Is our culture lacking a positive male identity?

exit_sandman · 2014-06-15T09:20:31+00:00

Well...

classical male archetypes get ridiculed and are presented as outdated, problematic, archaic or having a unreasonably dangerous/unhealthy lifestyle
boys are encouraged to get in touch with their sensitive, feminine side, to be "more like girls", girls may be encouraged to be more assertive and decisive, but it's never about getting in touch with their "masculine side"
male behavior and male drives get questioned, even vilified early on. Being energetic, active, competitive, loud, disobient, having a stronger libido - any of these traits have to be curtailed or directed into more civilized avenues. However, when girls are that way, it's good because they're "empowered" and they deserve support, when girls are meek and quiet, it's okay because they just are that way and they deserve support as well.
rape is not only presented as an almost-exclusive male-to-female problem (which admittedly isn't that far off), but any rape accusations directed at men are generally considered factual (which they aren't); thus playing into the narrative that all men if not left unchecked have the potential of being rapists
when a man has it hard, the problem is himself, when a woman has it hard, society is to blame
the droves of more or less made-up and heavily biased statistics that show how bad women have it (this doesn't mean that all of these statistics or just the larger part are made up, just that these statistics are usually taken at face value because it would be sexist to question them)
when women are better or more prominent as a group in a certain field or subject at school or in the universitites (linguistics, psychology...) it's seen as a success and as confirmation that women are better; when it's the same way for men (STEM/MINT...), it's seen as a failure and as a confirmation that the system is biased towards men
when women excel at school in general and are more prominent at the colleges it's taken as confirmation that women are better, when men get the better grades or become more successful at work it's again seen as a failure and as a confirmation that the system is biased towards men
the media bombardment that all problems in the world are because of men and the implied or direct assumption that the world would be a muuuuuch better place if women were in charge
instances where women are usually victims in any way are focused on and presented as misogynic crimes, while the usual "women and children first" is taken for granted. Example: Indiscriminate mass executions of men during wartime are considered a crime against the population in question and not an anti-male crime, while the fact that the mass rapings that may occur after the mass executions are specifically played up as crimes against women. The saying "it's women (and children) who suffer most in war" is taken at face value, just as if fighting (and dying) in wars was somehow a funny passtime activity for men
divorce and separation is presented at morally questionable when men are getting rid of their aging wives in favor of younger ones, but the fact that women initiate two thirds of the divorces usually gets glossed over
in general: In the media, men break up for frivolous reasons, while women break up for serious reasons
cheating is usually presented as something guys do, while women are faithful (just take your average TV show or movie); and if women cheat, it's usually presented as understandable, while men cheating is generally because he can't keep his pants on
dating and relationship advice is usually presented from the feminine perspective and caters to female needs (towards men: be attentive. be communicative. be romantic. bring her gifts. take some of her workload. tell her how uber-awesome she is. appreciate the efforts she makes. tell her how much you love her; towards women: you deserve it. don't beat yourself up about your looks. don't be afraid to make demands. etc.) while the male perspective is glossed over (I can't remember reading any in-depth explanation of how to deal with nagging, overly demanding, affection/sex-withholding women where it wasn't somehow the man's fault in the end).
Oh, edit: Men who complain about all this are "whiny" and insecure and are unwilling to face the fact that a glorious future with full equality for both genders that will ultimately benefit mankind is upon us.

I could go on, but I think I made my point. In general, we are told from earliest childhood that women are equally able in every regard but (due to the hype surrounding the fact that there are areas where women excel) at the same time objectively better. So we were fed from all directions (school books, media, journalism, "academic" studies, politicy makers etc.) that women are men are not just of equal value, but totally equal in character and preferences, and any time when nature takes its course and the results don't conform to that ideal, the male-dominated society is at fault (unless women are better at something, then everything is okay). This also extends to the moral sphere: Pointing out the... less appealing traits more typical to females (catfighting, backbiting and backstabbing, manipulativeness, capriciousness, lack of loyalty) is a total no-go, while pointing out male shortcomings (aggressiveness, lack of discipline, unchecked libido, propensity for violence and substance abuse) is okay. With women being exemplary, men are perceived as being by definition deficient, not only from a behavioral, but also from a moral point of view, and conforming to a more feminine ideal (being gentle, emotional, always tact- and respectful, refraining from violence of any kind) is seen as desireable. Okay, I see that up to the middle-to-late 20th century women still were oftentimes presented as deficient in a comparable way (just check some 70s TV spots), but going 180 on us can't be the solution, can it?

I don't know how you guys are, but during my childhood and adolescence, somehow I always had the feeling that I had to apologize for being a dude, and, more than that, that it was on some level expected of me (and the only way to really make up for this was becoming a huge supplicating beta). So, if you're asking whether our culture is lacking a positive male identity, well, how to put it... how about YES?

Pattheboss56 · 2014-06-15T05:41:48+00:00

As a young man, yes, we are extremely lacking in positive male identity, and my generation isn't even getting the worst of it. Everyday I see just the fact of being a man demonized by modern society, and until I found this sub I just sort of accepted it. I'm lucky to have had a good father, but for the kids who don't, who the hell do they have to look up to? Every good male trait now has a stigma to it. Latching on to the post above me, Obama is loved by all when he is a weak president, while Putin, a man who worked his way up into power and brought his nation back into national prominence, is literally the devil. And how do I feel when I'm about to go to college with all of this false rape and "all men are rapists" bullshit going? I literally feel unsafe trying to be a man. You feel unsafe getting cat calls from across the street? Thing of how I feel that something that is a strong part of me that should be valued, my own masculinity, is now the most disgusting quality a person can have. And the generation after me? Even more single mothers, less male role models, and more misandry. Yes we do need a positive male role model to teach young men that being a man and masculinity is not evil, but a great thing.

ExistentialDread · 2014-06-15T05:38:25+00:00

Still, who gives a fuck?

Every boy raised by a single mother who has no other role model.

Every boy who is drugged with Ritalin to prevent their activity.

Every boy told by a feminist mother that he's a rapist.

Every boy told that even the rare dedicated father role model is a lie, and that men will always be inferior to women.

Every Somalian teenager who becomes a pirate to taste real masculinity

Every school boy who has to deal with

Every young Arab woman who blows herself up to liberate herself

zogmachinae · 2014-06-15T20:03:13+00:00

I think the last thing we should be doing is telling them who they should be. Because eventually, somebody will come along and twist the image to their own purposes.

For example, take the art of manliness. It's literately a giant advertisement to get you to buy stuff.

While it is true that there are male identities out there with most of them negative or counterproductive. But if we create more 'positive male identity' it's not going to help. Men need to figure out what they want and work towards it, rather than being told what to do, because, ultimately, we are leaders. And having to be told what to do is contradictory.

ComradePsycho · 2014-06-15T17:13:03+00:00

Perhaps video games are the last bastion of truly masculine role models. TV and such is completely regulated be gynocentrists, wand masculinity is either mocked or vilified. The rare occasions are when masculinity is used to serve women or whoever else is above the man(like James Bond) and even then his masculinity may be criticized.

Video games are totally dominated by men, and the feminists and other undesirables are screeching misogyny as loud as they possibly can.

LibertarianLibertine · 2014-06-15T04:47:36+00:00

Look at our president! He is a fucking embarresment to our country. Our nation is crumbling from the inside out and all he can talk about is climate change and gun control.

jakethesnake76 · 2014-06-15T17:04:19+00:00

Well right now as a man i would rather this (man)Putin- be my representative as me as a man than this (guy)Obama-http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BPAS6zLCYAA_K3n.jpg:large Edit..

Title	Is our culture lacking a positive male identity?
Author	zogmachinae
Upvotes	23
Comments	21
Date	June 15, 2014 4:35 AM UTC (12 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/TheRedPill
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/TheRedPill/comments/286jr3/is_our_culture_lacking_a_positive_male_identity/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/TheRedPill/is-our-culture-lacking-a-positive-male-identity.16692 https://theredarchive.com/post/16692

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