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With the rise of feminism and the erosion of the old values and norms of western society post 60's the idea of what the "ideal man" should be has shifted from John Wayne to Justin Bieber,What does this mean, in your opinion for the average guy these days, and how should a millennium child male strive to be?
| Nothing, just be human, the idea is archaic | 40 | |
| The old rules still apply (Physical, emotional strength,ect) | 18 | |
| Other)Describe below) | 11 |
Ehh. The very idea of gender values is repressive. Male children should strive to be the best possible people they can. All men are real men.
It means you must walk upright with your head held high and your penis slung over your shoulder.
You must be swift as a coursing river
With all the force of a great typhoon
With all the strength of a raging fire
Mysterious as the dark side of the moon
We'll this is really an interesting question. I think it's a matter of preference. Once you disengage from popular stereotypes about feminism, you can consider the notion that real feminism does involve choices, including the choice to be attracted to traditional gender roles. I myself am loud and opinionated, but when it comes to being in a relationship. I very much enjoy being the woman- so, I myself am attracted to everything manly. Yes, this includes all stereotypes of what it means to be a man- I find it all completely sexy, but that's just my personal opinion.
It's subjective and unique for each person for me personally? Responsibilty and indipendance I would say a realistic view/understanding of the world be it financially, emotionally or systematic but again that's subjective.
One thing thing I read surprisingly often is that in order to truly be a man you can't be a virgin which I think is old fashioned and macho.
True sex is a big part of life, a massive part in fact but personally I think someone who lives at home and makes no effort to find a job and just slobs around with a sense of entitlement is less of a man than a virgin who works, has a plan and tries to better himself.
What?.. i'm not being defencive.....
Feminism has mostly succeeded in emasculating men in the US. It has destroyed the male role of breadwinner and protector of the family and in choosing to have a career other than homemaker, it has destroyed the family as a unit. With the destruction of the family unit, and the advent of latch key children, many without strong role models, parents at home and loving guidance, become morally bankrupt, directionless victims of gangs, drugs and peer pressure seeking what should have been available at home.
Though the idea and principle of gender equality and choice for all is a good one, in practice, it may well be the end of a peaceful, productive society and the middle class. Of course, much of the same could be said for unrestricted immigration, the Republican Party in general and the Tea Party in particular!
Have a penis? Congrats, you're a real man.
That said, the only people I really see trying to dictate what a "real man is" are these annoying as hell teenage girl pages that sometimes get shared by some people I know that thinks "Being a real man" is when a man does something that benefits a woman. God, they make me cringe.
Other than that, I suppose I could add the few male feminists that use the whole "A real man supports feminism", and to that I just cringe equally.
"That said, the only people I really see trying to dictate what a "real man is" are these annoying as hell teenage girl pages "
I have to call bullshit on that.
Have you never seen parents raise sons to be "manly", treating them differently than daughters?
Never seen a men's magazine?
Seen any advertisements for men's products/services?
Peer pressure? Pressure from society in general to fit a "manly" ideal?
Bullying of less "masculine" men/boys?
The struggles of homosexual men?
Our culture has been feminized and structured around the inclusion, and now, over all benefit of women. Which is why so many young males today are lost and asking themselves, "what does it mean to be a man?"
Society has, for the lack of ability to sound less resentful, stripped boys away from their "right of passage" so to speak. girls are have their womanhood handed to them biologically. Once they have their period they are considered a woman or a young woman and are treated as such. What does a boy have to do? Well in today's world, he doesn't know. In a time before mine, a boy became a man by providing; Going out and hunting for resources and contributing to the community by providing food and creating shelter. In other words he worked. In Native American tribes, a boys first hunt was his right of passage. He would return with food for the tribe and be deemed a man. Boys today do not have a right of passage. They don't have people and a society telling him that he has earned a place among us. And so the boy is lost and joins a gang, commits crimes, rapes women, becomes abusive and delirious. He becomes a danger to the society that denied him.
In today's world, there are very few men. maybe 1 out of every 10 from what I can see. And it's heartbreaking really. I'm not resentful or hateful. But the reality is that this is a product of a feminized society. (not to be confused with a society that has equal rights for women)
This site, and particularly these articles might interest you (and the OP!)
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/05/30/the-dead-end-roads-to-manhood/
This is the following article-
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/06/09/semper-virilis-a-roadmap-to-manhood-in-the-21st-century/
The first two things that popped into my mind were:
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111014231319/parksandrecreation/images/3/3a/Swanson_Pyramid_of_Greatness.jpg (The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness)
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSS5dEeMX64 (Mulan)
On a more serious note, males still do have some similar expectations that they did in previous decades. Though it's more lax now, males are generally expected to be strong, capable, and do not cry.
I don't know anyone who considers Justin Bieber to be the "ideal man" except for maybe a few 8-year-old girls.