“Toxic masculinity”? Not buying it.

April 27, 2019 Dr. Michael J. Hurd

Here’s the problem with the idea of “toxic masculinity”. It doesn’t seek to replace “bad” masculinity with “good”, or rational, masculinity. It seeks to annihilate masculinity altogether.If you asked an opponent of toxic masculinity what “healthy” masculinity consists of, you’ll either

(a) get no answer, or

(b) get an answer like, “Sensitive, empathic, emotional, giving.”

In other words, you’ll get an answer describing a conventional definition of femininity. This proves that the real purpose of defeating “toxic masculinity” is to destroy masculinity itself. No alternative to masculinity as we know it is ever offered.

Let’s say you ask an opponent of toxic masculinity the following: “What about assertiveness? What about rationality? How about reason and feelings over emotions?” You’ll either be greeted with a sneer or be ignored. Or you’ll be told those qualities are part of the problem.

What this means is that we have to accept the conventional definitions of masculinity and femininity, reject the masculine and only adopt the feminine.

Like the traditionalists, today’s post-modern feminists assume that men are thinkers and doers, while women are feelers and givers. Unlike the traditionalists, the post-modern feminists claim: Feeling and giving are superior to thinking and doing.

The psychological and intellectual dishonesty here is fascinating. The leftist/progressive/feminist types condemning “toxic masculinity” claim to be against rigid or traditional role models. They claim to dislike stereotypes. But in order to accept their demolishing of masculinity, you must first accept the conventional and rigid stereotypes of men as aggressive and rational, and of women as passive, emotional and irrational — and adopt the latter stereotype as morally superior......... More