Essay on "The pussification of the western male"

[SDiver218 0]

Okay…I’ll try to make this my last post on this thread (and I apologize for the length), as I think the issue is getting a bit convoluted, as I was only trying to make a simple point in the beginning.

To everyone who keeps reminding me that the people on TV are actors… No shit Sherlock. I hope no one actually thought that I was saying we should ‘emulate’ actors...as that would be an obviously large assumption. I never made the claim that we should try to emulate them, but one must realize that pop culture/media does not exist in a vacuum. Why do shows such as the Man Show and Monster Garage appear on late night cable TV while the networks are airing shows such as ‘Raymond’, The Bachelor, etc during prime time? Because TV reflects society (to a certain extent). The ‘sensitive’ shows will get more mainstream exposure because, as a general rule, the viewing public has a distorted view of what a man really is. Let me pose this question: On the majority of sitcoms where you have a couple, who is ‘generally’ portrayed as the person with more common sense, spunk, and initiative? Who is the one who is (again generally) portrayed as the dullard who has to continually be prodded to do the right (or smart) thing? The male or the female? Who is the one that the audience laughs at? ***And by the way people, do not assume that I am saying that women can never be smarter then men. If you do, you are missing my point entirely.***

Which brings me to my main point. I hope everybody read my first post, where I said that I DID NOT AGREE WITH THE MAJORITY OF WHAT THE AUTHOR OF THAT ARTICLE SAID. People are making the assumption that I think metrosexuals are going to be the end of society. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you want to be a metrosexual, then have at it. All I am saying is that it is a shame that having a traditionally ‘manly’ outlook on life is looked down upon by a large segment of our society.

Before everyone flames me on the ‘manly’ outlook on life, I DO NOT mean being an asshole, getting into fights, drinking to excess, beating on women, etc, etc. I am talking about the guy who holds a door open for a woman, or insists on paying on the first date, or even the guy who needs to get away one night a week to go play poker or go to a bar with his buddies (oh no!). Is there anything wrong with that? Hell no! My problem is that when a man tries to act like a ‘stereotypical’ man, a growing segment of our population will label him a chauvinist, or perhaps even a misogynist.

Does that mean that metrosexuals are bad? Of course not! Would I want to be one? No. Billvon, am I saying that the Pilates instructor is not a good person? Of course not. The only point that I am trying to make is that growing segments of our population look down upon these ‘male’ qualities, and it saddens me to see that.

If anybody would like to respond to any of my minor points, feel free to. Many of you have made some good arguments, and I am not in disagreement with much of what has been said. I am just trying to make a simple point that, if we stop trying to argue the small stuff (which I am guilty of too), we should all see the larger picture. And that is….Being a guy is okay, and society should stop telling us that its not.

Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. - Benjamin Franklin

Ah that's just drunk talk, sweet beautiful drunk talk. - Barney Gumbal

[Guest]

Anecdote: Judge Robert Bork was watching the LA riots on TV, and said to a friend, "We are witnessing the end of Western civilization."

To which his friend replied, "Why, of course we are, Robert. However, in the meantime, it is possible to live well."

Please see "Slouching Towards Gomorrah", by Robert Bork.

mh

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[vonSanta 0]

Real Men (tm) do whatever they want and live with the consequences without complaining.

Odlly enough, Real Women(tm) do exactly the same thing.

QED.

Man, am I good or what? That originial d00d needed a lot of words to say less.

Now I am going to watch K1.

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[wmw999 2,167]

Quote

Real Men (tm) do whatever they want and live with the consequences without complaining.

Odlly enough, Real Women(tm) do exactly the same thing.

Now that's a real man!

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[kallend 1,673]

This guy has too much time on his hands. He should quit watching TV and just accept pussy wherever he can find it.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 2,466]

>This is why I got so POd when the Iraq War debate was heating up,
> and all those entertainers were spouting off - to me, it's "STFU! Just
> dance and collect your coins, you trained monkey!!! WHO ELECTED
> YOU?!?!?!"

Well, we elect actors to office pretty regularly, so it's not absurd that actors consider themselves voices in politics. We apparently consider them political powerhouses. But to echo what you said earlier - why listen to them? The Dixie Chicks, Jay Leno, Ann Coulter, Al Franken - they all have as much right to say whatever they want as anyone else. The converse of that is that we also have the right to ignore them as much as we want. Until we elect them to office, that is.

[champu 1]

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And actually, real men don't pay to get their hair cut...they just take a shaver/razor, and take it all off

Damn straight...

The biggest problem that arises from putting up an arguement such as "men need to act more like real men and women need to act more like real women." is the often ridiculous and insulting characteristics that one subsequently attaches to the titles. To suggest that I somehow better represent my gender simply by owning a circular saw is laughable.

Any good qualities you try to associate with only men or only women could just as easily be applied to everyone. Being courteous and honorable? Being caring and supportive? These should be perscriptions for everyone.

[nightjumps 1]

Well... I've said it before and I'll say it again - The whole world's gone to shit since John Wayne died and the only way I'm getting in touch with my feminine side is; if she's laying in the bed next to me.

[rehmwa 2]

John Wayne's real name was Marion - snigger

(spelling check here?)

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[nightjumps 1]

Meaning of Name: Marion
Marion: A masculine form of Mary.

It was a man's name until it was shortened from Marianne.

[rehmwa 2]

I SAID - 'snigger'



Heck son, I ain't gonna hit ya, I ain't gonna hit ya, I ain't gonna hit ya.

The hell I ain't!

Edit: For you knee jerk types, that's a John Wayne quote (Maybe not perfect, but close enough) for nightjumps' amusement. I'm not going all violent or testosterone overloaded, I don't need any meds (at least for this quote), I'm in touch with my sensitive side, no sensitivity training needed here so far, and so on and so forth etc, etc.

Homer Simpson, "Now why don't I go hug and kiss some poisonous SNAKES. . . . Now that's sarcasm"

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[nightjumps 1]

"Well, son. If you ain't gonna respect your elders, you're damn sure gonna respect your betters."

[kallend 1,673]

Quote

Meaning of Name: Marion
Marion: A masculine form of Mary.

It was a man's name until it was shortened from Marianne.

Q. What did American Tough Guy Hero John Wayne do in WWII?

A. Stayed in Hollywood.

Q. What did American Sensitive Guy Jimmy Stewart do in WWII?

A. Flew bombing missions over Nazi Germany.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[nightjumps 1]

As a former soldier, I acknowledge the accomplishments of Jimmy Stewart (another one of my heroes), who stayed in the military after WWII and retired as a Full Bird Colonel.

If I remember correctly, it wasn't that John Wayne opted to not serve during WWII - he was turned down for military service from a blown out knee from his football days.

[Jib 0]

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If I remember correctly, it wasn't that John Wayne opted to not serve during WWII - he was turned down for military service from a blown out knee from his football days.

Is that why he walked like that?
*Think* Birdcage

--------------------------------------------------
the depth of his depravity sickens me.
-- Jerry Falwell, People v. Larry Flynt

[Blahr 0]

This is very silly and extremely exaggerated. However I do have to agree that the media has turned the average white male in the US into a pussy.

If you believe these commercials, we cant cook, clean, change diapers, take care of sick kids, or manage anything domestic even a little bit.
We look like a bunch of pathetic idiots. This fact has been annoying me for years.

I think a real man can do all of these things, and do them well. They can also kick ass and take names when the situation calls for it.

I can build a house, fix the car, chop down a tree, and then sew up the hole in my pants with the sewing machine. I can sew up the hole in my leg too and have actually done so on a camping trip once.
Then I'll do the laundry and it will actually come out clean. I can seperate whites and colors.

I'm not "afraid" to cry. I just dont go to pieces over every little thing. When theres a good reason for it, like when I held my son the first time or lose someone dear to me, I cry too.

Only pussies can be pussified so I'm not overly concerned for my masculinity.

Lastly, real men dont worry all that much about being real men.

I'm extremely amused at the portrayal of Donald Trump as a "medieval gargoyle"

[Pammi 0]

Here here! What Blahr said

Nothing wrong with there being a middle ground between a guy who's so into helping you with your equality he isn't an old-fashioned gentleman anymore. I *like* doors opened for me occassionally. It's sweet and thoughtful. And it's sexy as hell seeing a guy fix a tire for me, even though I could do it myself. It's also sexy to see him give a baby a bath or help me do dishes.

*shrug* I feel sorry for men now. It's hard to be all that, the same as it's hard for women to do the same...find a middle ground between the old and the new.

Pammi

[FliegendeWolf 0]

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I feel sorry for men now. It's hard to be all that, the same as it's hard for women to do the same...find a middle ground between the old and the new.

The reason it's so hard to be whatever it is that the media, commercial, TV shows, etc. tell you to be is because these people do not exist in real life. The best you can do is be yourself, and that's all I'd ever expect from anyone.

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All