Buried Headlines – News Stories You Have To Dig For

The term Toxic Masculinity has rose to fame as a label for those that don’t accept the societal agenda of the far left. Is there really such a thing?

Toxic masculinity is the new buzzword for many, especially those on the far left that feel as though “manly men” that don’t bow down to the left’s expectations of their societal agenda, are a threat. In order to actually change some of the behaviors that aren’t helpful, perhaps we should stop using the toxic masculinity label. Misogyny, the hatred or contempt of women, is obviously not an appropriate trait but should be used separately. All men with “toxic masculinity” are not misogynists and should not be viewed as such. What are the other parts that make up the toxic label?

The following are some traits of toxic masculinity as listed by WebMD and each will be followed by our opinion:

Homophobia. Toxic masculinity teaches men that homosexuality is a deviation from traditional masculinity and that gay men are less masculine.

Well, that’s because they typically ARE less masculine and a deviation from traditional masculinity. Should it be held against them for being that way? Of course not. Do some people hold it against them? Yes, but the last time I checked, we were able to decide on our own who we hung out with and had as friends. Harassment is not okay but pushing back on openly gay recruiting of children is NOT toxic masculinity. It’s called protecting your children and the vast majority prefer you keep your bedroom life to yourself, be it heterosexual of otherwise.

Need for control. Toxic masculinity encourages men to assert their power and dominance. We see this often in domestic relationships. The 2017 report “The Man Box” found that 34% of men in the U.S. believed they should always have the final say in their relationship, and 46% believed that men deserved to know where their girlfriend or wife is at all times.

The need for control is indeed a masculine trait but is it toxic? Yes, there are those that are way out of line but perhaps women should be taught the warning signs so they can avoid those relationships. There are actually women out there that seek this type of relationship as well. As far as knowing where the girlfriend or wife is at all times, wonder how many are like that because they have been cheated on, or, more likely, are cheaters and that’s why they want to know. Overall, removing the trait of power and dominance is not a win for either side. You don’t want a police officer or military member worrying more about their broken nail than protecting you. You want a military that will obliterate the enemy to keep them away from you and your children and let you sleep safely in your bed at night.

Promiscuity. Toxic masculinity praises men for having multiple sexual partners while expressing disgust at women who do the same. 

The old double standard. This stems from the days when men procreated as much as possible to increase the population. It is now an antiquated thought process and this might actually be a true toxic trait.

Refusing to help with household duties. Toxic masculinity rejects roles traditionally considered “women’s work.” Toxically masculine men often refuse to participate in these household duties. “The Man Box” found that 22% of U.S. men believed they shouldn’t have to do household chores, 44% believed they should be the sole income earners, and 28% believed that boys shouldn’t be taught things like cooking, cleaning, and child care.

Perhaps this is not so much toxic behavior as it is ingrained behavior from a time when this was how we all lived. The men took care of the farm and the women took care of cooking, cleaning and childcare. Teaching what these beliefs are based on and why they do not hold true in most cases today could help in this situation. The men should also realize that in an emergency situation, they might not have a female around so they should learn cooking, cleaning, sewing and child care. Traditional beliefs that can be changed by education shouldn’t be labeled as toxic but as uninformed.

Risk-taking. Taking risks and suppressing fear is another feature of toxic masculinity. As a result, men are more likely to abuse drugs, drive dangerously, gamble, and engage in violence.

Men do take risks and suppress fear. It is not toxic, it is survival. Aren’t you glad that once again, our military and law enforcement take risks and suppress fear? What about firefighters, EMS workers or the random stranger that stops an attack on someone by a thug? Should we encourage them to be fearful and be afraid to take any risks in life so they aren’t labeled as toxic?

Sexual aggression toward women. Men who have been influenced by toxic masculinity are more likely to believe they’re entitled to women’s bodies, leading to sexual comments and harassment toward women and a higher likelihood of believing rape myths.

No, men that have not been educated that we don’t live in caves anymore might exhibit this behavior as well as those that constantly view pornographic material that is condoned by the very ones that declare these men toxic. Collectively, the pornography industry, including Internet sites, generate $14.5 BILLION dollars annually which is more than the ad revenue of all three major networks combined. Anyone that has ever seen any pornographic material or had it described to them knows that there are no plots and that women are nothing but objects and are typically treated as such. If this is how you receive your information, of course you are going to act like a Neanderthal. Now go ask the ones labeling people as toxic to actually do something about the porn industry and prepare to hear crickets.

Stoicism. A cornerstone idea of toxic masculinity is that showing emotion is weak and feminine. Men are expected to be mentally and physically tough without breaking. Statistics and studies show that men are less likely to pursue mental health services like therapy despite being 1.8 times more likely than women to commit suicide.

There are times to show emotion and times not to. In the middle of a battle, crying over a body of your fallen comrade does not instill fear into your enemy, it energizes them. Breaking down on a fire or medical scene instead of doing your job is not helping anyone. There are breakthroughs in these areas now that there is more research on PTSD but the fact remains, males or females in these roles typically do not pursue mental health services and put on a “tough face” to the public because those of us that have been there and done that know, once the dam breaks, there’s no putting it back together. When you see the worst humanity has to offer, you have to protect your mind and your heart in order to survive. This is not toxic, it’s survival.

Violence. Toxic masculinity encourages men to use aggression and violence to assert their dominance and masculinity. “The Man Box” report found that 23% of U.S. men believed that, if needed, men should use violence to get respect.

I blame this squarely on the opposite of so called toxic masculinity. This is some gang bullcrap, spewed forth by “men” that were raised with no positive male influence in their lives. Until the government declared war on the black family and now all family units, real men taught their kids to not fight unless they had to. Don’t swing first was told to many young men years ago. It’s the emotional train wrecks of today’s youth with no male guidance that sprouted out of the 90’s and early 2000’s that demand respect for simply existing. The same toxic labelers are the ones that created that mess. The number one “cause” of toxic masculinity? A dysfunctional family. DUH!

Are there actions that should be modified by many males? Of course but it’s not a blanket approach and feminizing the male is nothing but a ploy to weaken the country’s men so they won’t fight back if something such as an invasion occurs. It is intentional and it is a psychological warfare weapon that is being used on a daily basis to get men to quite being men and to become passive. “Toxic masculinity” is what allows you to go to sleep at night, safe in your bed. “Toxic masculinity” is what won World War I and II. “Toxic masculinity” is simply a part of the agenda.