DUN DUN

In the public education system, masculinity-centered literature is considered especially important. In New York City (and the greater US), the dedicated authors who write these thoughtful articles and documentaries are members of an elite squad known as the Special Writers Unit. These are their stories:

In a self-proclaimed effort to start a conversation about what it means to be a man, Michael Ian Black, in an incomplete fashion, synthesizes feminism, school shootings, and his own understanding of manhood only to inevitably find himself reeling over the complexities of the nature of violent masculinity. Unsubstantiated claims and vague, shapeless aspirations for the future of masculinity signify the rare act of a man publicly pronouncing his ignorance in the face of great uncertainty. Although I respect and admire his ability to admit his ignorance while still holding fast to a belief in his son and most young men as a rule, the article lacks the in-depth analysis that would make The Boys Are Not Alright anything more than an opinion based op-ed. 

Fortunately, some of the New York Times opinion articles know what they mean to say. Matt Labash’s up-close look at the specific way Men’s fashion magazine GQ is attempting to lead societal changes in masculinity does not try to reinvent the wheel, and instead uses quotes from social icons to highlight absurdities in the dialogue about masculinity. Filled with witty and sometimes racy jokes that give unsuspecting readers a chuckle, Not Your Father’s Masculinity, is a lighthearted and whimsical challenge to the direction in which conversation about masculinity is shifting. Although the article avoids discussion about guns and mass shootings, it does effectively use sarcasm and satire to convince readers that the rules of being a man do not need to be drastically redefined. 

Unfortunately, both of the supplementary articles pale in comparison to the captivating documentary Tough Guise 2. Jackson Katz inductively traces the development and evolution of modern era masculinity and then subsequently argues that this unfettering of violent masculine behavior is not new, but a repetition of the patterns of how masculinity has been defined throughout history. Like the creation of all great hypotheses, scientifically proven or otherwise, the documentary begins with simple observations about the statistically disproportionate amount of gun violence, robbery, and assault that is caused by men, and from there, it strings together an almost seamless and unsinkable line of reasoning. The film establishes Jackson Katz’s credibility early on by listing his experience, and it draws from a wide range of primary documents and films to support their claims. The film is so polished that there are but a few smudges that would indicate what you are staring into is not an extension of self-evident reality.

And now I’d like to write my own op-ed because it’s my blog after all. I mean really, you’d think after all the times I’ve plugged a New York Times article in this one post I’d get some compensation. Truthfully, I’m just surprised their website hasn't crashed from all the traffic I’m giving them. Anyway, I’d like to say that these articles and this film (mostly the film) have above all else given me a sense of gratitude for the positive male role models that I have had in my life. So to all the amazing male teachers that I’ve had over the years, thank you for not abusing me. Wow, that was really off-colored. Can I even say that? I don’t want to have to start all over, but… you know no one reads these anyway, so I’m just going to say it’s alright. Yeah, I’m good.

In loving memory of Lee Turner, Matthew Harbinger, and Ivan Rodriguez even though they’re still alive

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