Media Should Cheer Virtue-Based Masculinity, Not Emasculation

Article here. Excerpt:

'This notion that traditional male stoicism constitutes an “outmoded caricature of manhood” is a constant refrain in discussions of masculinity today. The cultural elites like the editors and contributors of Vanity Fair scorn that stereotype. The new ideal they seem to be promoting in its stead is a man narcissistically absorbed in exploring his own feelings, a man neutered of the outward-looking drive for achievement and adventure, and yes, even the capacity for violence that are part of his nature.

There is a reason that men traditionally are more emotionally reserved than women: throughout history men have been the providers and protectors, the hunters and warriors, the builders and trailblazers, and those duties demand no small measure of emotional toughness and restraint. That is no less true of life in today’s urban jungle.

In fact, at least one recent study demonstrates that emotionality may protect women from stress but does not protect men from it. Men, the study concludes, best combat stress through self-control. And frankly, no matter how loudly a minority of voices in the culture declare otherwise, most women don’t want a man who needs to be cuddled every night after work to keep it together. Women want a husband and a father for their children whom they can count on to be a pillar of strength and resilience in times of stress, emergency, and danger.'

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I've noticed men do express feelings, just generally not the same way as women, by and large. I think this has to do with human brain physiology. Men's brains tend to be more partitioned, specifically, the hemispheres are not integrated as thoroughly as in the average woman's brain. This difference in general patterns has its advantages and drawbacks for both sexes. Additionally, there can be differences among individual ppl that defy the generalization. Still, it's a guideline of sorts, not a categorical requirement.

Men are fully capable of going into rather deep and dramatic levels of emotional expression. Been there myself, seen it, too. However for most men, getting to places where we are in touch with very significant emotionally charged realities comes neither easily nor naturally to us. Socialization and biophysiology are I think both at work. Still, it's very much worth it for men to go there esp. when they are sitting on some major shit, like child abuse trauma, PTSD, etc. But just because a man isn't walking around with a crying towel doesn't mean he has no feelings.

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