Masculinity // Current

3 Weeks on T, Changes, and a little life update

Witness my transformation from female to male

JaceTurnerFilm
added this

Not Just Another Pretty Face: The Subtle Essence of Feline Masculinity

Yes indeed, this young fellow is not just another pretty face. Some might describe him as androgynously beautiful, but he's... more

disembedded
added this

Depressed, repressed, objectified: are men the new women?

Modern men are less fertile, more weight-obsessed and 'non-essential to parenting', so no wonder they are confused about modern masculinity, the Observer reports.

In June, men discovered that their libidos are in freefall, prompting a 40 per cent increase in males seeking counselling for impotence problems. Their existential angst worsened in July, when British men discovered that they have the most unequal paternity rights in Europe.
According to Nicola Brewer, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, fathers in the UK are seen as 'not essential for parenting'. The same month saw the publication of a medical study that proved the quality of men's sperm declines to such an extent after they hit 45 that the chances of a partner's miscarriage are doubled.

It's not only their internal biology; men are also succumbing to the traditionally female preoccupation of looking good on the outside, too. Sales of male beauty products have leapt 30 per cent over the past decade. Almost 20 per cent more men are having plastic surgery than ever before while, last year, researchers from Harvard discovered that a quarter of anorexia and bulimia sufferers is male. During the fashion shows, male models had their own equivalent of the size-zero debate.

Every week, it seems as if there are new surveys and studies tripping over themselves to paint the grimmest possible picture of modern masculinity. They tell us that men are more neurotic and less fulfilled than ever before; that they are objectified rather than revered; that they are expected to be more in touch with their emotions and yet are criticised for it.

Men appear to be confused about what they are and unsure about who they are meant to be. So with more of them feeling disenfranchised, disillusioned and disempowered, is it feasible to think of men as the new oppressed minority? Might men, in fact, be the new women? And, if so, who is to blame for making them feel marginalised?

Read on at the link to find out...

The question is, are men really in such a mess? Men, are you confused about what you are and who you're supposed to be? Do you feel under pressure to look and act in new and confusing ways? Has the world changed drmatically for you? And women, are the men in your life facing these dilemmas? If so, where do they come from, and what can we do about them?

Modern men are less fertile, more weight-obsessed and 'non-essential to parenting', so no wonder they are confused about... more

LindseyIndigo
added this

72 responses

4 months ago

When Men Were Men

"Stop-Loss" director Kimberly Perice explains what she was looking for when casting the four lead actors, as well as... more

chapinyoung
added this

1 response

5 months ago

The Art of Manliness

Tired of being a metrosexual man? This site will teach you all about manliness including a free guide to chivalry in a... more

Emily_RS
added this

0 responses

6 months ago

Hidden gay life of macho hip hop stars

"A former MTV executive reveals a homosexual subculture in an aggressively male business.

American rap music is an industry ruled by machismo. It is a place where reputations are made by shady pasts, the aura of violence and ultra-masculinity. But now an explosive new book is lifting the lid on one of hip hop's most unexpected secrets: that many people in the business are gay.

Perhaps not surprisingly, many in the industry are nervous about the book's publication this week, fearing that it will expose some of the top black names in music and Hollywood as secretly gay. But Dean said that his memoir was not intended as a way of outing famous people. 'I was never tempted to name any names. The book is not about outing people. I wrote it so that people realise the industry has a gay subculture and we are part of this music,' he said.

That gay hip hop subculture certainly seems to be thriving. Dean's book describes a world where many industry executives and some artists are leading secret gay lives, which are often obvious to everyone but rarely talked about. And, despite using some false names, the book contains enough information so that it will undoubtedly spark off a frenzy of speculation as to who some of the characters are in real life.

For example, Dean describes 'Lola', a singer who is a lesbian and had to keep her sexuality secret. And 'Gus', a male rap artist who appeared on television in typical 'gangsta' style yet hid a secret gay life. Then there are the other hints of big-name celebrities close to the hip hop business who are also gay. They include 'Lucas', a married A-list movie star, and 'Kareem', a leading sitcom actor.

Dean hopes that by bringing out his book he will allow a leading hip hop figure to come out as gay and thus pave the way for the notoriously homophobic industry to come to terms with its secret side. 'Within the next year I believe a major artist will come out. They are going to have to be brave but I think they can do it,' he said".

Paul Harris in New York
Sunday May 11, 2008
The Observer"A former MTV executive reveals a homosexual subculture in an aggressively male business. American rap music is an... more