Angle, Reid and The “Man Up” Meme: The Pitfalls Of Gendered Attacks

Article here. Excerpt:

'The American male has lately been undergoing an identity crisis: there’s the clearly self-conscious Men’s Rights movement, a shifting economy in which women are tops, and the optimal male has been brought down to size. And that’s okay. This gender-bending upheaval should be an opportunity to expand the definition of not only a good “man,” but what it means to be a good person.

Apology, responsibility, honesty, these attributes and more are part of what make an exemplary human, that perhaps Utopian character we — I hope — all hope to emulate. Surely playing on a man’s male vanity can work in some situations, like telling a man to take care of his child, but such tactics should be used sparingly, because accountability isn’t about masculinity. It’s about being an adult.

If Reid’s campaign wanted to send a powerful, progressive message, they would have said, “Angle needs to reclaim her humanity,” rather than trying to play on phrase that perpetuates unseemly gendered stereotypes. With “man up” becoming a political go-to, perhaps we can use this opportunity to celebrate traits that aren’t for “men” or “women.” They’re for all of mankind.'