Gillette recently released an ad that ended up being controversial. Let’s face it, what isn’t controversial these days? The ad was centered around the message of this newly formed phrase, “toxic masculinity,” in relation to their brand of razors. You can go and see the ad for yourself and come to your own conclusion. I do not plan on providing my personal opinion on this ad.
However, the topic of masculinity does need to be discussed, because its pretty clear at this point, manhood is under attack and it is not in the least bit understood by much of our culture today.
The meaning masculinity in our culture today has been completely twisted. Today, masculinity essentially means that men are bigger and better than women, and that is it, in fact, immoral to act within the way a man is designed to operate.
Now, what do I mean by that? Well, God designed both man and woman. There are characteristics that are specific to manhood, some of which are: strength, provision, leadership, and vision. There are more, but these are some of the characteristics which are under attack. Masculinity is built in every man from the time he is born. It is a part of his nature, how God created him.
It seems all too uncommon to see young boys being taught respect, honor, and courage. Even down the simplest act of holding the door for someone, particularly a woman, men are told not to assist because “she can do it herself.” But I think this is all much deeper than simply not helping people because society thinks it is unhealthy for a man to assist a lady.
Manhood is essential to the family.
In order for a family to properly function at its fullest capacity, manhood must play a critical role in the family unit. Masculinity provides food for the family, it provides strength for the family and it provides a vision for the future of the family.
Masculinity lays out the necessary functions that God intended as part of His characteristics and attributes. Young boys are ready to wrestle, they’re ready to get dirty, they’re ready to help protect and defend. Our culture has come to a point now where those things “are harmful” to the growth of people, especially women.
The modern Feminists believe that masculinity is holding women back. That it will throw us all back to the stone age.
The reality is, that there is no such thing as toxic masculinity. There is however such a thing as bad men who do bad things.
The same applies to women.
Do we ever hear about toxic femininity? Nope.
That is a good description of modern feminism but feminism does not have a negative connotation to it, whereas toxic masculinity does. There is an entire agenda around destroying the family unit, which makes up a culture. Part of that has been the destruction of manhood.
Something that also needs to be pointed out is the fact that women, no matter how hard our culture tries to avoid it, are attracted to masculinity. Women need masculinity because that is encoded in their DNA, just like men need the feminine qualities of a woman (when they’re married of course). Once you start destroying masculinity, you destroy the very thing that women want and what they are designed by their Creator with which to connect.
What is being done to masculinity in unhealthy for men and women.
The Bible has laid out the entire structure as to how manhood should look and how it plays a major role in the family, just as it has womanhood. It is unfortunate we have kicked the Good Book to the curb and ignored the very basic principles of life and the guidelines by which we are all called to live. Boys need masculine men to raise them and teach them how to provide, respect, love, and be courageous.
Men are strong, men are courageous, men provide and men protect. These are all very good characteristics of masculinity and they are necessary. To destroy masculinity is to oppose the natural order of man’s existence.