Telling men to be ashamed of masculinity is what's really toxic

Article here. Jump the paywall by Googling the title of this story. The article is on the independent.ie site. Excerpt:

'Music, along with so much else of popular culture, has become feminised. For good or bad? That's a matter for the individual ear and eye, because popular music has always been as much about the visual impact as the notes.

What's fascinating is the speed with which Bono was shot down for, so the accusation went, promoting male privilege.

Rather than listening to what he had to say, then mulling it over, the attackers burst in, all guns blazing.
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Saying that "young male anger" struggles to find an outlet in modern music is not the same as saying that female anger either does not exist or does not matter.
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But there was still something disturbing about the speed with which Bono was shot down. This is why it's hard for men to talk about the things which matter to them. As soon as they do, they're accused of heartlessly elevating their own fetishes above women. Of luxuriating in patriarchal privilege.

It's rare now to see the word "masculinity" written down without it being preceded by that loaded qualifier "toxic".
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A recent New York Times op-ed piece even declared, in response to the slew of allegations around Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, that "male mechanisms of desire are inherently brutal".

In other words, male sexuality is problematic because it exists at all. The article quoted the words of US feminist Andrea Dworkin that "men will have to give up their precious erections" in order to achieve equality between the sexes. Dworkin was once considered a fringe voice; an extremist even. That her advocacy of what amounts to castration, whether symbolic or actual, has now gone mainstream ought to be worrying.
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Telling men that they should zip it because they've got it made, and therefore have nothing to complain about, is what's really toxic. Being apologetic never made for good rock music, and it doesn't make for a good society either.'

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Comments

What the heck is wrong with masculine men..?? Men are supposed to be masculine!
I'm extremely revolted by (non gay) effeminate men! I want a manly man. Not some pink wearing, soy-gobbling, effeminate poof..!
I am a very girly-girl-type of woman. I'll affect the limp wrists, wear the makeup, dresses and carry the purse, if that's quite alright! :/
I love manly men!
NEVER STOP BEING MEN, CHAPS! PLEASE!!

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... you want me to take off the miniskirt and black stockings? But I just got my nails done, a beautiful dark red to contrast with the winter snowiness!

Geez, Erika... you're taking all the fun out of my life. :)

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Oh, no. Not at all, Love! (^_^)
Have at it!

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