Toxic masculinity or toxic journalism? Reporting on teaching masculinity in schools

Article here. Excerpt:

'A recent article in 'The West Australian' headlined 'How We Stop This Kid Becoming A Monster', with the sub headline stating, 'Call for DV lessons at all schools to address menace of toxic masculinity' came to my attention on Tuesday evening. In the current cultural climate, seeing the terms ‘toxic’ and ‘masculinity’ side by side is nothing unusual. In fact, in 2018 the word ‘toxic’ was voted Word of the Year and the phrase ‘toxic masculinity’ ranked second only to ‘toxic chemicals’, which in a climate of environmental concern only further highlights the phrases popular use. However, this article was quite unique in its deplorability in suggesting the expression of ‘unhelpful’ masculinity is in itself destructive and dangerous, and insinuating that if not properly ‘stopped’ young men and boys are destined to be monsters and menaces.'

Like0 Dislike0

Australia: ‘Disgraceful front page’ calls for ‘toxic masculinity’ school classes

Video report here.

Sky News host Rita Panahi has criticised a recent front page from The West Australian newspaper, calling it disgraceful.

“There was an image of a young boy with the headline: 'How we stop this kid becoming a monster ... but really, what a disgraceful front page,” Ms Panahi said.

“These sort of attacks against boys and young men under the guise of tackling domestic violence are not only idiotic and damaging, but they are counterproductive.”

Like0 Dislike0

Teacher Explains Why He Prefers Not To Use The Term 'Toxic Masculinity' & What We Should Be Saying Instead

Article here. Excerpt:

'"This is why I do not like or use the term 'toxic masculinity' and what term I think should replace it," Kwiatkowski began in his video.

He prefaced by admitting that he isn't personally offended by the term, even though some others are, but claimed that for him, he doesn't think the term clearly identifies the root of the problem and actually makes it harder to see and find the solution.

He explained that seeing something as toxic doesn't always mean that it is harmful, breaking down the three aspects of masculinity that are fairly common effects of the patriarchy and are considered to be the most harmful.

He acknowledged that, for the most part, people aren't usually motivated to do something because they're harmful, but do things because they're adaptive or protective to them in their environment, which Kwiatkowski said was the case during his Ph.D. research about teen boys and why they will often restrict their emotions.

Like1 Dislike0

A New Texas Start-up Wants to Save Us From Mansplaining Contractors

Article here. Excerpt:

'Say you have a project that needs completing, like fixing a leaky faucet, or retiling your bathroom. Matriarchy Build allows you to consult with a trustworthy expert in the field, for a fee ranging from $25 for a 10-minute consultation to $150 for a 55-minute talk. (Some consultants charge more than others.) As Soslow points out, the consultant “has no skin in the game.” They won’t be trying to upsell you, and more often than not aren’t in your city, so they aren’t pitching their services for the job. (Ainslie, who lives in Austin, is spearheading a local subscription service for in-person work, which rolled out in July.) The consultants are there to answer your questions, and tell you what questions to ask, or who else to ask. They can also give advice on how to educate yourself if you’re trying to go the DIY route.

Like0 Dislike0

Spain’s Football President Finally Resigns Following Kiss Scandal

Article here. Excerpt:

'Football Federation is stepping down after weeks of pressure following his allegedly unwanted kiss with Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso, he revealed Sunday to Piers Morgan.

Luis Rubiales was suspended after kissing the soccer player on the lips following Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup.

Initially refusing to resign, Rubiales referred to his critics as “false feminists,” before ultimately ceding to them, announcing his resignation in an exclusive interview with Piers Morgan.

“About my resignation, yes, I’m going to do,” Rubiales told Piers Morgan “You’re going to resign?” Morgan asked. “Yes, because I cannot continue my work,” Rubalies said.

Rubiales cited his daughters, his father and conversations with friends as the reasons for his change of heart. “They say to me, ‘Luis, now you have to focus on your dignity and continue your life, because if not, probably you are going to damage people you love'” he told Morgan.'

Like0 Dislike0

NZ Rugby review reveals misogyny and 'torturous' process to reach gender quota

Article here. Excerpt:

'The process to get more women on the New Zealand Rugby board has been described as “tortuous” in a damning review. Its findings also reinforced how women faced “chauvinism, misogyny and racism” in the sport, a leading women’s rugby advocate says.

The review into NZ Rugby’s governance processes and structures – led by chair David Pilkington, Anne Urlwin, Whaimutu Dewes and former All Blacks captain Graham Mourie – also highlighted how some in rugby thought gender equity would be an “impediment”, that appointments of women to the board was down to “political correctness”, and qualified women were not willing to put themselves through a “barbaric” process to sit on the board. There was also a “strong resistance” to change.

Women in Rugby Aotearoa board chair Traci Houpapa said the review states “very clearly that women have been subjected to chauvinism, misogyny and racism”.

Like0 Dislike0

Difficult conversations regarding hockey's 'toxic masculinity' continue at summit

Article here. Excerpt:

'The conference’s main focus was toxic masculinity and how it leads to other forms of discrimination in hockey, including racism, sexism, and homophobia. Fowler also presented findings about how young minor hockey players are when they first learn to adopt the locker room “code of silence” and how Canada’s pioneer and colonialist history have shaped the sport.

Hockey Canada board chair Hugh Fraser, former NHLer Sheldon Kennedy (now an advocate for safe sport), NHLPA agent Bayne Pettinger, Vancouver Canucks assistant general manager Emilie Castonguay and others shared their experiences with hockey culture and toxic masculinity.

Federal sports minister Carla Qualtrough spoke as well. Most levels of the sport, including the NHL, PWHL, IIHF, and CHL were represented at the two-day event, along with all 13 provincial and territorial governing bodies.'

Like0 Dislike0

The Misogyny Myth

Article here. Excerpt:

'"Toxic masculinity” and “testosterone poisoning” are widely blamed for many problems, but you don’t hear much about “toxic femininity” or “estrogen poisoning.” Who criticizes “femsplaining” or pretends to “believe all men”? If the patriarchy really did rule our society, the stock father character in television sitcoms would not be a “doofus dad” like Homer Simpson, and commercials wouldn’t keep showing wives outsmarting their husbands. (When’s the last time you saw a TV husband get something right?) Smug misandry has been box-office gold for Barbie, which delights in writing off men as hapless romantic partners, leering jerks, violent buffoons, and dimwitted tyrants who ought to let women run the world.

Like1 Dislike0

The Commodification of Hating Men

Article here. Excerpt:

'“I think it's healthy for women to bitch about men and complain about the way they're treated,” says journalist Marie Le Conte, author of Escape: How a Generation Shaped, Destroyed and Survived the Internet. “But not only have brands ruined the internet, they are the internet. They encroach on all our conversations, identities and personalities. They just want to make money and the problem is social media has offered them such an efficient way of targeting us, what we’re talking about and what we feel strongly about.”

“Female rage has earnt a cultural capital that’s lucrative for brands,” continues Cole. “Women are more likely to spend their disposable income than men, and are also earning more money as workplace inequality evens out. This means women’s trust is super valuable to brands.”

Like0 Dislike0

Piers Morgan: 'If there is a Minister for Women, why is there no Minister for Men?'

Article here. Excerpt:

'This week the Labour Party reshuffled its top tier and unveiled a shadow minister for women’s health and women’s mental health.

But what about men? Are there no issues with men’s health and mental health? Tory MP Nick Fletcher is making waves today by campaigning for a Minister for Men.

The feminist blowback has been as swift as it is predictable. One commentator quipped that “as long as rooms of men are writing policy…every minister is already a minister for men.”

This research group said there’s simply no problem for men because men are rich CEOs who run the male-domimated world.

But the facts say otherwise. Nearly three quarters of adults who go missing are men. 87 per cent of rough sleepers in the UK are men.

Like0 Dislike0

UK: A Tory MP wants a minister for men. How about one for white people, heterosexuals and the upper classes?

Article here. Excerpt:

'The first thing to say about the idea of appointing a minister for men, as suggested last week by Tory MP Nick Fletcher and taken rather seriously by many, is that it is insulting.

Some people seem to have missed this, perhaps because sexism is less taboo than some other types of discrimination. So let’s make it clearer. Imagine appointing a minister for any other dominant group – a minister for white people, say, or heterosexuals, or the able-bodied.

Like0 Dislike0

Hockey Canada summit to tackle toxic masculinity as a root problem in sport’s culture

Article here. Excerpt:

'Sheldon Kennedy feels the weight of what will be discussed at Hockey Canada’s summit in Calgary.

The two-day “Beyond The Boards Summit” on Friday and Saturday is designed to tackle one root cause identified at the heart of racism, sexism, homophobia, discrimination and exclusion in hockey.

How masculinity is defined in hockey – glorifying toughness and violence, the “bro culture”, the “code of the locker room” – and how elite men’s hockey dominates the sport’s culture in Canada are on the agenda.

The agenda was developed based on research by Teresa Fowler, an assistant professor at Concordia University in Edmonton, who has written hockey works well for white heterosexual males and not as well for others.

“To get to the root, we have to start peeling off all of those layers,” Fowler told CP. “What spills out from hypermasculinity are those things racism, homophobia.'

Like0 Dislike0

Jenni Hermoso files criminal complaint against Luis Rubiales over kiss

Article here. Excerpt:

'The Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso has filed a criminal complaint accusing Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish football federation, of sexual assault over the unsolicited kiss he gave her after the Women’s World Cup final, the Spanish prosecutor’s office has said.

The complaint comes after prosecutors at the country’s top criminal court said they were investigating the incident – in which Rubiales grabbed Hermoso by the head, pulled her towards him and planted a kiss on her lips – amid concerns that there may be grounds for sexual assault charges. As part of the investigation, Hermoso was invited to file a formal complaint.

The prosecutor’s office said that Hermoso’s testimony, given one day earlier, would be processed “as soon as possible”. Under a recently passed sexual consent law, Rubiales could face a fine or between one and four years in prison if found guilty of sexual assault, it added.'

Like0 Dislike0

Marco Rubio Releases 40-Page Report On The Crisis Of Working, Non-Working Men

Article here. Excerpt:

'Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio will release a 40-page report Tuesday regarding male labor participation that details the problems men face in their role as providers and shares evidence that working-aged men are having trouble finding quality jobs and are dropping out of the labor force at high rates.

The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the report, which is titled “The State of the Working (And Non-Working) Man.” One section of the report, headlined “Behind the Decline,” explores various explanations for men’s problems in the workforce and includes sub-sections on “Deindustrialization and the Rise of the Service Economy,” “College for All,” “Mass Immigration,” “The Welfare and Disability Trap” and “The Cultural and Technological Revolution.”

The report also features a section titled “What to Do,” in which Rubio lays out how to get men back to work as well as how to equip young men to lead.'

Like0 Dislike0

Spain women’s soccer coach fired amid unwanted World Cup kiss fallout

Article here. Near as I can tell they simply want to replace this man with a woman. That's all it looks like. Excerpt:

'Jorge Vilda has been sacked from his role as head coach of the Spanish women’s soccer team amid the ongoing fallout over the unwanted kiss that soccer chief Luis Rubiales gave a player at the Women’s World Cup final.

The move comes as part of a major shake-up in Spanish soccer ever since Rubiales, the president of the country’s soccer federation (RFEF), forcibly kissed forward Jennifer Hermoso on August 20.

Rubiales has apologized for his actions and described the kiss as “mutual” – a claim Hermoso denied, saying she was not respected. He has been handed a 90-day suspension by FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, while disciplinary proceedings are underway.

Like0 Dislike0

Pages

Subscribe to Mensactivism.org RSS