Kahomono - It Means Lucky

Random musings on whatever subject strikes my fancy, published every other day.

Category: Masculinity and the Manbox Page 1 of 9

Masculinity: Toxic for the Planet

By

On 2022-02-20

In Masculinity and the Manbox, Right Wing Nutjobs

The so-called carmakers in this country are pivoting to build mostly trucks, not cars. Pullquote from the linked story:

You know, carmakers always say they build what people want. But they never mention the fact that they spend billions to tell them what they want

Dan Neil, WSJ automotive columnist

As that is happening, truck owners are being trained to drive like assholes by… truck commercials. Browse the “tournament” at https://usa.streetsblog.org/category/special-features/americas-most-toxic-car-ad/ As if trucks and giant SUVs (no real difference) weren’t bad enough with their environmental impact, they are only “safe” for their owners. The people and cars they hit die at a rate that would be alarming in any country that was not OK with people shooting dozens of children at a time, in schools.

And now, let’s hear from the world experts at greenwashing:

But wait! There’s more! The homophobia of America, especially its males, feeds into this with a vicious circle… because enVirOnmEntAl aCtiOn iS so gAy. No, really. Click the link.

Finally: China’s high-speed rail network development 2008-2018

USA high-speed rail network 2008-2018. LOL! WHUT? In places like Florida, federal funding for rail development is actively refused and returned, because… burning carbon is manly, I guess?

Cowboy

By

On 2021-10-01

In Masculinity and the Manbox

America’s toxic masculinity is fixin’ to poison the world.

From refusing masks to gun-worship: it’s all supported by these horrific images from the past.

Toxic?

By

On 2021-05-02

In Masculinity and the Manbox

Click through if you’re a REAL man.
Or not.

The author says, they don’t think all “masculinity” is “toxic.” They think that there’s a lot of it that harms men because of the restrictions it places on our expression of emotions, especially grief or pain.

That’s absolutely true. But the thing I have been thinking lately is, there’s nothing we call “masculine”, that’s both a positive and only masculine. A trait that women just don’t manifest. Can you think of one? I’ll wait.

Stupidity Burns

By

On 2020-03-30

In Atheism and Religion, Masculinity and the Manbox, Right Wing Nutjobs

Click for Daily Kos

I have long asserted that the apparent stupidity of Rethuglicans is wilful and malicious. If you saw Pumpkin turn his daily COVID-19 hour of lies (“press briefing” LOL) into a commercial for My Pillow today, you now know what I mean.

But even more seriously: read this article. The aim of the right-wing noise machine now appears to be literally to reduce the population. To kill as many of us as they can.

Other conservatives have framed protective measures as a threat not only to America’s rugged individualism but to masculinity. The Christian pastor Jonathan Shuttlesworth referred to social distancers as “sissies” and “pansies” who have been “neutered,” and described Christians who use hand sanitizer as having “fake faith” and “no balls.” Another minister said he would never close his church, because his congregants were not “pansies.” Some politicians, including the lieutenant governor of Texas, and pundits, including Glenn Beck, have gone so far as to suggest that older Americans should be willing to risk death to preserve the economy.

The Conservative Campaign Against Safety

Good old toxic masculinity! Just when you thought that was something we only worried about in happier times, like 2018. This may be evil of me but I really sincerely hope they get exactly what they wish for. That is to say, they should get exactly what they wish for you and me.

Pink Sneakers

By

On 2019-09-20

In LGBTQA*, Masculinity and the Manbox

Men can’t wear pink sneakers! Didja know that?

At Zappos.com

My wife Jill was having lunch today with two male colleagues. Let’s change the names to protect the benighted. We’ll call them X and Y.

As they were waiting for their food a table next to them broke and they watched the three men at it walk away, one wearing pink sneakers. X offered the opinion that men ought not wear pink sneakers.

Jill asked why? Pink and purple and even sparkles are all perfectly valid things for anyone to wear who wants to.

Oh sure, said, X. I have a pink shirt! But shoes, that’s not OK for a man to wear in pink. Y piped up, Or underwear!

Jill said, I don’t care if you’re wearing pink underwear right now, as long as you’re comfortable in it.

The conversation moved on from there, but I think we all know what the underlying message was. A giant serving of homophobia, with a heaping side of rigid insistence on the gender binary. She wondered to me later if she should have called it out, as one should at work. But I think the setting of a work lunch and the fact that the homophobia was never expressed openly puts it into enough of a grey area that it was OK to just let it pass.

Of course when I heard this, the provocateur in me simply had to order a pair of those from Zappos. I will be sure to be wearing them to the next family event at Jill’s office.

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