Masculinity is masculinity, pure and simple. But what that means varies widely depending on who you ask for a definition. It, like so many other terms, is chocked full of variables. Traditionally, masculinity has been thought of as traits belonging to a man of strong character and with a strong purpose. While other definitions speak of physical characteristics shared by men, it is the character aspect that has come under pressure to change since the surge of feminism began its rise in the 1970s.
Many women found their voices during the early days of the feminist movement. And there were benefits from coupling their voices with activism. But just as anything unbridled can race into unintended territory, over the years feminism instead of accomplishing its purpose has changed its purpose. When you’re on a roll, you’re on a roll.
As the waves of feminism changed, so did their goals and methods. Though all propelled the movement forward, there was collateral damage to what people understood to be masculinity. That is where we are today.
In January of 2019 Gillette released a new ad that, instead of advertising razors actually advertised the sins of toxic masculinity. That influenced and darkened what men are perceived to be. The basic problem with that perception is that it just ain’t so. As with any gender, any time and any where there are those who have toxic personalities and act upon them. But as with femininity, masculinity is often misconstrued to mean something that it isn’t.
Those who conflate toxicity with masculinity or weakness with femininity miss the point. When it is understood that neither of those are inherent traits, then we can move past assigning them as negative connotations to the two genders.
As said at the beginning of this article, masculinity is masculinity, pure and simple. If it’s toxic, it’s not really masculinity.