I think this sub, or any male advocate sub, would benefit by focusing on the male perspective.

There's an assumption that because most of the people who produced 'content' in the past were men that the male perspective has pervaded our cultural media. I think this only partially true since (1) the majority of that media was produced for the primary purpose of profit, and therefore not particularly focused on explaining a certain gender perspective and that (2) men were the 'default gender' and so it was difficult to explicate a particularly male perspective since there was no sense of not-women, only a sense of just-men.

For instance,the psychological effects about the assumption, by society and yourself, that you're a meat shield for those you love. I may resent this, but if shit goes down, I know I'm throwing myself at any threat to my wife and kids, at the cost of my life if necessary. It's a coded impulse that produces a unique perspective.

Or that men get vastly less compliments than women. Being appreciated can mean the world to us. I don't think a lot of women realize this.

Or something as simple as dancing. I recently taught myself to dance and I had to work through a lot of body issues I accrued after a decade of bullying. I also had to work through feelings that I was dancing in a 'gay' or feminine way, that I had to look tough, even when expressing the sublime joy I feel when I hear certain music.

Or the effects of bullying, which is quite frankly a euphemism for the verbal, psychological and physical abuse that countless male children endure for the crime of trying to get an education while being different than dude-bros.

Male advocacy* often comes in the form of comparing men to women, or counting the ways men have it worse than women. While that's important to recognize, it's also engaging in the narrative of competitive victimization that intersectional feminism perpetuated and I strongly believe that you can't change a narrative by repeating it.

By telling our stories, we can show that men do face unique challenges and that these challenges affect us in unique ways. It would help to deconstruct our gender norms and explicate the ways in which they affect us. It starts a conversation that's not based on victim competition, or retribution, or anger, or resentment. It's simply "I am male, and this is how that affects me".

I have a lot of respect for the ideals behind feminism but little respect with how its tried to achieve those ideals, particularly in the past 20 years. I firmly believe the best way to resist is to find new ways in which to express the male perspective, ways which don't depend on the toxic behaviour, attitudes and assumption that have (sometimes) expressed itself in (many, but not all) feminist circles.


* I hope this sub does well, but honestly just being able to say 'male advocacy' rather than 'men's rights' is such a huge improvement that even if this sub doesn't take off, I'll always be grateful for the superior phrasing.