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All of the whining about what defines a "real man" is ridiculous. I'm glad we live in a time when there are endless options for guys in deciding how they want to look. I guess if you're a conservative who wishes we were still living in the 1950s, then yeah, you might have a narrow definition of masculinity, but I think it's a very good thing that we've moved on from those times.
This seems to be another one of those areas where people look at things in very binary terms. Either a man is some kind of sissified girly man metrosexual whatever, who spends his days between the lotion counter at Macy's or the speedo rack at REI, or he is some kind of Neanderthal like brute who beats his wife, clubs his dinner with a mallet and eats his steak with a 9 inch Bowie knife (the same knife he will shave with after supper) Apparently there are no kinds of men between these two examples, you are one or the other.
I may be mistaken but I think the OP was trying to point out that our culture has become inclined to push men towards roles once traditionally held by women. I may be wrong but that is kind of more what I think the OP was getting at.
One example might be contemporary media and TV programming in which men are now widely more often depicted as in shows like Everyone Loves Raymond, Married with Children (and several others) in which the man is some lazy, sitting on the couch with less than intelligent buddies, defers to his hen pecking wife who dominates the household as she is apparently the primary bread winner, she cooks, manages the home and apparently the guy is like an appendix that is there to be the butt of humorous jabs, puns, etc...
Far cry from what it was during any time prior to the 90's. Is this media version of men a reflection of our times? Is this a better depiction of men than say like The Honeymooners, where Jackie Gleason held his fist at his wife and said, "One of these days Alice, to the moon"? So is this really how the American family is? Is this very common theme just funny and good for ratings? Much to do about nothing?
This seems to be another one of those areas where people look at things in very binary terms. Either a man is some kind of sissified girly man metrosexual whatever, who spends his days between the lotion counter at Macy's or the speedo rack at REI, or he is some kind of Neanderthal like brute who beats his wife, clubs his dinner with a mallet and eats his steak with a 9 inch Bowie knife (the same knife he will shave with after supper) Apparently there are no kinds of men between these two examples, you are one or the other.
I may be mistaken but I think the OP was trying to point out that our culture has become inclined to push men towards roles once traditionally held by women. I may be wrong but that is kind of more what I think the OP was getting at.
One example might be contemporary media and TV programming in which men are now widely more often depicted as in shows like Everyone Loves Raymond, Married with Children (and several others) in which the man is some lazy, sitting on the couch with less than intelligent buddies, defers to his hen pecking wife who dominates the household as she is apparently the primary bread winner, she cooks, manages the home and apparently the guy is like an appendix that is there to be the butt of humorous jabs, puns, etc...
Far cry from what it was during any time prior to the 90's. Is this media version of men a reflection of our times? Is this a better depiction of men than say like The Honeymooners, where Jackie Gleason held his fist at his wife and said, "One of these days Alice, to the moon"? So is this really how the American family is? Is this very common theme just funny and good for ratings? Much to do about nothing?
To be completely fair, this sentence indicates a binary thought as well, indicating the OP was constructing a narrowly held view of masculinity.
I understand that media has made the male boob a stock character. However, most media portrayls of men are positive. Men are more likely than women to be percieved as the hero. Women are still damsels in distress in most situations.
The satirical nature of such shows as the Simpsons, or Malcolm in the Middle addresses the dysfunctionality that can occur when such binaries (the women damsel unable to take of herself, let alone others and the male hero) fall a part. In reality, the binaries often do break down.A better portrayal of a these concepts breaking would be both The Sopranos and Weeds. Tony Soprano, though the patriarch, is unapolagetically flawed and tries to deal with his shortcomings (going to therapy...not a stereotypical masculine trait...even Tony tacitly acknowledges this). We see that today's society is increasingly equal. A parallel to Tony Soprano would be Nancy Botwin. In the beginning seasons of trying to be the Betty Crocker of Southern California...she takes a decisively masculine approach to life. She silently and slowly abandons her children and her facade of suburan tranquility in order to pursue her career in crime (a VERY stereotypical masculine trait...abandoning family for risky career prospects).
So increasingly society realizes that there is fluidity between the genders. In the 1950s, our society didn't understand this concept. We tried, like Tony and Nancy, to fit into little molds. Obiviously there are gender differences, but the definitions have expanded greatly since the days of Jackie Gleason.
What's really bad now is how p*ssy whipped so many young men have become -to the point where they're more her pet than her boyfriend. I see it all the time: the woman strolls into the room first with her little dog in tow close behind her.
Grow a pair Goddammit! I'm not saying that your knuckles should drag the ground, but you've got to let her know that you're a man and that there are boundaries, that there are things that you are absolutely not willing to put up with. If she doesn't like it find a real woman -one who isn't afraid of real men. There's nothing more pathetic than a p*ssy whipped man.
Exactly! Where's the masculine dominant spirit these days? Show it!!!
I really like this post and if the real men out there can't pick up their knuckles, I'm sure some sexy a** butch dames would be able to fill in.
"According to legend Lilith's attraction for children comes from the belief that God took her demon children from her when she did not return to Adam. It was believed that she launched a reign of terror against women in childbirth and newborn infants, especially boys. However, it also was believed that the three angels who were sent to fetch her by the Red Sea forced her to swear that whenever she saw their names or images on amulets that she would leave the infants and mothers alone."
I was like "Wow"......I must admit that I was thinking this recently........ not in such colorful terms, mind you. I saw all these magazines on the stand. All these young men with no facial hair....not even a mustache (remember when a stash was cool?) . No body hair at all. I find it unbelieveable that ALL of these models or actors are naturally bare! Which means that these cats are shaving like women do!! What are we doing?? Why are we doing it!! Something just seems off center.
Ironically enough, in places like Portland, OR and the hip neighborhoods in New York these days it's the slightly effeminate hipsters who all seem to have mustaches and beards. In fact facial hair has been practically de rigeur among the trendy youngsters in Portland--even big old 70s style mustaches were in style for a while. Meanwhile it seems to be the macho jock types who are more likely to be shaving and waxing their chests.
To define masculinity by something like body hair--well, trends come and go. In different cultures throughout history having long hair was considered acceptable and a sign of power for men---while in other periods of history men having long hair were considered to be effeminate.
Ironically enough, in places like Portland, OR and the hip neighborhoods in New York these days it's the slightly effeminate hipsters who all seem to have mustaches and beards. In fact facial hair has been practically de rigeur among the trendy youngsters in inner Portland these days--even big old 70s style mustaches were in style for a while. Meanwhile it seems to be the macho jock types who are more likely to be shaving and waxing their chests.
To define masculinity by something like body hair--well, trends come and go. In different cultures throughout history having long hair was considered acceptable and a sign of power for men---while in other periods of history men having long hair were considered to be effeminate.
haha! PLEASE let us not get into body hair debates_ I can readily rouse up some mainstream 70's images of bushy women posing as the modern sexiness...And men of that time WERE INTO THAT SH**
Do you really think those old schoolers have disappeared? Sure, there are scores of girls who are getting the Brazilian. It feels good and it looks hot.
But NOTICE: It FEELS good and it looks hot. It's not all about the dude. Seriously Brazilians for women feels good!
Thanks ! JoJaJn !! You did a great service in posting this !!Yes-- they are ruining a generatiuon of men ( and boys ) by the drugs and chemicals they surreptiously plaec into our bodies. Don't forget, they are also doing it to the women !! The chemicals that are elaching out of the plastic soda and water bottles, right into the liquids we gulp down, are generating higher levels of hormones, resulting in obesity, menstrual dysfunction, cancers, and many other diseases ! All for the want of the almighty buck ! For the rest of the posts-- no, the fat old burping, belching, pot-bellied slob is not the standard or role model of a male.Facial hair, ( beard or stash ) is a preference, usu guided by both the guys likes and the gals likes. But the hairless, feminized, way is the propaganda promoted by the hollywood and homosexual crowd that men should be feminized, and then, of course, homosexualized, and then, of course, abused by other fat, old, belching, barfing pigs! It would , maybe, be understandable if it were a passing fad. But the designers( mostly gay ), hollywood ( mostly perverted ) and pornographic publishers ( all perverted ) are deliberately brainwashing generations of youth into adopting this so-called lifestyle ( which is really, a death to the soul ) in order to get more adgherents, and make a nation where there will be no men, only women-- hence a ntion quite capable of being over taken by even the weakest enemies.( This is not a slight to women-- but man was made, from the beginning, and throughout ALL of civilized nations, to protect and defend the women , the home, and the country !
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