Do you think there's a masculinity crisis in America?

I think the view of masculinity has changed considerably in society. IN GENERAL, people use to think hairy chest, loose jeans, boots, and a guy sweating while he was doing work was sexy. What's sexy now? Justin Beiber, waxed chests, emo hair. Keep in mind I'm just pointing out generalities, I understand specific people have different tastes.

So no, I don't think there is a lack of masculinity, I just think what's acceptable or how it's viewed has changed.

On a side note, it has also completely changed for femininity too. Just look at body images of women over the past 20/25 years. The waxed chest emo hair guy just wants a duck lippped make-up coated stick of a woman.

You know what? That is a very fair statement. I agree but still dont understand it but it is what it is.

I think what it comes down to is that old school guys and new school guys need to just see that we are different from each other and respect each other for being different. Also people need to quit fighting and calling people names over things they do themselves. People are not perfect. Some people speak their minds and others dont. Some like to be PC and others dont. Some like to dress certain ways and wether we understand it or not, we need to respect that even if we dont get it. Stereotyping lifters for being big arrogant jerks, stereotyping women for their clothes thinking they are sluts, saying eeeeew to short men and fat men, and people stereotyping hipsters for looking like women is the same thing.

I can cosign this- however, you WERE judging 'hipsters' earlier, right??

Of course. I see less and less men wanting to take care of their children and family. Some men would rather play in the street than grow up and take responbility for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. So yes, masculinity is in a crisis in America.

Go read some books or studies, actually its the opposite, men are becoming more and more the sole caregiver and taking charge of the children so the women can live their social life. Also many women hand over their children over to their parents. Their are many studies and stats on this. I know most of my single guy friends with children are the sole provider, the mothers are not in the picture. Get your facts straight. Women have changed just like men have over the years. Wether we like it or not, people have changed.

Umm, no. Sure- there may be SOME POS mothers out there- lord knows i've come across a few. But there are also many of us SINGLE mothers who are the ONLY provider for our children. My son has been taken care of since day one by ME- His dad has only met him once (my son is 2 and a half) - he's out there knocking up numerous women (cheated on me and got other girls pregnant) and then ditching them and his children....but that can't be said for all men. SOME MEN do take care of their families- but a LOT do not.

Correct me if I'm wrong but what I gathered from your reply was that there are poor parents from both sexes and that there are good parents from both sexes.

Right, what part confused you?

SOME MEN do take care of their families- but a LOT do not.

I think the view of masculinity has changed considerably in society. IN GENERAL, people use to think hairy chest, loose jeans, boots, and a guy sweating while he was doing work was sexy. What's sexy now? Justin Beiber, waxed chests, emo hair. Keep in mind I'm just pointing out generalities, I understand specific people have different tastes.

So no, I don't think there is a lack of masculinity, I just think what's acceptable or how it's viewed has changed.

On a side note, it has also completely changed for femininity too. Just look at body images of women over the past 20/25 years. The waxed chest emo hair guy just wants a duck lippped make-up coated stick of a woman.

You know what? That is a very fair statement. I agree but still dont understand it but it is what it is.

Thanks. I don't understand it either, but it is what it is. All I can tell you is no wax will touch this chest.

Nice edit. Worried you were going to get modded?

Yes.

It has nothing to do with what's trendy. What I have seen on this thread is a lot of very vain men trying to make out that the fact that they have a penis magically makes them superior to women, and that is deeply offensive, and more than a bit dumb. We are all humans, we are all equal and we all have the right to be whoever the hell we want to be without anyone else telling us what to do.

That is the entire sum of it.

Ahh, here it is. The insecurity and bitterness because of experiences in your life. Where exactly did I ever mention superiority? No, you associate muscles with a few men you've met along the way who were ****s and treated you poorly. There is the crux of it.

And what you just said about being whoever we want to be, was exactly my point. If I want to count calories, lift weights in a controlled environment, etc..so be it. That does not make me feminine. On the contrary, doing what I want and being confident in my pursuits is precisely the defining characteristic of a man (or a woman)

Not in the slightest, I'm afraid. I have been with my husband since we were teenagers. I haven't had a lot to do with other men, besides my friends. In fact the worst men I have encountered are little scrawny short guys with something to prove.

It's the attitudes on this website I am talking about. I have seen more sexism and offensive opinions on here than in 35 years of living in the UK.

Tisk tisk. You just said you scrawny short guys with something to prove,. That is judging and demeaning. Just saying. So does that make you sexist? Some could take that as being judgemental and degrading to short men. Not all short men have something to prove. Just saying.

I didn't say they did.

Guess what? I didnt say jack about women either nor did I say that looking gay was bad either. I was just saying I dont understand it but women ran with it and started name calling. I never said anyone should dominate others either. Yes, I think some men should be more of a man and stand up to people and taking crap. No one, man or woman should put up with crap. Alot of women on here put words in me and some other's mouths and then called us names. Grow up people, you have no right to say we are bashing people based on what they wear and then you bash us for alot of things. Quit being a hypocrite, you know you women have made fun of other women for what they are wearing. I see women make fun of people all the time, whats the difference? You judge other women the same way we do hipsters, get off your high horse and stop it. I need a beer after all this arguing.

Of course. I see less and less men wanting to take care of their children and family. Some men would rather play in the street than grow up and take responbility for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. So yes, masculinity is in a crisis in America.

Go read some books or studies, actually its the opposite, men are becoming more and more the sole caregiver and taking charge of the children so the women can live their social life. Also many women hand over their children over to their parents. Their are many studies and stats on this. I know most of my single guy friends with children are the sole provider, the mothers are not in the picture. Get your facts straight. Women have changed just like men have over the years. Wether we like it or not, people have changed.

Umm, no. Sure- there may be SOME POS mothers out there- lord knows i've come across a few. But there are also many of us SINGLE mothers who are the ONLY provider for our children. My son has been taken care of since day one by ME- His dad has only met him once (my son is 2 and a half) - he's out there knocking up numerous women (cheated on me and got other girls pregnant) and then ditching them and his children....but that can't be said for all men. SOME MEN do take care of their families- but a LOT do not.

Correct me if I'm wrong but what I gathered from your reply was that there are poor parents from both sexes and that there are good parents from both sexes.

Right, what part confused you?

The part where you said

SOME MEN do take care of their families- but a LOT do not.

I would beg to differ. In my experience, I have seen more women manipulate the system. An example would be 2 of my friends who's fine fathers. Their ex's use the system to take every possible penny out of them in the name of child support and what not even though they both take care of their respective child and the kids are rarely with their moms. The moms on the other hand spend most of the time living basically a single life.

Now one can say that my experience is an isolated or a rare one and that would be fine. However, what I would say is that while there are d-bags in both sexes, there ARE many good fathers (and mothers) out there who're doing the right thing. So don't bash on most men when in reality, most men do like to take care of their kids and families.

It can be said that you can see what a man is made of when the *kitten* hits the fan. During a time of action when what they are used to is broken (gf is pregnant, war, alien invasion, zombie apocalypse, Black Friday sale at Wal*Mart) is when you can see the character of a man. Where the guise of what society expects of a man is removed and he must act on his own will. Not the weights he has lifted or the beers he has drunk.

EXACTLY!

Why cant it be all of them including the weights and beer? I love beer. Why is everyone so uptight and sensitive? So is it wrong for men to call anther guy a p**sy for not being able to eat the hottest hot wings in a joking manner? Is picking on your guy friends bad now? Everyone is so scare they are going to hurt someone's feelings. I am not touching the military or the dads out there because they are more of a man than me, it takes a real man to go through those things. I am man, there are many things the defines a man. There is no need to bash people who lift, that is stereotyping people and if im correct, isnt that what most people on this thread mad about? Some my friends are into lifting and they are some of the nicest guys out there, yeah some are jerks and always try send women pics of their p*nis but not all are like that. They just take pride in their body, its no different than the women who are bulking up. As for being sexist, im seeing it going both ways on here. Double standards. Also there are some women on this thread I recognize from other threads making fun of women how they dress too.

His post wasn't saying that men who drink beer or lift weights are any less of a man- just that those aren't what DEFINE a man.

All I know is, I need a beer, this has been one stressful thread. Too bad we all cant go out for beers.

Remember man, these people are just words on a screen. They can be as stressful or as unstressful as you make it out to be. All everyone is doing on here is voicing their opinions, and some do it more passionately than others. Just take 5 and have that beer, hell have one for me too. In the end, we're all entitled to our opinions and in the end, this can be all over by turning off the screen.

cheers :drinker:

Amen brother. Though, you should see the messages I got. lol.

Honestly: Do you think there's a masculinity crisis in America? Are more men allowing women to dominate relationships?

I think what it comes down to is that old school guys and new school guys need to just see that we are different from each other and respect each other for being different. Also people need to quit fighting and calling people names over things they do themselves. People are not perfect. Some people speak their minds and others dont. Some like to be PC and others dont. Some like to dress certain ways and wether we understand it or not, we need to respect that even if we dont get it. Stereotyping lifters for being big arrogant jerks, stereotyping women for their clothes thinking they are sluts, saying eeeeew to short men and fat men, and people stereotyping hipsters for looking like women is the same thing.

Wow dude.... after nearly 500 posts I think you're getting it.

People are different. How they treat each other is what is important.... not what haircut they have or what music they listen to or what jeans they wear... or who they sleep with. There's good and bad people in every walk of life. Good hipsters and bad hipsters. Nice women and nastly women. Dumb bodybuilders and very slightly less dumb bodybuilders.

Live and let live.