Toxic Masculinity 

Since a young age, men are told to act a specific way in our society. They are supposed to appear overly masculine and strong, and to not present any type of emotion. These expectations cause a great deal of harm. As men continue to uphold these standards, they unleash violence. 

The documentary, "Tough Guise 2" does an amazing job in bringing to light the problems
surrounding toxic masculinity. In our society, men are constantly told to hide their emotions and act tough, and that acting "feminine" or "soft" is a bad thing. From a very young age, these values are instilled into men. For example, the documentary explains that the biceps of G.I. Joe dolls have greatly increased, along with the size of superheroes. Along with that, advertisements, video games, sports, etc, show off the overly masculine stereotype and display an overabundance of violence. As men absorb all of this in, it becomes a breeding ground for violence, where men completely act out. This is a grave issue in our society and we need to come together to find a solution. 

The article, “The Boys Are Not All Right” by Michael Ian Black, also does an excellent job in bringing up the concerns that surround men these days. This article explains the difference between how men and women are allowed to act in society. Women are allowed to openly express their emotions, and for decades now there have been a wave of movements telling women that they are able to be and do anything. Men do not have this, in fact they have the opposite, as Black explains that “They [boys] are trapped, and they don’t even have the language that exists to discuss the full range of human emotion…”. Once again, since there is no outlet for men, they act out (whether that be on a grand scale like a shooting, or abuse towards women). Black encourages men to have the same conversations and movements that women have had, in order to combat this issue. Men need to learn that it’s okay to express their emotions, besides anger, and when they realize this, perhaps violence in our society will decrease.

       The article “Not Your Father’s Masculinity” has a little bit of a different take surrounding
toxic masculinity. Matt Labash critiques a recent GQ magazine issue that showcases nontraditional men. Labash believes that this issue doesn’t fully represent men, and believes that this makes traditional men an afterthought. I found this article to be a confusing read, where Labash is found contradicting himself many times. He seems to be for allowing men to evolve from the toxic stereotypes, but he often contradicts this when he judges the men that are featured in the GQ magazine. 

The movie and articles all talk about the effects of toxic masculinity. They also further dive into what is expected of men, and how that has caused men to be overly violent, aggressive, and dominant. There needs to be more conversation pertaining to this issue, in order for there to be some sort of change.