Hope this isn't too confusing, I'm looking at toxic masculinity, as well as why feminism really uses this concept.

First off feminism is focused on women's issues, protecting, empowering, and helping them.

I don't buy the equality rhetoric, the name itself betrays such sentiment.

Feminism does not directly care about men and male well being. It's at best an afterthought, and for many, especially radfems, they just don't give fucks at all. It's always about women's well being first.

Perhaps some can argue that some forms of feminism claim to, like libfem.

And when they do claim to either way, They often start from the toxic masculinity concept. Seems like a legit source.

A go to talking point feminists use is how bad it is for men that they cannot be feminine, act feminine, identify with the feminine. That such things are often met with bullying and ridicule, and this is bad for men, leads some to suicide.

Emasculation: the idea that there is a range of feminine interests and activities a Real Man would not hold, and that disprove a man's masculinity regardless of his other actions:

  • interest in one's personal looks, cosmetics, dressing up, fashion
  • being emotional, expressing emotion, crying
  • appreciating "frivolous" things such as sugary "girly" drinks, romantic styles, cute animal videos, romcom flicks
  • understanding women, being sympathetic[1]
  • being silly, giddy
  • needing help, not-knowing

And see, I do get where they're coming from as it's half true. Men that act femininely have it held against them.

Where my contention lies is that this reality is actually good for men.

As at the end of the day, most men need to be more masculine than feminine to be sexually attractive. This is an RP principle that women will not let men forget. It is enforced by women first and foremost, primarily through whom women choose to fuck more(the more masculine men, not the mostly feminine men).

The purpose of male corrective behavior, such as bullying and ridicule, then is to help make sure men are more masculine than feminine. This ultimately beneficial to men individually and as a whole too.

It isn't toxic masculinity. It's just plain masculinity, but as seen from a female perspective that expects men to treat each other like women, not like men, without the harsh male corrective behavior, without the bullying and ridicule.

Women then, through feminism, inadvertently hurt men through their concept of toxic masculinity, all while not really caring about male well being to begin with.

It's like a situation of why bother? If you don't care about men and the male experience, then why give advice on how men need to change? Why care about and push the concept of toxic masculinity at all?

I think because toxic masculinity is used first and foremost to change men into acting in ways that women can control and influence better. Men that are mostly feminine are quickly made to be below women in society, and women's treatment of them(eww, so creepy) reflect this.

Toxic masculinity achieves this by eroding away masculine standards and behavior designed to create and promote strong masculine men, in favor of weaker, softer, and less threatening men.

This serves the feminist agenda of empowering and helping women, all while seeming to come off as benevolent towards men too.