The far left mocked, belittled and parodied masculinity in Hollywood productions (from Archie Bunker to Al Bundy to Charlie Sheen’s character Charlie Harper in “Two and a Half Men”) into a thin cultural stereotype. Once this was achieved, they began to blame masculinity (which they dismiss as ‘toxic masculinity’) for everything they have done to men, and/or especially boys.
The left then cleverly incorporated this into a political and marketing plan: they defined the enemy as the knuckleheaded Neanderthals on the right, and presented themselves as the ones who could solve the now established crisis with boys.
This is a smart political plan, as manly men don’t tend to vote for Democrats – those men are too self-reliant for the left-wing government’s empowering, cradle-to-grave justice programs – and so weakening men, via attacks on strong, caring, protective, and chivalrous manhood, is smart politics for a left-wing political activist.
There is also a social issue angle that casts the left as providers of maternal care – this could impress unmarried women and single mothers who are more likely to vote for Democrats.
I have been a pastor for 40 years. YOUNG MEN HAVE A HARD TIME AND I THINK I KNOW WHY
Leftists declare that traditional masculinity is toxic. Boys still need heroes. (Frank Miniter’s new book, “Cool Heroes for Boys.”) (iStock)
While it’s an uncomfortable fact for the far left that the so-called “manosphere,” a term that encompasses many new voices—some beneficial to young men and some not—is clearly a countermovement to the left’s attacks on masculinity, they can talk this away by claiming that toxic masculinity is to blame for everything that negatively impacts young men.
The left can even pretend to be virtuous when they topple statues of America’s Founding Fathers and all but erase boys’ heroes from textbooks—a tragedy I’m countering with my upcoming book. “Cool heroes for boys” – because they frame this as an attempt to protect young, impressionable men from historically imperfect men (as if any of us are perfect).
Now that this is all out of the way, some on the left may even use this as a marketing opportunity.
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A current example is the documentary “The Mask You Live In” (2015) by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom. This is a propaganda film about “toxic masculinity” that claims that the phrase “be a man” is one of the “most destructive phrases in this society” and claims that masculinity is simply a social construct (that doesn’t involve any biology). This film, along with curricula and educational materials, has been marketed to schools, universities and other institutions, many in California, that have funded Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s nonprofit organization.
Now enter left-wing Elmer Fudd and former candidate for Vice President of the United States, Democratic Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz, who recently said on a podcast with Governor Newsom, “I think I’m scaring them a little bit. [on masculinity].…My identity is not hunting. My identity is not football coaching. My identity is not, you know, a beard and a truck.”
Actually, these are all stereotypes perpetuated by the left. Masculinity is also not a man with bulging biceps; After all, any reasonable person would say that if, for example, there is a car accident and a skinny guy saves a life while a muscular jock freaks out and is therefore no good to anyone, the unimpressive looking guy is male and the jock is not.
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It is clear that being masculine is a matter of character and not of muscle strength. It’s about competence, not uselessness. It’s about actual compassion for others, not feigned virtue signaling. It’s about selflessly wanting and being able to be a hero, even if no one answers it on their phone. In short, being a real hero is about deeper things. It’s not misogynistic, and never has been.
The left then cleverly incorporated this into a political and marketing plan: they defined the enemy as the knuckleheaded Neanderthals on the right, and presented themselves as the ones who could solve the now-established crisis with boys.
An interesting side note is that our teens feel the lack of depth in the left’s attacks on actual masculinity; For example, a recent “Teens & Screens” study from UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storyteller found that teens want to see more good dads in television shows and movies.
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The results of the study are interesting, but clear to any good father.
These UCLA researchers concluded: “Gen Alpha and Gen Z are signaling a profound cultural shift. They are not asking for the absence of strength, they are asking for a broader definition of it, one that includes the courage to care, the wisdom to ask for help, and the joy found in home life.”
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Exactly, being a good person is complicated, but he is not toxic. He is the opposite of poisonous. He is a role model who, while certainly not perfect, still heroically tries to be the best he can be for and for the rest of us.
