Whatever happend to manliness?

[ForTheLoveOfAll]

So, being raised in the south, I've seen the best and the worst when it comes to manliness. I've seen cowardly idiots who wouldn't be able to stand up for themselves under any circumstances, and I've seen gun toting rednecks with a beer in one hand and a Bible in the other 24/7. Masculinity in America seems to have taken a turn for the worst.

Most places on the internet you go looking for manly men either fall too far to the pansy side (The Art of Manliness.) or end up being greased up, semi-psychotic, overly violent lunatics. (Arthurs Hall.)

Now, don't get me wrong. There are still many manly folk to have somewhat recently arisen in America. (Pat Tillman, Clint Eastwood, etc.) But most of the greats, the ones who were really influential, seem to have come and gone.

We have many who are feigning manliness. (George Bush, Tom Cruise, etc.) But what happend to the old days?

I mean, compare the way presidents look now as compared to how they used to. When was the last time a president actually had the balls to grow a freaking beard?



I dare you to find a manlier president (With the exception of say, Thomas Jefferson or Vladamir Putin.) than Theodore Rosevelt. Modern day politicians pale in comparison.

There are no more role models today, or perhaps the standards have changed. I remember days when kids grew up with Huckelberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, and Sylvester Stallone. Now it's Robert Pattinson, Michael Cera, and... And... Oh, no. OH GOD NO


Justin Bieber. -Shudders-

The only one I see on television anymore that seems even worty of being a role model is on a freaking commercial. (And, damn, is it a manly commercial.)

[youtube:31pxu7q4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U18VkI0uDxE[/youtube:31pxu7q4]

Now, this may all seem like the chauvinistic ramblings of some disgruntled male, but I promise you, it's not. I consider men and women to be equal. One cannot exist without the other, and I love women. Their form, their personalities, and the fact that women can be... well, womanly! My point is, testosterone seems to be falling away at an alarming rate, and I fear what this may indicate for future generations. Am I the only one that doesn't want to see every guy walking around with a crooked hat, straightened hair, and pants sagging to their knees? All while listening to Celine Dion and Eminem on the iPod their parents bought him?

I wish more people would look at 13 as the age of majoity. There was a day when boys were adventurous, had a desire to learn, and an infinite amount of wanderlust. Now their minds are lazy, and they'd rather sit inside all day and play videogames. I'm alarmed every time I go to town or to my parents church that the ONLY thing the kids there seem to know anything about are Football and videogames. Where are the warriors? Where are the great adventurers? Where are the great philosophers? Where are the George Carlins, Carl Sagans, and Thomas Jeffersons of tomorow? And what can we do to bring manliness back?

I admit that throughout history men have been, as a rule, a bunch of rude, overzealous, and tyrannical thugs to women. And I apologize on behalf of my gender for that. But this is a new dawn, a new day, and it's time that the men of the world let their balls drop, learn to have a steel hand with a velvet glove, and help create a better tomorrow.

In closing, I share with you the greatest kid ever.

[youtube:31pxu7q4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGxBizeiL3s[/youtube:31pxu7q4]

[Tank]

If I didn't know better I would have thought Big Mac was back.

[Whitney]

I don't think it's possible to be truly pro equality yet in the same breath demand that men act like stereotypical men or that women should be "womanly".

[LegendarySandwich]

I don't think it's possible to be truly pro equality yet in the same breath demand that men act like stereotypical men or that women should be "womanly".

Yes.

Unless, of course, you mean "manliness" in the sense of being a good, honorable person.

[Tank]

I don't think it's possible to be truly pro equality yet in the same breath demand that men act like stereotypical men or that women should be "womanly".

Yes.

Unless, of course, you mean "manliness" in the sense of being a good, honorable person.

Terms that are equally applicable to women.

[ForTheLoveOfAll]

I don't think it's possible to be truly pro equality yet in the same breath demand that men act like stereotypical men or that women should be "womanly".

Yes.

Unless, of course, you mean "manliness" in the sense of being a good, honorable person.

There are certain traits that are just natural in different genders. Women TEND to be more nurturing, caring. Men TEND to be more commanding, etc. I'm not saying women cant have traits that would usually be considered masculine, or that men cant have traits that would usually be considered feminine. It's the new trend of metrosexuals that grinds against my nerves. Men spending way too much time doing their nails and shopping at Banana Republic, letting their minds suffer and their bodies turn into twigs, rather than accomplishing something in the world. I don't mean masculinity as far as being gun toting, violent thugs who down a six pack every hour.

[Whitney]

Men spending way too much time doing their nails and shopping at Banana Republic, letting their minds suffer and their bodies turn into twigs, rather than accomplishing something in the world.

So acting 'feminine' means you don't accomplish anything worthwhile  :dig:

[LegendarySandwich]

I'm not saying women cant have traits that would usually be considered masculine, or that men cant have traits that would usually be considered feminine. It's the new trend of metrosexuals that grinds against my nerves.

So, men can be "feminine", but men can't be feminine and straight...?

[ForTheLoveOfAll]

Men spending way too much time doing their nails and shopping at Banana Republic, letting their minds suffer and their bodies turn into twigs, rather than accomplishing something in the world.

So acting 'feminine' means you don't accomplish anything worthwhile  :dig:

No, but you still miss my point. I use that only as an example. Ther's nothing wrong with being masculine or feminine, or having qualities of either, regardless of your gender. I'm talking about the modern day tendencey in America for the male to become something less than man or woman. A laziness that doesn't really fit in with masculinity or femnimity. You've seen it, haven't you? Men who have barely left their cribs, can't stand to be without their creature comforts, never read books, do nothing but laze around all day talking and thinking about things that hold no value whatsoever? My call to masculinity is more of a request to return to being authentic humans, not media slaves, mentally dead, lazy buffoons. Compare the average man now to the average man of the late 1800's and the early 1900's and there's a stark difference. The desire to work, to learn, to accomplish, it's deadening. This is not an attack on women, or an attempt to tell men not to have feminine qualities, but to embrace the masculinity that IS fading.

So, men can be "feminine", but men can't be feminine and straight...?

Perhaps my terminology is wrong. I have feminine qualities. My father does. Most men do have at least some qualities that would be considered "feminine." This doesn't affect their sexuality at all, though. By metrosexual, I mean men who worry FAR too much about their image. You know. Shave every hair from their bodies, fix their hair every time they pass a mirror, etc. The stuck up lower to middle class guy who worries too much about his looks, isn't trying to better himself or the world, and tends to be generally one of the problems with society. Not all of them are, but the ones I run into tend to be. Maybe my mindset is wrong, maybe the world is meant to be as it is now. I don't know. It just seems like with the change isn't for the better. The avatars, the heros that we are so fond of all seem to be in the past. The reason that I use the men as an example is because I'm a guy myself, so I wouldn't feel appropriate coming from the woman's stance as well.

Also, the overly-macho assholes can be just as bad, if not worse in some cases.

PS: I've got nothing against homosexuals, either. I'm in full support of the gay and lesbian movement. Some of the best people I know are bi/gay/les.

[Whitney]

I'm talking about the modern day tendencey in America for the male to become something less than man or woman. A laziness that doesn't really fit in with masculinity or femnimity. You've seen it, haven't you? Men who have barely left their cribs, can't stand to be without their creature comforts, never read books, do nothing but laze around all day talking and thinking about things that hold no value whatsoever?

I'm not aware of this being common practice.  The only people who I can think of that come close to that description would be a few idots from some of those reality tv shows....and those don't represent real life.

[ForTheLoveOfAll]

I'm talking about the modern day tendencey in America for the male to become something less than man or woman. A laziness that doesn't really fit in with masculinity or femnimity. You've seen it, haven't you? Men who have barely left their cribs, can't stand to be without their creature comforts, never read books, do nothing but laze around all day talking and thinking about things that hold no value whatsoever?

I'm not aware of this being common practice.  The only people who I can think of that come close to that description would be a few idots from some of those reality tv shows....and those don't represent real life.

Then I suppose the people you commonly interact with are of a higher standard, or the ones I'm usually getting to interact with are of a lower. Yes, there are some marvelous folk' here and there, but the majority tend to be as described above.

Anyway, I've had my rant for the day.

[Asmodean]

What happened to it, I think, is that it receded when people got a real chance to be what they want, rather than being what is expected.

Now, those who want to be hair-chested, wrench-wielding types still may, yet those who want to be more... Well, girly, for the lack of a better word, may do that.

[father nicetouch]

I do not know about you guys, But that Dos X guy is awsome! If that's not manly I don't know what is! He doesn't take shit from no one! not even chuck norris!

[The Magic Pudding]

What happened to it, I think, is that it receded when people got a real chance to be what they want, rather than being what is expected.

Now, those who want to be hair-chested, wrench-wielding types still may, yet those who want to be more... Well, girly, for the lack of a better word, may do that.

That sounds reasonable, those who could and wanted to have been playing the dandy for a long time.
How come when I see manly men splitting wood in movies they use an axe and not a block splitter?
Oh and that Theodore Roosevelt in the picture above seems to be wearing far too many [strike:3akvxo61]spangley[/strike:3akvxo61] tassley things on his outdoorsy outfit, this raises questions in my mind.

[Cecilie]

Idk, Pudding's avatar seems pretty manly.