Are modern men emasculated? When offered the opportunity to write for this wonderful women’s website, given my background I considered a number of topics such as financial markets, energy, sports, cooking, home brewing, music and the arts in general. I have an entire mental inventory of what I would like to write about, and will write about, in the days, weeks, and months to come. I did not consider offering my thoughts on crocheting, although I will admit that when I was 10 years old I begged my mother to teach me the craft, which she did.
In this first article, however, I am going to write about you. I am now 66 years old, but feel like I am 35. I train for my sports, eat a healthy diet and, most importantly, have a wonderfully fulfilling relationship with my brilliant and beautiful wife. We all know this is a youth-oriented society, and I am OK with that. I believe I still have a great deal to offer society before I move on to the next ephemeral experience. I am also OK with my age because over the last several years I have seen a few characteristics about my younger male compatriots that I am glad I do not have. For example...
In my mind, TV commercials are highly reflective of both societal values and the societal profile. Over the last few years, I have noticed a decided change in the profile of the average male, which the advertising “suits” deem appropriate. The other night my wife and I were sitting through a parade of ads waiting for one of our favorite TV shows to resume. In all three of the commercials shown, irrespective of the product being flogged, the male was a pathetic, disheveled, and probably impotent, wimp. His female counterpart, on the other hand, be she spouse, girlfriend, or just a friend, was well-groomed, intelligent, and aggressive. My wife agreed that all three men were wimps, but also agreed with me that all three women were quite attractive, both mentally and physically. So are modern men emasculated?
Was this a coincidence? No, it was not. The greatest societal achievement in history has been the elevation of the female to her deserved status. I am not suggesting that the work is over. Every day we hear of companies who are still conceding there has been unequal pay between the sexes for equivalent levels of work. What I am saying is that the societal guilt over eons of inequality has led to an “overcompensation” by “de-elevating” the male.
Whereas when young boys exhibited in my day what was termed “rambunctious” behavior, they now just pop a Ritalin in his mouth. My wife and I know this from personal experience. The rise of video games has impacted young males far more than young females, which has the compounding effect of decreasing the males’ interest in, and proficiency in, formal education and test scores. This leads in turn to generations of males who are less educated and in one sense, less intelligent, even though they have a college degree. In addition, the Ritalin-based upbringing leads to the development of the submissive, wimpy, and yes, even stupid males. This image is portrayed on the above-described TV commercials, suggesting to “real life” males that such behavior is accepted as a societal norm, therefore perpetuating the cycle. Scanning the internet yields volumes of statistics regarding the percentage of college applicants that are female. Thankfully, it has been rising, but now, according to some surveys, represents the majority.
Having said all of this, do I now ask that all of you feel sorry for the male of the species? Certainly not for me. However, for the younger generations of males, perhaps there lies some modicum of hope. Society in general can benefit if both sexes are strong and intelligent. Since the world of advertising appears as hopeless as ever, all of you can take it upon yourselves as mothers and significant others to celebrate both yourselves and your partner equally. The male of the species has always been insecure, but these days even more so. Let’s give these guys a boost, ladies, and we should all be the better for it. While you work on this daunting task, I will prepare articles on a number of topics that I hope you will enjoy in the time we will spend together.