masculinity RIP

[djfierce]

lol just seen this article and wondered what you guys thought about it lol

More than 60 per cent of young British blokes have admitted they don't feel masculine in a shocking new survey. So what's changed in the last few decades to cause men to feel this way? Find out.
A man hangs washing on the line (image©Rex Features)
A study of the male psyche in Britain over the past 80 years has revealed a shocking insight into the masculinity of blokes today. And believe it or not - it seems the British men of today are more comfortable ironing than they are under a car bonnet!

‘The Brylcreem Mandom Report 2008’ delves into the changing behaviours and attitudes of men aged 18-29 over the past eight decades, and asks the eternal question – what maketh the man?

The results of the study show that over the last 80 years men have steadily lost touch with their instinctual masculinity and the traditional roles that defined them, as they’ve put down their handyman tools, lost their foothold as the ‘man of the house’, become obsessed with their image and abandoned emotional restraint.

An average young bloke in the 1920s and 40s considered himself to be masculine and was at ease with his role as stoic provider and protector. He was adept at traditional ‘manly’ chores, with 73 per cent competent at motor mechanics, 90 per cent able to change a fuse and 80 per cent able to put up a shelf for his Mrs. He was the head of his household and would rather die than cry in front of someone, with half never shedding a tear at all. When it came to the home, only 25 per cent knew how to turn the iron on and just 27 per cent were comfortable in the kitchen.

Over the decades a lot has changed - these days, the young British bloke is more comfortable ironing than getting under his car bonnet. Over 60 per cent are competent ironers, with only 10 per cent able to maintain a car - and almost half can’t even change a tyre. Three quarters regularly don an apron in the kitchen and almost 80 per cent take on housework. Young men are so in touch with their emotions, a whopping 85 per cent are comfortable crying in front of others.

Young blokes are also more obsessed with themselves than any other generation, with today’s young gun taking 26 per cent longer in front of the mirror than his counterpart in the 40s and two thirds striving to attain a perfectly toned body.

James Brown, founding editor of men’s magazine, Loaded, which fuelled the 90s era of the ‘Loaded Lad’, believes British blokes have been sliding into the process of what he coins ‘Gender Surrender’:

“A bloke’s masculinity used to come effortlessly and his place in the world was clear cut. Nowadays, women are confident and men are confused. As men have been reacting to being told ‘how they should behave’ rather than ‘how they really are’, they’ve crossed the line from just ‘changing with the times’ to committing outright gender surrender”.

According to report, young British women agree that men have stepped too far into the feminine domain and want their ‘real men’ back, with two thirds of women aged 18-29 complaining they think men are not as masculine as men of yesteryear. A girl also still wants her leading man, with 60 per cent saying they’d prefer a man to take control in their relationship.

“There’s no need for men to head back to the cave”, Brown says, “but it’s clear from the research that a more defined identity needs to be established.”

So come on men, put down your manbags, leave your eyeliner at home and reclaim your Mandom!

So is there less machoism around these days??

[Monstro]

Stop wasting time on the computer and make me a cup of tea!!!!!!!

[The Flying Mouse]

Why do women get married in white?


To match the rest of the appliances

[duke knooby]

the reality is genetics plays a part... women have smaller feet so they can work at the sink

(only messin)

[djfierce]

what on earth has that got to do with men losing their masculinity...afraid to fess up gents???

[duke knooby]

ahh c'mon.. you girls are soo hard work its much easier to be able to do girly things yourself.. done quicker and better!! hahahahaha as for under the bonnet work?? have you any idea how complex an engine is now??? feckin thing touts on you for even opening the bonnet

[Battybarb]

I think there are still plenty of masculine guys about..just because guys now do things about the house,it does not mean they have lost their masculinity,the difference to years ago is that a lot more women now also work full time,so it is only fair that guys do their fair share.......and Jonty it has nothing to do with genetics or the size of feet..lol

[SamCat]

Now come on us girls have to fess up on this one!! Men are less masculine cos women are more aggressively independant!! It messes with years of genetic programming and the poor wee popppets dont know where they stand We want to be treated equally but we also want the door opened for us!! We have to take the blame for this cos we wanted new men and we wanted them all to change overnight!!

[RadioMaster]

when it's time to get rough.....

[allrevvedup]

If there is to be equality...which i'm all for...then something always has to give so therefore men will have to compromise a little more and women will have to compromise a little more...maybe it's a more difficult thing for women to do i don't know...*runs after that comment*

Seriously men are learning more about themselves while women try to show everyone that they can stand on their own too feet, so because of that the stubborn macho gold medallion wearing man of the 70's is fading

[The Flying Mouse]

Originally Posted by SamCat

Now come on us girls have to fess up on this one!! Men are less masculine cos women are more aggressively independant!! It messes with years of genetic programming and the poor wee popppets dont know where they stand We want to be treated equally but we also want the door opened for us!! We have to take the blame for this cos we wanted new men and we wanted them all to change overnight!!

A lot of the changes in male behavior have got to do with responding to how women behave.
For instance, you go into town on a Saturday night these days and you'll see plenty of women staggering round, juiced off their t!t$, quite possibly puking up the carrots.


Once upon a time that was solely a male past time

I've always liked this quote by Timothy Leary.
"Women who seek to be equal to men...lack ambition".
True on many levels, but in their pursuit to be mens "equal" they have picked up bad habits as well as good.


Don't forget the things that have happened over the last 100 years that have gradually brought women, how to put this? . not so much on an even step, but in step with men.

First women get the vote.

They they work in factories (and other previously man related roles) while the chaps are off having that little scrap known as WWII.
Do you think women were going to be happy going back into the home, looking after baby, and getting covered in puke after that sort of Emancipation?

Rock & Roll.
There was a MASSIVE relief after WWII had finished.
People were fed up of dying and wanted to live a little.
They practically wanted to live themselves to death.
There was also more of a willingness to spoil ones children, so that those children could enjoy the lost youth of the parent.

The 60's - Hippy heaven, free love, and peace on earth (oh, and WEED, lots and lots of WEED )
You go back 100 years and see if you can find a respectable woman jumping into bed for a laugh with a hairy arsed git, and then having a splif to "chill out" when they're done.


Ever since that time women have become closer to men in their morals, aims, priorities, and behavior.

Women will go out and pick blokes up for one night stands.
Again, something that was once a more male characteristic.
Not so long ago women were complaining that when men slept around they were a stud, while a woman behaving the same would be called a slut.
That is something that is growing less and less significant as time goes on.

These days women want drink, money, good sex, nice cars, good well paid jobs with lots of responsibility.

Before, the height of ambition for women was to bring the children up to say please and thank you, to have a nice steak pie on the plate just before hubby gets in from work, and a new broom if they're really really lucky.


Men have lost their masculinity because women have lost their Femininity, and we have HAD to adapt to be able to co exist.

Let's look at masculine and feminine behavior in a day to day life..........


Early in the morning, John and Marsha get up.
John gets ready for work while Marsha sees to the baby.
John sets out and Marsha settles into her daily routine of housework.
While he's at work she cleans, does the laundry, feeds the baby, does the ironing and all manner of household chores.
Last thing she does is prepare John's tea.
He comes home from work and expects his dinner to be cooling on the plate.
He eats his dinner without a word of thanks, gets up and goes for half an hours kip on the couch while Marsha does the dishes.
When he wakes up, he gets himself ready, heads off down the pub to see his workmates while Marsha babysits.
John has a skinful of ale, goes home and goes to bed.
He might give Marsha one, and soon as HE'S finished he'll roll over and go to sleep.

Next day a repeat of the day before.


That's a classic case of a marriage between a masculine male and a feminine woman.
Most women would KILL their men if they acted like that, so what has got to happen?
Either give your wife a black eye or back down?
Although the "masculine" thing to do would be to give the little lady a slap as a lesson, modern men have chosen to adapt their behavior instead (perhaps it's a sign of a loss of "masculinity" that myself and most men would think this the only option as violence is not something to consider).

This is, I think, in some part, to the last thing to be a contributing factor in telling men and women their places in the world and telling them what is acceptable for them to do, and who they should be.

Chat shows.
Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake, Oprah Whinfrey, Sally Jesse Raphael, Trisha Goddard, we have become besieged by women on the telly airing their problems in public, and men being told they are WRONG.

This man cheats - he's WRONG.

This man drinks - He's WRONG.

This man takes drugs and gambles - He's WRONG.

This man beat's his wife - He's WRONG.


That kind of thing is a real kind of mental conditioning.
Men who see men being told they are wrong over and over again for acting with stereotypical "masculine" values will learn that acting this way is wrong and unacceptable in modern civilization.


Even after reviewing what masculinity really is, I still feel "less" for not being able to label myself as "masculine".
Until putting this thought into it, I would have thought myself as masculine, but not now.
The thing that has ended my masculinity has been answering the very question
I suppose that masculinity is but a word, and the question should be........
Does the lack of the sexist and brutish attitudes make a man less than a man?


It really has surprised me to see the question of masculinity asked in this day and age, unless, it's true what is often joked about in a "not entirley joking" way, some women just like to be treated like shit

[allrevvedup]

That took about half an hour for me to read...caveman speed

I think a lot of equality has brought about good changes...I think there is more respect for women, instead of the old "dolly bird" carry on film thing that went on in previous generations.

Finally we are seeing that intelligent women do exist and can tackle most tasks that men do. More and more women are unfortunately in most cases being left as single mothers and are having to raise a family on their own so because of this they are becoming more independent and stronger for it, I think it can also mean that there is a lot more distrust and that it is harder to believe that people can be genuine without having something up their sleeve.

There are two types of independence, the ones are happy to share the burden, to work together in a relationship to make it right and that means both people putting the effort in. There are still those who do not and there are still some women who expect the man to do and pay for everything even though they earn a wage...likewise there are still men around that expect women to do everything around the house, even if they have a career. Old habits die hard it seems.

So yeah masculinity has changed. Tell me if 20/30 years ago if heterosexual men would have comfortable going clubbing in pink t-shirts and not worrying how they would be perceived? Tell me 30 years ago if women would have found someone like Jude Law attractive, despite all the grooming and make up he appears to use?

I think it should do, whether it has gone too far is another case, but hey in some cases it is a competition and while both men and women are prepared to stand up and say "hey I’m tough enough to not care what anyone thinks" secretly we all do; because there is more sensitivity.

Sex in The City and desperate housewives are two programmes designed to show female independence but in both of those programmes the female characters have a need for love, affection and relationships with men...so independence can only take you so far.

By the way you may see this in my next blog on catholic ireland, because as I write this it seems like a good subject!

[The Flying Mouse]

Originally Posted by allrevvedup

Tell me if 20/30 years ago if heterosexual men would have comfortable going clubbing in pink t-shirts

Can I just say here that progress doesn't always mean things get better

Originally Posted by allrevvedup

That took about half an hour for me to read...caveman speed

It was a wee bit longer than first intended

[allrevvedup]

[QUOTE=The Flying Mouse;413732] Can I just say here that progress doesn't always mean things get better [QUOTE]


Did you mix a red sock with a white t-shirt in the wash?

[The Flying Mouse]

Originally Posted by allrevvedup

Did you mix a red sock with a white t-shirt in the wash?

When's the last time you saw me in a T shirt Mike?

I did put a red sock in with my shirts though, and the shirts turned the sock white

[Hypnobabe]

Originally Posted by The Flying Mouse

Chat shows.
Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake, Oprah Whinfrey, Sally Jesse Raphael, Trisha Goddard, we have become besieged by women on the telly airing their problems in public, and men being told they are WRONG.

This man cheats - he's WRONG.

This man drinks - He's WRONG.

This man takes drugs and gambles - He's WRONG.

This man beat's his wife - He's WRONG.


That kind of thing is a real kind of mental conditioning.
Men who see men being told they are wrong over and over again for acting with stereotypical "masculine" values will learn that acting this way is wrong and unacceptable in modern civilization.

Neil, I have to say I'm disappointed in you....



You forgot Jeremy Kyle!!!!!

[The Flying Mouse]

Originally Posted by Hypnobabe

You forgot Jeremy Kyle!!!!!

On purpose

Honestly, if he spoke to me like he spoke to half his guests, i'd have to re-establish my masculinity by tw@ing the self important righteous git


BTW, a daughter of a friend of mine was on his show, and Mr morality who's married with kids tried to chat her up

[Battybarb]

you are kidding,after the way he lectures people !