How is Toxic Masculinity Affecting Our Society?

   

     With the emergence of several feminist movements throughout the last decade, the idea of toxic masculinity has been brought to the forefront of many people’s minds, as well as introduced to their daily vernacular. Although the existence of toxic masculinity is heavily debated amongst different groups, few works are able to cover and analyze the effects of masculinity on our society, however Tough Guise 2, “Not Your Father’s Masculinity”, and “The Boys Are Not Alright” do a fantastic job of covering this sensitive subject.

    Tough Guise 2, created, written, and narrated by Jackson Katz, an American educator and filmmaker, delves into and provides an effective analysis of toxic masculinity in modern society. Even though this movie was produced in 2013, the arguments Katz makes are arguably more applicable today after the growth of feminist movements such as the #MeToo movement in 2017. Tough Guise 2 seems to be about toxic masculinity at the surface, but Katz also provides an effective analysis on how our society became so violent. He examines how society’s idea of masculinity has made men turn to violence to retake their masculinity, and how this has caused an inherently violent society. He points out that we even turn to violence for entertainment amongst other things. Overall, Tough Guise 2 defines and analyzes the effects of violent masculinity as a whole in a meaningful and insightful way.

“Not Your Father’s Masculinity” by Matt Labash and “The Boys Are Not Alright” by Michael Ian Black both provide insightful analyses on the idea of masculinity and society in a clear and concise way, while also providing new points of view on the subject for many. In “Not Your Father’s Masculinity”, Matt Labash, an American author and journalist, discusses how masculinity has evolved at such a fast rate that it almost has a negative connotation associated with it. He argues that men can’t turn to masculinity anymore because it’s seen as inherently violent and appalling. He provides many people, specifically women, with a new perspective on this debate by offering the fact that many men feel confused about how to adhere to societal norms surrounding masculinity when its definition is changing so rapidly. Labash does a great job of analyzing this problem, particularly how it has affected men’s mindsets. “The Boys Are Not Alright” by comedian, actor, and writer, Michael Ian Black further discusses the portrayal of masculinity in the modern day. He argues that a small percentage of men that perpetuate the ideals of toxic and violent masculinity seem to “speak” on behalf of all of other men. He claims that this small percentage of men lead society to view masculinity as violent and defective. His analysis differs from Tough Guise 2 and “Not Your Father’s Masculinity” as he focuses on the reason that masculinity is viewed the way it is, instead of its effects on society and men. All in all, Black’s analysis plays off of Katz’s and Labash’s analyses in an unintentional, but effective way. 

The idea of masculinity and what it means to be a man has been debated numerous times throughout the past decade, and despite the different conclusions found, masculinity doesn’t have to be something inherently bad. Instead, when men turn towards violence and toxic attributes, it seems as if toxic masculinity seems to become a problem and causes issues within society. Although the solutions to this problem have also been debated, one thing is clear: the idea of masculinity is changing, and hopefully for the better.

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