toxic Masculinity” is hate speech. Full stop. It pathologies maleness and attempts to link violence to men’s culture. Feminists discussing “toxic masculinity” is little different than white supremacists attacking “ni**** culture” and “black violence” Reddit mensrights discussion thread (15 October 2015)

‘Real men don’t hit women’: The big problem with Malcolm Turnbull’s anti domestic violence message (10 October 2015) Australia. I agree with the prolem with the ‘real men’ message, but much about this article is wrong, not least the assertion by Michael Salter that female violence only occurs in the context of self-defence, and that the fact that most people in jail are male is proof that men are responsible for most crime.

Salon blames Oregon shooting on ‘traditional masculinity’ (9 October 2015)

Are today’s standards for being a ‘real man’ leading to violence against women? (8 October 2015) Australia. But what of violence BY women?

How to stop mass shootings (2 October 2015) and related https://www.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/3n8xmn/new_from_milo_yiannopoulos_on_the_root_cause_of/

Vanderbilt Women’s Center to Lecture Men on ‘Healthy Masculinities’ (31 August 2015)

Masculinity and Violent Behavior: A Complex, Combustible Relationship (25 August 2015) and related reddit discussion thread

Masculinity is more than a mask, by Christina Hoff Sommers (13 January 2014)

What would happen if no men showed up for work today? (17 September 2013)

The End of Men, by Hanna Rosin (July/August 2010 edition of The Atlantic)

Manhood in the Making: Cultural Concepts of Masculinity (15 October 1991) with more here

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Further sources yet to be reviewed:

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=dx2xLaLHZocC&pg=PA215&lpg=PA215&dq=sociopathy+and+hypermasculinity&source=bl&ots=QVAdycmNbP&sig=mvQqp40-RZyqI1E3bF9Px4oAPEY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BXd7VK7ZAsfh8AWm9YK4CA&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=sociopathy%20and%20hypermasculinity&f=false

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6760256&fileId=S0140525X00039686

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=sluqacUK9mQC&pg=PA300&lpg=PA300&dq=sociopathy+and+hypermasculinity&source=bl&ots=OayNvsrL8h&sig=c9B_araQjFku6qB7DU7IZlefCqU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BXd7VK7ZAsfh8AWm9YK4CA&ved=0CE0Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=sociopathy%20and%20hypermasculinity&f=false

built_by_men

Further posts within this blog that may be of interest:

On being male or female (incl. innate differences, stereotyping and so on)

The Elliot Rodger tragedy co-opted as a feminist bandwagon

Do feminists have any male heroes?

sanata

Many feminists make it crystal clear that their view of men falls somewhere between cockroaches and rats. I was wondering then if there were in fact any men at all, amongst all those rapists and wife-beaters, that they looked up to.

What put this idea in my mind was this article about Angelina Jolie’s new film, ‘Unbroken’ about war hero and athlete, the recently deceased, Louis Zamperini  … Angelina being of course quite an icon for many within the  feminist movement.

jolie

Do feminists, for example, revere the efforts of a man like Ian Frazer, the inventor of a ground-breaking vaccine for cervical cancer? So I googled on “do feminists have male heroes”, but my net came up almost empty. There were just a couple of questions asked on Yahoo which attracted very few responses:

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080422012628AA1yjIs

In this discussion ‘Dee’ responded thus:
Generally feminists don’t like heroes, because a hero is a big, strong, masculine, courageous, male warrior. Like Hercules or Achilles, or Perseus, or Conan the Barbarian.

And most feminists really seem to hate strong, powerful, masculine men. (Especially the radical feminists, who want to make all men more like women, and make all women more like men. That is, they want to erase all the natural and wonderful differences between the sexes. How boring.)

… I outgrew my youthful feminist idealism years ago, when I realized how ridiculous “mainstream” feminism was becoming. And now it’s even worse, it has become downright man-hating nonsense that is destructive to men and women alike. But the good news is that when anything becomes that absurd, then inevitably the pendulum will start to swing back in the other direction, there will be a growing backlash against the radical extremes. And the backlash against feminism is well underway, and getting bigger every year.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100315103356AAMxWXw (nil responses to this thread!)

Oh, and I did come across this post in some pro-feminist guy’s blog.

See also:

Man, 21, drowns to death trying to save teenage girl – one hour after being baptized in the same lake (27 August 2024)

On 13 April 2024 in Sydney, Australia, some guy went crazy in a shopping centre killing and wounding many people. Amongst innumerable article re: how & why the gov’t should get more serious about violent men, there were a couple of articles about how other men reacted on the day …

Hero dad jumps into action to save family at Bondi Junction Westfield (13 April 2024), ‘Never seen so much blood’: Bondi Rescue star caught up in stabbing horror (14 April 2024) and ‘Bloody amazing’: Dad’s heartbreaking act for children in Bondi massacre (14 April 2024)

Touching moment rugby player carries terminally-ill teammate in marathon (15 May 2023)

Qantas video of off-duty pilot doing selfless act goes viral (18 October 2022)

What makes people willing to risk their lives to save others? (12 July 2022)

US ‘hero’ teen saves three girls and police officer after car plunges into river (6 July 2022)

CCTV footage captures trainee nurse saving child at Brisbane hospital (11 March 2022)

Storm prompts Uber driver to get teen passenger a hotel room, offered new job (10 January 2022)

High school pass dad turns scientist to make medicine at home for dying son (25 November 2021)

Heroic neighbour stabbed trying to save 93-year-old in Palm Beach (16 November 2021) Video

Lifeguards Escort 95-Year-Old Who Couldn’t Walk to Beach and Back Every Day of Her Vacation (15 November 2021)

Three killed by train after man heroically tried to pull women from stuck car (13 November 2021)

Dying Wish of Terminally Ill Boy, 6, Is to See Bikers Ride Past His House; 15,000 Show Up (theepochtimes.com) (9 August 2021)

North Lakes crash: Mystery sparkie found after car accident | The Courier Mail (21 May 2021)

Watch what happens when a guy tries to tell a woman that there’s a problem with her car (25 February 2021) Video

Hero Cranbourne North dad Russell Irwin bashed by armed thugs would intervene again (9 February 2021) Australia

Dale Schroeder (1919-2005)

A 97 year-old World War II veteran jumped out of a plane to recreate his D-Day parachute drop (6 June 2019) Video

The Carnegie Hero Fund. Something seems to be wrong here – doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of feminist recipients. Surely there should be a gender quota.

Stranger gives up first class seat to mother travelling with sick daughter (9 December 2018)

Student union leader vows to paint over First World War mural of ‘white men’ (25 October 2018)

‘If we don’t we’ll die’: Inside the most heroic story of September 11 (22 July 2018)

Woman saved from Las Vegas shooting by Marine she met just hours earlier (4 October 2017)

I Think ‘Dunkirk’ Was Mediocre at Best, and It’s Not Because I’m Some Naive Woman Who Doesn’t Get It (28 July 2017)

The link to this article read “Hero motorists pull children from sinking car” (2 May 2017) USA. As is usually the case, if it’s a good news story about men then gender is not specified. If the reported incident had reflected poorly on men, you can bet that the writer/editor would have used “men” rather than “motorists”.

California Man Cares for Ailing 89-Year-Old Neighbor and Best Friend in Her Final Days: ‘Kindness Heals’ (24 January 2017)

Melbourne man pens tribute to taxi driver ‘hero’ (23 January 2017) Australia

These four Italian policemen cleverly disguised their toxic masculinity (10 August 2016)

Teen With Cerebral Palsy Walks For First Time To Get Diploma (1 June 2016)

Young man helps elderly lady across the road (10 March 2016) Video

Good Samaritan’s final good deed hasn’t gone unnoticed (1 March 2016)

San Bernardino hero’s selfless last act (6 December 2015) USA

The Beauty of Men, by Mark Dent (16 November 2015)

When A Man Couldn’t Feed Himself At McDonald’s An Employee Did The Most Awesome Thing (24 September 2015)

‘If We Left, They Wouldn’t Have Nobody’ (21 November 2014)

Sydney siege: Hero Lindt cafe manager Tori Johnson ‘was an amazing person, a selfless person’ says former boss (16 December 2014) And yet just a couple of days earlier the same pro-feminist news outlet published a sexist hit-piece entitled ‘Proof that men are bigger idiots than women‘ lampooning men for their propensity to take dangerous risks.

When the world goes to hell, it’s men who die to save others (11 September 2014) Good post and I liked this reader’s response to another comment that was posted by a feminist:

“Terrorist attacks are mostly done by men. I don’t mean to counter your post, I just think it is incomplete” (‘Peacock’)

“Honestly – this kind of myopia leaves me speechless. Of course most really, really bad stuff is done by men. Most really really good stuff is done by men as well.

For one simple reason – men are more exceptional then women. In any given population you will find far more male CEOs, Nobel Prize winners, breakthrough scientists, great leaders, sublime artists then you will women – about 8 times more in fact.

You will also find more male criminals, homeless, clinical imbeciles, despots than women – about 8 times more in fact.

For one very simple reason – eggs are more valuable than sperm. Nature needs us to evolve so it experiments, pushes the envelope of what it means to be human. And you don’t experiment with the most valuable part of your population – young fertile women – which of course means women in general.

Women, as a group, cluster much more around the average then men do, as a group.

This doesn’t mean that women are incapable of reaching the top, or the bottom, just that there will always be fewer of them there, compared to men.

And yet feminism continues to take the worst of men and use them to characterize all men, and take the best of women and use them to characterize all women. And use the fact that there isn’t a 50-50 split of men / women in EVERYTHING to justify it.

So men are demonized and many women are instructed to take paths they are not best suited for. End result; men disengaging and women increasingly relying on psychiatric drugs and other self destructive self medication to get by.

The sad thing is – you know who used to control the really bad men and help the ones at the bottom? The vast mass of balanced, reasonable, fair and decent men in the middle. The very men feminism has attacked because it knew these men were too good natured to truly fight back.

And they haven’t. Instead they are walking away. You might want to give that some consideration before you join the chorus implying that all men are as bad as the worst of men. And please don’t try to deny this was the implication of your post – leaving me speechless is one thing – don’t make me think you are feeble minded as well. I have a mother, wife and daughter whom I love very much but I know they tend towards plausible deniability when they think they can get away with it.. But they at least try to control it and see the men in their lives for what they are rather than what the herd tells them to think.

So should you.” (‘Cadders’)

Kevin Vickers saved many lives by quickly taking down a gunman in the Canadian parliament building. Everyone would be dead if he had waited for a feminist to intervene. But masculinity is toxic … until society needs someone to step up. (24 October 2014)

How the Nobel Prize has favoured white western men for more than 100 years (8 October 2014)

Feminism has slain our protectors (12 September 2014)

Fierce compassion: Why men’s compassion is unappreciated (11 September 2014)

male_heroes

General Douglas MacArthur’s speech on “Duty, honour, country”

Ambulance officer pays parking fine for grieving daughter

100% of firefighters who died were male

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/i-dont-believe-it-grateful-stepdaughter-kristin-russell-buys-her-stepdad-dave-the-same-model-porsche-he-sold-to-marry-her-mother/story-fnixwvgh-1226987023475

http://www.cotwa.info/2013/04/a-broken-man-goes-boston-marathon-and.html

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/father-son-team-hoyt-run-final-marathon-in-boston-competed-in-1000-races

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-this-really-happening-waitress-gets-the-surprise-of-her-life/

http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-limbless-mountaineer/episodes/the-limbless-mountaineer

http://www.anzacs.net/Simpson.htm

http://www.avoiceformen.com/feminism/feminist-violence/the-misandry-behind-misogyny/

What would happen if no men showed up for work today? (17 September 2013)

Elsewhere in this blog you might also be interested in reading:

On chivalry

How men are portrayed … Haw Haw Haw! The jokes on us

How tragic that feminists ignore their role in demonising men