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Selected Readings on Toxic Masculinity, Gender, and Social Media

Ging, Debbie. “Alphas, Betas, and Incels: Theorizing the Masculinities of the Manosphere.�� Men and Masculinities, (May 2017). DOI:10.1177/1097184X17706401.

           Debbie Ging is a senior lecturer in media studies at Dublin City University in Ireland, researching gender portrayal in social media. Her article “Alphas, Betas, and Incels” is an exploration into the recent evolution of anti-feminist men's rights collectives converging on the internet, known as the “Manosphere.” Ging suggests that despite the continuation of a historical theme of hegemonic masculinity, the “beta male” and “incel” (involuntary celibacy) ideas at their core plan on what she calls “tropes of victimhood,” and are in fact a new, subtle perturbation in a critical understanding of patriarchy as a whole. By analyzing the Manosphere in its proper context, Ging's claim is that a stronger understanding of toxic masculinity, its place in the tech era, and its growth patterns can be obtained. The article is supported strongly by numerous quotes and references, both in text and bibliography. While her language is a bit dense and technical, Ging's analysis is thorough, and her generous use of relevant sources lends credence to her arguments.

Grossman, Sara. “Masculinity, Anxiety, and Fear of the Other in the Age of Trump.” Haas Institute, (Nov. 6, 2016). Link: https://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/masculinity-anxiety-and-fear-other-age-trump

           Published the day before the 2016 US presidential election, Grossman offers an essay discussing the rhetoric on which the Trump Campaign focused, suggesting it is another iteration of the same rhetoric behind McCarthy's “witch-hunt” during the 1950s. Specifically, Grossman hones in on the theme of “otherness” in connection with masculinity and American patriotism through the 2010s. Grossman's essay presents a succinct introductory description of toxic masculinity, placing it in the context of the Trump-McCarthy comparison. Despite the significance of her claims and included quotes, Grossman's essay lacks in-text citations, making it difficult to trace the source of quotes and statistics. This is occasionally offset by the use of hyperlinks mid-sentence, linking to external sources for further reading.

Hamblin, James. “Trump Is a Climax of America's Masculinity Problem.” The Atlantic. Atlantic  Media Company, August 8, 2016. Link:        https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/trump-masculinity-problem/494582/

           This health piece from The Atlantic is less of a health article, and more of an opinion editorial. Hamblin, in so few words, makes the claim that Donald Trump's persona and rhetoric are a culmination of a uniquely American brand of masculinity, and that this is in fact a dominant contributing factor to his success. Despite its informal tone and structure, Hamblin provides a perspective that is useful in understanding, on a basic level, the tools and social context that result in Trump's success and presidential election.

Johnson, Paul Elliott. “The Art of Masculine Victimhood: Donald Trump’s Demagoguery.” Women's Studies in Communication, 40:3, 229-250, Aug. 2017. DOI: 10.1080/07491409.2017.1346533

           An article analyzing Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign in connection with pathetic appeals to toxic masculinity and white victimhood. Through the manufacture of artificial precarity and uncertainty, Johnson argues that Trump has been able to utilize growing social insecurities in a gendered and racial regime of American national identity as a means of securing perceived authority. Johnson, a post-doctorate researcher at University of Pittsburgh's Communication Department, provides an extensive and thorough examination of Trump's rhetoric and its social and political effects. Aside from the generous usage of decorative vocabulary, Johnson's flow is well structured, and his arguments are clear and well supported. In order to improve clarity, he uses section headers, and starts paragraphs with statements that give a clear expectation of the local content, and a reminder on its place in the context of the article.

Li, Karen. "If Men Are so Strong, Then Why Is Masculinity so Fragile?" Medium.com. March    07, 2017. Link: https://medium.com/applied-intersectionality/if-men-are-so-strong-then-why-is-masculinity-so-fragile-331d0b7c5fa6.

           A blog post for a course on applied intersectionality, Karen Li provides a critical analysis of masculine fragility in modern America. In this piece, Li explores the ways in which masculinity is paradoxically harmful to men, and concurrently stokes and caters to their insecurities. This particular brand of masculinity, Li suggests, is subversive to men by glamorizing rape culture, American nationalism, and even gendered product advertisement. This post is useful in describing examples of characteristics of masculinity's place in a gendered, patriarchal society that are fundamental in building a working definition of toxic masculinity. In particular, viewing the post on the Medium web page allows users to view comments and responses to this post, all of which are harshly critical, essentially mocking Li for being a woman writing about masculinity. These comments, in fact, ironically underscore her central thesis, and provide an external component useful for analysis.

Massanari, Adrienne. “#Gamergate and The Fappening: How Reddit’s Algorithm, Governance, and Culture Support Toxic Technocultures.” New Media & Society 19, no. 3 (March     2017): 329–46. DOI:10.1177/1461444815608807.

           An investigation of two particular events in recent internet history: #Gamergate and The Fappening. The article first explores Reddit in general as a social platform for ideological proliferation, and draws a direct connection between masculinity and “geek and nerd culture,” explaining that a discussion of online gaming culture is necessarily a discussion of masculinity and anti-feminist sentiments. Massanari's core focus in this article is the way in which Reddit implicitly supports the progression of what the article refers to as “toxic technocultures.” The arguments and definitions crucial to Massanari's claims are clear, and well supported by a number of sources. She is an associate professor of Communications at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Messerschmidt, James W. “Engendering Gendered Knowledge: Assessing the Academic   Appropriation of Hegemonic Masculinity.” Men and Masculinities 15, no. 1 (April 2012):    56–76.  DOI:10.1177/1097184X11428384.

           “Engendering Gendered Knowledge” is an analytical assessment of hegemonic masculinity and the recent reformulation of an academic understanding of hegemonic masculinity. In this piece, Messerschmidt explores a number of primary research and critical sources of social expressions masculinity in recent years, and considers the results in the broader scheme of studying gender and masculinity.  The focal thesis is that a complete and accurate approach to understanding hegemonic masculinity must consider women as well as men, along with “peripheral” social components such as class and race, and masculinity at the local, regional, and global levels. Much of the paper is centered around describing the context and nature of research conducted, and connecting the results to the thesis. Messerschmidt, a professor and chair of the Criminology Department at the University of Southern Maine, earned his Ph.D. from the Criminology Institute in the Department of Sociology at the University of Stockholm, Sweden in 1979. He has been studying gender, crime, and hegemonic masculinity since the early 1990s and has released several articles and books on the subject. As such, this piece may be considered less expositional, and more so a checkpoint to ensure that Messerschmidt, himself, and other researchers have a clear and functional understanding of hegemonic masculinity by which future research can be conducted.

Mudde, Cas. "Why Is the Far Right Dominated by Men? | Cas Mudde." The Guardian. August     17, 2018. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/17/why-is-the-far-right-dominated-by-men.

           This online op-ed piece for The Guardian dissects the political right and far-right/extremist groups, positing that male identity and “victimized” masculinity, rather than racial motivators, are at the core of men's rights and white supremacy movements in America. Mudde then extends this assessment to the recent elections, in that Donald Trump's success is founded in his misogyny and stoking of an imagined emasculation of America. While this is an editorial of opinion, Cas Mudde affords an analytical insight that motivates a shift in social and academic discourse on masculinity in the context of the American political climate.

Parent, M. C., Gobble, T. D., & Rochlen, A. (2018). “Social media behavior, toxic masculinity, and depression”. Psychology of Men & Masculinities,            DOI:http://dx.doi.org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/men0000156

           An original study into social media/social networks (abbreviated SM/SN within the study) and their associations with toxic masculinity, depression, and positive/negative SM/SN interactions. Among other findings, Parent et al. Report a significant relation between toxic masculinity and affect-biased attention (attention/perception biases to a particular class of stimuli based in its subjective salience, or significance), as well as a multivariate link to increased symptoms of depression. The study is recent, but draws on findings from previous relevant research dating as far back as the early 1980s, building their methods and analysis on theories supported by years of academic research. A thorough description of the research subjects, data collection, and discussion of the findings from the data are provided in a format that is unobtrusive and easy to navigate. Data and analysis is provided in its entirety, including calculation types and relevant constants of uncertainty, error etc. Considering the range and type of variables included in the study, the procedure as well as findings are of potential use to future psychological and sociological studies into toxic masculinity and social media/networking as the tech era advances.

Veissière, Samuel, Ph.D. "The Real Problem With “Toxic Masculinity”: Why Our Culture Needs  Strong and Nuanced Gender Archetypes." Psychology Today, February 16, 2018. Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-mind-and-brain/201802/the-real-problem-toxic-masculinity?page=1.

           This Psychology Today article is a reflective piece about healthy and toxic gender archetypes. Veissière's gender archetype categorization includes the masculine and feminine, and the healthy and toxic variants of each. In this regime, he suggests that focusing on toxic masculinity is counterproductive, and that true social and academic progress can only be borne of considering a complete system, and that strong gender archetypes are paramount to raising boys and girls under “good” masculinity/femininity. Veissière's central argument may, as he admits, be “hard to swallow,” but it is useful (if only as a thought experiment) to approach gender, parenting, and social regimes from multiple perspectives to better gain a full picture.

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Top 5 Examples of When the Music Industry Supported Toxic Masculinity and Listeners Didn’t Care (five popular sources and five academic sources)

Robyn Alam

Society constructs toxic masculinity and society has been teaching men, since they were little boys, what is expected of them. Men learned when they were little boys that being rough is expected of their gender. Many parents like to enroll their sons in sports at a young age; sports like football, basketball, wrestling etc. And it doesn’t take a lot to see that these sports are rougher and more aggressive than most sports little girls engage in. In video games and movies, its always been the men that are the ones shooting guns, engaging in dangerous stunts, and portraying the role of the hero. Starting at a young age society, innocently, has been teaching men what is to be expected of them. Then, they enter high school and start to engage in things like “locker room talk.” Saying things like “did you smash last night bro?” and many of them are influenced by rap lyrics to call girls things like “bitches and sluts.” At such an early age, society distills in these young men that devaluing women is okay. To be more violent and less sensitive than women has always been a concept of toxic masculinity. And on top of this disrespecting women and toxic masculinity go hand in hand. So, what does one get when they add violence plus disrespecting women? Domestic violence. It is not to say that society teaches men to engage in domestic violence, but society certainly does give men the building blocks to this form of toxic masculinity. Below I am going to discuss examples of when big names in the music industry engaged in this form of toxic masculinity and society did not seem to care.

R. Kelly

Cush, Andy. “R. Kelly’s Alleged Sexual Misconduct: A Complete Timeline.” Spin. July, 17, 2017. https://www.spin.com/2017/07/r-kelly-sexual-misconduct-allegations-timeline/,

This Spin article shows readers a timeline of the famous R&B singer’s long line of sexual abuse. This author is showing readers all the reasons R. Kelly should be behind bars by going into detail on all the allegations that have ever been made against him. R. Kelly displays toxic masculinity by showing that he can use his power and money to take advantage of women, and he will never be sentenced to prison for it.

This source is very informing because it shows how long society has let this man get away with sexually abusing women. This source shows how long a famous man can get away with toxic masculinity, and his listeners didn’t care because it is so distilled in society that these things are okay. R. Kelly used his power and fame to make people believe he was innocent, and this Spin article shows readers he has gotten away with his evil actions far too many times.

Chris Brown

Mackey, Robert. “Forgiving Chris Brown.” March 19, 2009. https://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/forgiving-chris-brown/  

This New York Times article gives examples of how so many people were quick to defend R&B singer, Chris Brown, after evidence came out that he brutally battered his girlfriend, Rihanna. This article is showing readers how fans do not care about Brown’s actions, whether he is right or wrong, they will stick by his side no matter what the cause. For example, after a ninth-grade girl saw Rihanna’s bruised and bloodied face, she said “she probably made him mad for him to act like that.” Her and her friends, agreed that Brown should not be punished.

This source does a great job at showing evidence on how blind society is to toxic masculinity. It is a concept so deep in people’s minds, that many people thought Brown’s actions were dismissible and they defended him. Unlike R. Kelly, the evidence of abuse was right in front of the public’s face, and Brown was convicted on a guilty plea. This article shows how when fans feel connected to an artist through his/her music, they are willing to overlook something as disturbing as domestic violence.

Eminem

Katz, Jackson. “8 Reasons Eminem’s Popularity is a Disaster for Women.” 2002.   http://www.jacksonkatz.com/publication/pub_eminem2/

This article by Jackson Katz discusses how Eminem’s lyrics on toxic masculinity negatively influences boys and girls. Katz is trying to prove to readers that a popular, influential rapper really does have the power to promote disrespect and/or violence against women. He mentions that studies have proved that when boys are repeatedly exposed to violence against women in media, they are influenced. It has been proven that they are less likely to believe victims, “more willing to believe “they were asking for it,” and less likely to intervene in instances of “real-life” violence.”

This is a good source because it shows that a rapper can constantly talk about violence against women and still be called the greatest rapper of all time. Eminem’s popularity is in great shape after 20 years and this shows that fans simply don’t care how he raps about women. It so embedded into our society that its okay to disrespect women in songs, as long as it’s not happening in real life. But this article, is here to prove that these lyrics should not be ignored because they actually do have an impact. Rapping about violence against women influences men to devalue women and influences women to be okay with it.

XXXTentacion and Kodak Black

Anonymous. “We Need to Stop Celebrating Rappers Who Abuse Women from Where I Stand.” October 5, 2017. https://www.huckmag.com/perspectives/opinion-perspectives/keep-celebrating-rappers-abuse-women/

This Huck Magazine article discusses new rappers, Kodak Black and XXXTentacion, and their violence against woman. This author wants readers to know that when they play music by people who have been accused and/or convicted of sexual assault, this constructs a society where violence against women is deemed as okay. The anonymous author says, “by playing music with sexually aggressive lyrics from convicted sexual and domestic abusers, we are legitimizing their actions. Not only that, we are encouraging the support of abuse and abusers.”

This source is important to read because it talks about how artist feel when we keep supporting them even after they’ve been linked to abusing women. When a musician has a fan base that keeps supporting him even after he has been linked to abusing women, that is when society is giving him power. When society gives famous artists the ability to abuse women and still make money, how is that going to solve the problem? This author wants people to stop supporting artists who engage in this toxic masculinity, so that this society is not constructed as a society that supports abusers and ignores victims.

Dr. Dre, Nas, Russell Simmons, and others

Hubbard, Shanita. “Black Women Love Hip Hop, But It Doesn’t Love Us Back.” January 28, 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-hubbard-metoo-hiphop_us_5a6b6162e4b0ddb658c60925

This Huff Post article elaborates on how women, particularly black women, love listening to rap music, but rappers don’t show the same love back. This article talks about how black women gave birth to the hip-hop genre. But, the rappers who have been a part of this genre for decades, are infamously known for beating women and/or being disrespectful towards them. For example, the author discusses how Nas’s lyrics in his most famous song portrays women as sex slaves, and how Dr. Dre admitted to violently attacking Dee Barnes, saying “it ain’t no big thing-I just threw her through a door.”

This article gives an insightful look at the spread of toxic masculinity in the hip-hop/rap industry in a new light. It focuses on the issue that black women gave birth to the hip-hop genre, but they are the ones receiving the most abuse from it. Because black women gave birth to hip-hop, revealing all this industry’s secrets of sexual harassment would be like “pulling the curtain back and exposing your family issues to the world… family business if family business.” This author argues that this why black women listeners do not care when rappers abuse women in any way.

R. Kelly

Davis, Patricia. “They’re just trying to keep a black man down: the (not so) curious case of R. Kelly.” Feminist Media Studies Volume 18, Issue 3 (2018), Pg. 494-497. https://doi-org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1456160

This article talks about why R. Kelly has gotten away with abusing women for so long. Davis argues that this has been happening for so long because his victims are all young black girls. Also, she argues that the criminal justice system has always gone against black men, so when society gets the chance to save one black man from a corrupt system, society will take that chance. “Is ‘the system’ so corrupt, so terrible, so biased against Our Men that we won’t allow them to be punished for consuming the flesh of young girls?” (pg.496) Davis writes.

Out of all the other musicians in this bibliography, Kelly has been getting away with abusing women for the longest amount of time; he has been doing this for decades. This source is important to read because it shows readers in what circumstances can toxic masculinity thrive the most. Acts of sexual abuse/domestic violence can thrive the most when the victims are young black girls and the perpetrator is a successful black man. Fans of Kelly decided to not care about the allegations against him because no voice in America matters less than the voice of young black women. Also, they decided to ignore the allegations because they would rather not see another black man fall victim to a racist criminal justice system.

Chris Brown

Aymer, Samuel R. “A Case for Including the “Lived Experience” of African American Men in Batterers’ Treatment.” Journal of African American Studies Volume 15, Issue 3(2011), Pg. 352-366. https://doi-org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s12111-010-9150.

The author of this journal article was influenced by the domestic violence incident of Chris Brown and Rihanna to shed light as why intimate partner violence is so present in the African American community. He argues that because misogynistic themes are so present in rap/hip-hop songs, African American men hold on to these misogynistic lyrics, and this plays a huge contributor as to why African American women experience higher amounts of domestic violence. Black women are 2x more likely to be victims of domestic violence than white women.

This source gives an insightful look on how the toxic masculinity in the music industry is affecting the African American community more than it is others. Rap/hip-hop is the genre of music with the most degrading lyrics towards women. In this case, the listeners who don’t care about the promotion of toxic masculinity in the music industry are black males, because they are the main group of people creating this misogynistic music and listening to it. This creates a problem for the black community because when black men are the main people listening to these misogynistic lyrics, more of them are going to be influenced by the music. This is why studies have shown that black males are more likely to abuse their girlfriends than white males.

Eminem

Thaller, Jonel. “(Mis)Perceptions Around Intimate Partner Violence in the Music Video and Lyrics for “Love the Way You Lie.” Feminist Media Studies Volume 14, Issue 4 (2013). Pg. 623-629. https://doi-org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/14680777.2013.826267

In this journal article the authors did an analysis on Eminem’s music video, “Love the Way You Lie” and how it supports the myths of intimate partner violence. They give examples on how this music video supports the myths that most women could get out of an abusive relationship if she wanted, women who are abused secretly want to be treated like that, women initiate the violence by being mean or swinging first, most violence occurs when the man has lost control of himself (by drinking, etc.), and partner violence is a normal reaction. The author argues that this music video portrayed domestic violence as being sexy and this will influence viewers that this is okay. Also, the author argues that because Eminem’s music video supports victim blaming, then viewers will be more likely to as well.

Katz, whom I highlighted above, argued that Eminem’s music does influence men to abuse women and influences women to be okay with it. And this journal article supports that argument by giving readers an in-depth example on how Eminem’s music video promotes toxic masculinity. This article is important to read because when these authors depict the lyrics and explain how the actors are acting in the music video, readers can get a sense on why fans of Eminem might be influenced by his music to engage in toxic masculinity.

XXXTentacion

Burford, Corinna. “The Complete History (So Far) of XXXTentacion's Controversial Career.” Vulture, (2017). http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A519647351/ITOF?u=auraria_main&sid=ITOF&xid=571c586d.

This source provides readers with a timeline of XXXTentacion’s success in his music career and encounters with the law. This author argues that this rapper had a very controversial career because he had so much success but he also engaged in domestic violence on a number of different occasions. Burford believes it is important to take a look into the rappers past and details of the allegations so that readers can make more sense of his career, know the truth about him, and judge him from that.

XXXTentacion had a short-lived career due to his death, but before his death he was famous for two things; his music and his violence against women. This source is important to read because it shows readers that somebody can enter the music industry abusing women, continue to abuse women during their career, and still have a successful career after death. This shows that fans don’t even need to have a connection with a musician to overlook his toxic masculinity, XXXTentacion’s fans didn’t care from the beginning that he abused women and they didn’t care to see his violence get better during the take-off of his career. This is because even as the allegations got worse throughout his career his fan base grew.

Russell Simmons

Crucchiola, Jordan. “Russell Simmons Accused By Four Women of Sexual Assault, Including Three Accusations of Rape.” Vulture, (2017). http://link.galegroup.com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A518659896/ITOF?u=auraria_main&sid=ITOF&xid=c15c3087

This source focuses on the victim’s stories that Russell Simmons has allegedly assaulted. This author is arguing that no matter how many women come forward about this man sexually assaulting them, he will never be punished for his actions. A total of four women have come forward saying that this man has either tried to or has successfully sexually assaulted them.

This source is important to read it teaches readers that assaulting women is such a huge phenomenon in the music industry, that for women to even make their way into this industry, they have a huge chance of experiencing sexual assault and/or domestic violence. So not only are the male musicians in this industry abusing and/or sexually abusing women, but the women inside the industry have to suffer the abuse as well. Simmons is a gatekeeper to the success of many musicians and he has been using this power to take advantage of women for years. And the people who gave him this power are the fans and listeners of the music he produces.

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How To Prevent Toxic Masculinity ?

Nhi Nguyen

Mar 8, 2019

Professor Mohrman

English 2030

Toxic masculinity is a term that is extremely complicated to define because different people have different points of view on the topic. Many people believe that toxic masculinity is a narrow and repressive description of manhood, where it is defined by violence, sex, status, and aggression. The idea of toxic masculinity is a culturally relevant ideal of manliness, where most men tend to think that strength is everything while emotions are a weakness. Moreover, boys learn from experience, not through romance stories like girls. Men do have emotions. Men are expected not to appear weak, emotional, sensitive, nurturing, or empathetic because those are characteristics that have been associated with women. By showing other people these traits men could be considered effeminate or not manly. Therefore, men are usually afraid to seek advice or help when men have mental health issues. With these stereotypical gender norms, it becomes easy for men to feel pressured into keeping things bottled up inside, rather than feeling comfortable enough to open up to others. These traits are not only harmful to men but also for women’s mental health, relational health, and emotional health. There are many prevention sources for toxic masculinity from popular sources to scholarly sources that could help to stop toxic traits associated with masculinity in culture. Most importantly, boys do cry and they also should ask for help when needed.

Five popular sources:

Vallo, Berta. “10 Things men can do to end Toxic Masculinity” The Book of Man. November 23, 2018. Accessed March 9, 2019.  https://thebookofman.com/mind/masculinity/10-things-to-end-toxic-masculinity/ .

Belta Vallo is an illustrator and graphic designer from Budapest, Hungary. Most of her work is created through an amalgamation of analog and digital techniques. This article was published in 2018 in The Book of Man, The Book of Man is a men's media brand offering advice and inspiration for the modern man, from mental health, relationships and emotions to opinion and entertainment. Vallo is pointing out some of the ideas to stop toxic masculinity such as men speaking out for themselves, being brave and helping other men. Preventing toxic masculinity is revolutionary, however, if men step up for themselves then the next generation of boys will not have to experience toxic masculinity like today. This is a good source for toxic masculinity prevention because Vallo advocates against toxic masculinity and encourages men to take a step further to fight for their own selves; if men want to effect lasting change, they have to bring up some questions in order to seek the answers.

Levy, Jillian. "5 "Toxic Masculinity" Phrases to Ban in Your Home." Dr. Axe. November 05, 2018. Accessed March 10, 2019. https://draxe.com/toxic-masculinity/.

Jillian Levy is the web production associate for Understood.org. She works on the production of all content for Understood.org and provides SEO strategy. This article was published in 2018 in the Dr.Axe, Dr.Axe is one of the top ten most visited natural health websites in the world with over 4,000,000 monthly visitors. Levy presents that men who are living in the United States are more likely to commit crimes, and have accusations of sexual harassment and abuse. Levy illustrates the several ways that toxic masculinity correlates to the suicide rates of men in the U.S being vastly higher compared to that of women. This is a good prevention toxic  masculinity source because it shows how toxic masculinity inhibits men from seeking help from others, which leads to disproportionate rates of crime and suicide. Therefore, everyone needs to be willing to help men when they are needed.

Sheppard, Nick. “5 Things To Do About Our Culture's Antagonism Against Men” The Federalist, January 11, 2019. Accessed March 10, 2019. http://thefederalist.com/2019/01/10/5-things-cultures-antagonism-men/.

Nick Sheppard was educated at Bristol Grammar School, one of Bristol's leading public schools. This article was published in 2019 in The Federalist, The Federalist is an English-language online magazine that covers politics, policy, culture, and religion. It has been described as influential in conservative and libertarian circles. In this article, Nick mentions the reality in modern society has many negative ideas on the male identity, which affects boys who are growing up in this generation who question themselves about how to be a man, and what that means. The author shares five different steps that boys and men can do to stop limiting their potential and improve their emotional engagement and expressiveness. This is definitely a good source because Sheppard advocates that the best prevention for toxic masculinity has to start from a man. By following these steps, Sheppard claims young men would not be holding back socially, emotionally, and academically.

Ellis, Skylar. “Five Things You Need to Know About Toxic Masculinity” Medium.com. October 31, 2018. Accessed March 10, 2019. https://medium.com/@littleskypanda/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-toxic-masculinity-5b258af1be13.

Skylar Ellis is the author of A Haunting Madness, on LibraryThing. She has 610 books on Goodreads. This article was published in 2018 in the Medium.com, Medium.com is an online publishing platform developed by Evan Williams. It is owned by A Medium Corporation where social journalism, professional people and publications, or exclusive blogs is regularly regarded as a blog host. Ellis conveys the idea that being a male in society is complex and challenging. The gender norms, social and gender stereotypes put men into a box where they could not truly express themselves. This forces them to be someone they may not feel suitably comfortable with. Therefore, this is a good resource for men who are affected by this cultural stereotype because Ellis advocates against toxic masculinity, manifests the belief that the characteristics of being a “good boy” or a “good man”, are not necessary to follow.

Stone, Kelsey. “8 Ways to Eliminate Toxic Masculine” Made in Stone. January 25, 2018. Accessed. March 10, 2019. http://itsmadeinstone.com/social-political/2018/1/25/8-ways-to-eliminate-toxic-masculinity

Kelsey Stone is an aspiring author and current Master’s of Fine Arts in Fiction candidate and is known for her dark sense of humor. This article was published in 2018 in the Made In Stone, Made In Stone is a famous website that is known for about social/ political, style, love, and relationships. Kelsey claims that the cultural idea of toxic masculinity is still relevant and can be harmful to everyone, not only men. The author argues that everyone needs to take action by taking a look at ourselves, family, and friends. Stone conveys a few steps that could be helpful to prevent this issue. This is a good source for toxic masculinity prevention because Stone advocates that toxic masculinity needs to stop before it is too late. This issue can be changed if everyone takes action, and in order to eliminate toxic masculinity, men need to change their habits and the way they see people in the community.

Five academic articles:

Creighton, Genevieve, and John L. Oliffe. "Theorising masculinities and men's health: a brief history with a view to practice." Health Sociology Review. December 1, 2014.  Accessed March 9, 2019.

Genevieve Creighton is a post-doctoral Fellow in the UBC School of Nursing. John L. Oliffe is a professor at the UBC School of Nursing. This article was published in 2014 in the Health Sociology Review, Health Sociology Review is the association includes health sociologists, medical anthropologists, rural and environmental health researchers, cultural studies researchers, health policy and social work researchers. Creighton, Genevieve, and John L. Oliffe present in Western countries, the number of males between the ages of 15 and 29 has a greater risk of dying than females. The authors argue that men's health risks stem is occurred because of a crisis in masculinity, where men's disorientation over their collective loss of place and identity. Men are the victims of a society that privileges femininity and women's issues more than men's issues. The authors suggest a plan that can prevent this issue which is called Communities of Practice, it is a theoretical framework for investigating how identities are learned and reproduced within various subgroups and locales. This is a good source to take a look at because Creighton, Genevieve, and John L. Oliffe has provided a useful organization which is the Communities of Practice framework as the way practitioners relate to each other as well as those considered outsiders by sharing understandings of identity, norms, and social practices.

Kathleen, Elliott. “Challenging toxic masculinity in schools and society” EmeraldInSight.  Accessed March 10, 2019.

Kathleen Elliott is the pseudonym of Karen Harbaugh. Karen Harbaugh is an award-winning author and RITA finalist who has published eleven fantasy/romance novels and four novellas. This article was published in 2019 in the EmeraldInsight, EmeraldInsight is the newest and most progressive direct sales and promotional marketing company. Consequences and many other effects of toxic masculinity in schools and society have led to broad inequalities in the United States. Elliot argues that schools have an important role to play in order to stop these inequalities. This article is an excellent source because schools are powerful socializing institutions, and it needs to share more powerful voices than the voices of the marginalized alone.

Friedman, Jaclyn. "Rape Is Caused by a Culture of Toxic Masculinity." Violence Against Women. March 13, 2013. Accessed March 9, 2019.

Jaclyn Friedman is a poet and performance artist whose writing has been published in many places, including PW.org, PoetsAgainstTheWar.org, Pedestal Magazine, the Underwood Review, and Sojourner. This article was published in 2016 in the Violence against women, Violence against women website is known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence is collective, violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women and girls. Two young football players in the Ohio town of Steubenville carried a young local girl and raped her in the most abusive way. These two players had been accused of the rape are still being allowed to play and there were no punishments for the players. Friedman provides some useful plans that can prevent increased violence against women. This article is a perfect source to see how toxic masculinity has affected others. Most importantly, Jaclyn reflects on toxic masculinity and implies that this movement needs every man to do the hard work in order to have a new model of masculinity.

Karoski, Spase. “Has the health system failed men? The perceptions of the men's movement on men's health in Australia.” International Journal of Men's Health. December 1, 2014. Accessed March 10, 2019.

Spase Karoski graduated at the University of Wollongong in the year in 2007. Spase Karoski had a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Department and School of Social Sciences, Media and Communication. This article was published in 2014 in the The Journal of Men’s Health (JOMH), JOMH is a peer-reviewed publication covering all aspects of men’s health across the lifespan. In this article, Karoski examines men's health issues from the men's movement perspective. There are four different men's movement groups on men's movements which are Profeminist, Fathers' Rights, Mythopoetic and Inclusive men's movement strands. These movements are not a unified body of men but it is a men's organization that share common ideals in which stopping toxic masculinity. Karoski found out that men often have a functional approach to health, therefore different preventive health strategies are required such as health services providers, prostate examinations, and men need to be educated to change their attitudes towards their masculinity. This is an effective article because Karoski argues that men should make changes in their views on health and seek help when they need it because they are the supporters of gender equality just like the women's movement.

Jones, Owen. "Addressing Stigma and Masculinity May Reduce Male Suicide." Mental Illness.  August 15, 2014. Accessed March 9, 2019.  

Owen Jones is a British newspaper columnist, political commentator, and left-wing political activist. He writes a column for  The Guardian and for the New Statesman. This article was published in 2016 in the Mental Illness, Mental Illness is an organization considered to send articles in MS Word Format. Once has considered the article, and its acceptability to the field of mental health/Psychology then it will be published. The author addresses the question: why are there so many men killing themselves more than women? Men who are between the ages of 20 and 49 tend to commit suicide at a much higher rate than that of women of the same age and across the board. Jones then found out that the stereotypical forms of masculinity were playing a huge role in the deaths of these men because men did not ask for help when they were depressed or in a vulnerable emotional state. This is a good source to consider for toxic masculinity prevention because Jones suggests an effective solution is to encourage men to define themselves on their own terms by speaking out for themselves and encourage others to come forward.

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10 Reasons Why the Macho Male Figure in Your Life is Toxic

While most Americans have heard about toxic masculinity at least once in their life, they don’t hear the Latin equivalent of Machismoas much. Macho simply meaning “honorable man” who aspires to protect and provide for his family machismo has evolved into a negative cultural attribute. Machismo men are associated with characteristics “such as a chauvinistic and tyrannical male character, an exaggerated masculine posture, extramarital sexual activity, involvement in physical abuse and violence, displays of physical courage or daring, heavy drinking, and the imposition of restrictions on women's freedom of movement.”[1]In Latin America, machismo is associated with men in power typically politicians but it has been embraced by the general population of Latin countries as well as Latinx population in the United States. While men are the patriarchs reinforced by societal norms and values, women are Marianismo. Women are seen as the “Virgin Maria” who is submissive, fragile, and holds saint-like values. Here’s a list explaining why the machismo culture is toxic. The sources with (*) next to them are academic and the others popular.  

1)   Machismo culture increases chances of STDs and STIs. *

Moreno, Claudia L. "340 The Relationship Between Culture, Gender, Structural Factors, Abuse, Trauma, and HIV/AIDS for Latinas." Qualitative Health Research17, no. 3 (March 2007): 340-52. A medical ethnographic study conducted by Claudia Moreno of Rutgers University of Latino women suffering from HIV/AIDS discovered that there was a high rate of childhood abuse, sexual trauma, and physical as well as economic abuse among these women. They emphasized their non-disclosure to the machismo/marianismo culture in Latin America. They had to remain docile and had to sacrifice personal safety in order to please the machismo men in their lives. This increased their risk of exposure to STDs and STIs. The machismo culture encourages men to have multiple sexual partners as it is a symbol of sexual conquest. Most of the women in this study stated that their transmission was through their heterosexual partner who was aware of their HIV status but chose to hide their status and expose them. This increases the risks of HIV among both men and women. Women who have been diagnosed as being HIV positive are unable to leave their abusive partners due to the cultural stigma and the limited economic opportunities. Latina women’s sexual health is being affected due to the machismo culture perpetuated by men and women of their communities.

2)   Obtaining access to reproductive care is an uphill battle. *

Wessel, Lois. "Reproductive Rights in Nicaragua: From the Sandinistas to the Government of Violeta Chamorro." Feminist Studies17, no. 3 (1991), 536-549. doi:10.2307/3178289. In Nicaragua due to the machismo culture, men feel the most powerful when they have impregnated multiple women. They consider multiple women raising their children to be a prideful act and the height of machismo. Due to the lack of birth control education and access to birth control with the support of church and the government, the women had to get their tubes tied as their only form of birth control with the help of international agencies. The only women who obtained sex education or any birth control were the ones who sought gynecologists or experts due to their preexisting health conditions. The women who were healthy were given no education. The Sandinistas and women’s organizations equally focused on treatment of STDs rather than prevention of such. In 1990 the Masaya Hospital noted more cases of self-induced abortion than live births at the hospitals as abortions are not legalized. The machismo culture along with the declining economy has made obtaining reproductive rights extremely difficult even in present day. Machismo culture has created barriers for women to obtain reproductive rights.

3)   Men are not seeking medical help even for testicular cancer. *

Clarke, Juanne, and Julie Robinson. “Testicular Cancer: Medicine and Machismo in the Media (1980–94).” Health3, no. 3 (July 1999): 263–82. doi:10.1177/136345939900300302. Machismo men take pride in their sexual health and their gender identity is strongly associated with their sexual health. They are heavily focused on their ability to perform sexually. The slangs used to describe their testicles show the high importance placed on testicles. The loss of testicle is the loss of manhood for these men. One of the most common concerns of men suffering from testicular cancer is if their penis would still function. The lack of conversation around testicular cancer and the shame associated with possibly losing the function of his genitalia, machismo men are less likely to seek medical care. Machismo culture not only affects females but males as well. Men are less likely to seek medical care due to the emasculation associated with machismo culture.

4)   Machismo culture doesn’t allow men to feel emotions.

Ferreira, Johanna. "Why We Need to Talk About Toxic Masculinity & Machismo." HipLatina. May 10, 2018. Accessed March 9, 2019. https://hiplatina.com/need-talk-toxic-masculinity-machismo/. Machismo culture teaches men that if they are abused sexually that they are “ruined.” The only way to reinforce their manliness is to exert their power over others through violence or control. This leads to extremely high rates of sexual abuse while most aren’t reported. This starts from an early age where girls are taught to take care of the household chores as well as taking care of their brothers. At the same time, boys aren’t taught to be responsible and to portray hyper-masculine characteristics. This leads the men to hide their trauma regarding abuse whether its mental, physical, or sexual. A lot of men suffer in silence due to the fear of retaliation from their communities. Men should not be afraid to seek mental health care, but they are due to the machismo culture.

5)   Machismo culture leads to a higher risk factors for intimate partner violence. *

Mancera, Bibiana M., Angus Shiva Mungal, Joseph De Santis, and Elias Provencio-Vasquez. “Reflections of Men of Mexican Origin: A Grounded Theory Study of Intimate Partner Violence Risk Factors.” American Journal of Men’s Health, (September 2018), 1784–98. doi:10.1177/1557988318787617. The study conducted on several men of Mexican origin of different demographics showed that they believe intimate partner violence is due to culture. Several men spoke of their fathers or other male figure in their lives who believed and treated women like they were less than. These men associated themselves to being homosexuals when they weren’t able to hit women due to legal restrictions. They associated their masculinity in being able to have control over their women. They have a very normalized view of partner violence. One spoke of a man who dragged a woman out of the car by her hair and he did nothing due to the normalized environment. On the other spectrum, men spoke of how they wouldn’t report partner violence on themselves due to the emasculation that follows. The machismo culture that normalizes gender-violence or partner violence is extremely problematic.

6)   Women are forced to flee to escape domestic violence as local authorities dismiss their cases.

Lakhani, Nina. "'He Will Kill Me If He Sees Me Again': Abused Women Seek Refuge in Mexico." The Guardian. June 07, 2017. Accessed March 9, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jun/07/women-refugees-domestic-violence-mexico. One in every three women interviews by UNCHR at the Mexican southern border in 2016 were women fleeing from domestic abuse. Most cases of domestic abuses are dismissed, and the women are given no protection when seeking for restraining orders. If women do seek police help, men are fined a small amount and allowed to resume their lives. Women are afraid that the men will retaliate with vengeance and the violence will escalate. Women from all over Latin America are making extremely long journeys to escape abuse into Mexico and beyond. The issue of machismo culture is not only contained in Latin America but it also affects the United States due to migration.  

7)   Machismo increases homophobia and violence. *

Kenneth B. Muir & Trina Seitz (2004) machismo, misogyny, and homophobia in a male athletic subculture: a participant-observation study of deviant rituals in collegiate rugby, Deviant Behavior, 25:4, 303-327, DOI: 10.1080/01639620490267294. Homosexuality is considered an extremely negative thing in the machismo culture. The Latin American machismo culture has such a high focus on masculinity and heterosexual sexual prowess. When someone is not adhering to the patriarchal heteronormative behaviors, they are an outcast. This usually leads to the homosexual men hiding their sexuality in fear of retaliation. When questioned about their sexuality even if they’re heterosexual, they are met with violence and anger. Homosexual individuals become victim to hate crimes and ridicule on a daily basis. The machismo culture has made homosexuals social outcasts and increased violence relating to homophobia.

8)    Femicide is an ongoing issue in Latin America

Kahn, Gretel. "Impunity and Machismo: Femicide Epidemic in Mexico." The McGill International Review. October 7, 2017. Accessed March 12, 2019. https://www.mironline.ca/impunity-machismo-femicide-epidemic-mexico/. 12 women are murdered every day in Latin America and Caribbean due to their gender. In Mexico, alone six femicide (female homicide) occur every day. These states have an impunity rate of 95% for femicides and most cases are dismissed as suicides despite the evidence stating otherwise. Despite Mexico’s high rate of education and political involvement of women in Mexico compared to its other developing state counterparts, Mexico seems to have one of the highest rates of female homicide and domestic abuse. The government as well as judicial system dismiss these cases and refuse to acknowledge the role of Machismo culture in these murders. The traditional culture of women deemed as properties of their husbands or boyfriends is the reason these cases are the most common ones. Latinas are killed every day being because women are considered property. This is a toxic trait of machismo culture.

9)   Machismo culture encourages high alcohol consumption among men but discourage alcoholism treatments.

"Information on Alcoholism & Rehab Statistics among the Hispanic Community." Alcohol.org. Accessed March 9, 2019. https://www.alcohol.org/alcoholism-and-race/hispanic/. Hispanic males associate drinking to their cultural identity. Studies have shown higher rates of consumption and abuse among Hispanic men due to the machismo culture. Studies showed that traditional Hispanic men who rejected American norms and retained machismo norms were ten times more likely to consume high amounts of alcohol and drugs. They are overrepresenting in the DUI statistics as well. However, the cultural stigma of receiving treatment becomes a barrier for men of Hispanic origin to seek care. The machismo culture has been hurting men and women in different ways.

10)Machismo culture creates a barrier for feminist activism.

Kumar, Nikhil. "The Machismo Paradox: Latin America's Struggles with Feminism and Patriarchy." Brown Political Review. August 28, 2015. Accessed March 10, 2019. http://www.brownpoliticalreview.org/2014/04/the-machismo-paradox-latin-americas-struggles-with-feminism-and-patriarchy/. The four female presidents that have been elected in Latin America have had their victories tied to the male political support they had received. While Nicaragua’s National Assembly boasts of 40% female leaders, they are not recognized. When President Bachelet approved a law that made emergency contraception available in state-run hospitals, she was accused of running a “totalitarian regime.” These leaders are faced with resistance as they oppose the traditional machismo culture. They have an extremely hard time implementing policies that benefit women. The progress is extremely slow due to the machismo culture which makes finding and implementing solutions to all the other problems listed above extremely difficult.

[1]Valdez, Avelardo. "Machismo." In Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, 2nd ed., edited by Patrick L. Mason, 81-84. Vol. 3. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA, 2013. Gale Virtual Reference Library (accessed March 5, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/CX4190600280/GVRL?u=auraria_main&sid=GVRL&xid=33684d7b.

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Can I be masculine without being toxic?

Adam Niesen

The viral Gillette ad may have catapulted the term toxic masculinity into the conversations in households across America; however, the concept has existed since the 1990’s. What once was a term of extremism, toxic masculinity has been sensationalized between social media, the news media and people’s general misconceptions. To understand the concept, we must break the term down into its two parts. Toxic is defined as “poisonous” and “bad or harmful. Masculinity is “qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men.” If we then combine them, the term means the bad or harmful qualities that are deemed masculine. In its essence there is nothing that states which qualities are the harmful ones or even that all masculine qualities are harmful. However, through time society has taken poetic license and defined the concept through vastly different lenses. This has led me to the questions, what has caused the masculine’s to become more noticeably “toxic” in today’s day and age; can I be masculine without being toxic; and if so, how? I found the following Popular (citations in red) and Scholarly (citations in green) articles helpful in answering these question. I would highly recommend reading these articles for yourself to see how you rank. Bibliography “10 Ways to Be a Role Model to Your Children.” All Pro Dad. Accessed March 5, 2019.

https://www.allprodad.com/10-ways-to-be-a-role-model-to-your-children/

Simply a list of ways to be a good role model to your children, this article explains ten simple actions to consistently perform as a parent and as an adult to help ensure that your children and others that may look up to you become the best human they can be. 

Barth, F., Diane. “Toxic masculinity is terrible shorthand for a real problem plaguing men” Last modified January 14, 2019,

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/toxic-masculinity-terrible-shorthand-real-problem-plaguing-men-ncna957941?fbclid=IwAR3A0nAA0ameomr773WMmeRXXjUEaas7hHg4WZdTgSy6U-c7lT_zxFJcoS4

           “Rigid stereotypes about what it means to be a man are hard to change, but accusations reinforce rigidity in even people who want to grow” said Dr. Barth. As a psychotherapist Dr. Barth discusses how the dictates of “toxic masculinity” and how misapplication of the term can be detrimental to both masculine and feminine by causing those that feel or are wrongly accused to lock up and resist change.

            This article is very helpful in understanding why there are so many masculine’s out there that are abhorrently rejecting Gillette’s message.     Burns, Jim. “Biopolitics, Toxic Masculinities, Disavowed Histories, and Youth Radicalization.”

Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice vol. 29, issue 2 (2017): 176-183 doi: 10.1080/10402659.2017.1308723

Connell, J.W. and James W. Messerschmidt. “Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept” Gender and Society Vol. 19 No. 6 (2005): 829-859. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891243205278639 

            Connell, a world renowned author and expert on men’s studies co-authored this article about hegemonic masculinity. The article deals with how hegemonic masculinity cannot be just viewed from the global level, it must also be viewed from the regional and local level also to see that the hegemonic masculinity pushed by radicals is not an all encompassing entity.      

Gilpin, Caroline Crosson and Natalie Proulx. “Boys to Men: Teaching and Learning About Masculinity in an Age of Change.” Last modified April 12, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/learning/lesson-plans/boys-to-men-teaching-and-learning-about-masculinity-in-an-age-of-change.html?fbclid=IwAR3O6itc8S1WX6I86wydM-IJHzvbhttowTP_QQOz89sVf93YjnPa3vOywCU

This article provides a basic lesson plan for teaching a class about masculinity. It runs through several exercises to stimulate the brain and point out the unrealistic beliefs that most humans hold towards men and masculinity. Pointing to the fact that most believe that a good man is feminine whereas a “real man” is masculine and the two cannot be combined. The truth of the matter is, the vast majority of men are both “good” and “real.” 

 Anderson, Kristin J. and Donna Cavallaro.  “Parents or pop culture? Children's heroes and role models.” Childhood Education 78.3. Spring 2002: 161+ http://go.galegroup.com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=GRGM&u=auraria_main&id=GALE%7CA83661351&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon

           This article explores the role models’ children have chosen and what possibly influences these decisions. The beginning of the article looks at how the media available to children influences their choices and actions. The authors also conducted a study to determine who the children chose as role models. Most of the time the children chose their parents because they knew them.   

Salter, Michael. “The Problem with a Fight Against Toxic Masculinity.” Last modified February 27, 2019.  https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/02/toxic-masculinity-history/583411/?fbclid=IwAR2Tik-u8GO6x8Dl1QQVXomUbZT-eA-_DVxH0K-j3cfg9WSoH1xd98plcGE

           Toxic masculinity has become “the” term to use when explaining any bit of violence or sexism on the part of men.  The term is separated from healthy masculinity by including traits of aggression and self-entitlement.   Because of its popularity papers have been written, ads have gone viral and the American Psychological Association has introduced guidelines for therapists who have male patients.  

Toxic masculinity has also found its way into the political sphere where conservatives and liberals view the idea very differently.  The right sees no delineation between masculinity and toxic masculinity and believes the idea is hurting manhood.  The left views the concept as a hurdle to overcome in order to achieve gender equality; using it as a cause to many negative happenings in the US.  Both sides miss the mark on the true function of toxic masculinity.  It is not a cause of the problems, but it does point towards the causes.

Toxic masculinity was “coined in the mythopoetic men’s movement of the 80’s and 90’s.”  The movement stated that by suppressing the true man many masculine traits become toxic.  Late in the 80’s Raewyn Connell rejected this theory and concluded that gender is a product of the environment rather than a specific set of traits.  Thus, the characteristics that define a “real man” will vary “across time and place.”  High societal standards can cause males to become insecure and can often bring about extreme stereotypical male traits such as aggression, etc...  

In 2005, Terry Kupers weighed in on the subject of toxic masculinity and defined it as “the constellation of socially regressive male traits that serve to foster domination, the devaluation of women, homophobia, and wanton violence.”  

Today, the concept of toxic masculinity is more widely discussed and has led to programs such as Barack Obama’s mentoring program which encourage men and boys to have a greater grasp on their emotional side.  

Overall, when looking at the term toxic masculinity, it is of importance to also address the cultural and societal happenings.   The only way to stomp out the issue will be to take each situation on a case by case basis and identify root causes.

Saad, Gad. “Is Toxic Masculinity a Valid Concept? On the dangers of pathologizing manhood.” Last modified March 2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/homo-consumericus/201803/is-toxic-masculinity-valid-concept

In this article, the generally accepted definition of toxic masculinity being the aggression driven, dominant male is used to characterize the male of many species as it pertains to mating.  As it is with many animals, human women tend to mate with the more masculine of the males.  In many cases this “toxic masculinity” is blended with hints of softness, as is the stereotypical romance novel hero.  Thus, the idea of a man’s masculinity being toxic is equal to the idea of a woman’s femininity being “diabolical.”

Saad very clearly defines toxic masculinity and then uses examples of that to show how throughout nature that definition is synonymous with masculinity.  This gives a definitive definition to “toxic masculinity” and then puts the term into a global context.

 Shuffelton, Amy. “Consider Your Man Card Reissued: Masculine Honor and Gun Violence.” Educational Theory, vol. 65, issue 4, 387-403. https://doi-org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/edth.12123

Vessière, Samuel. “The Real Problem With ‘Toxic Masculinity.’” Last modified February 19, 2018.  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-mind-and-brain/201802/the-real-problem-toxic-masculinity?fbclid=IwAR3xYUVY3wAWZvnKFctkS0lfe5BgrTHcfMjDlqyQrSU8vVy-ciwyqpVqfGc

Vinopal, Lauren. “Toxic Masculinity Is a Myth, but Insecure Men Lash Out at Women.” Last modified November 24, 2018.  https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/toxic-masculinity-fake-male-insecurity/?fbclid=IwAR2TJIh-ei0Xvq8Xb2DpbitXwOfZbW1-q0E6G2O1sYwvnMTyGA_rYMqFZfA

           Vinopal takes a deep look into what “toxic masculinity” is in this article and determines that as the title states “toxic masculinity” is a myth. Vinopal claims that the term is “poorly Defined and is “bandied around” in an attempt to explain things like “mass shootings” and “sexual assault.” Vinopal goes on to state that many of the attributes of masculinity that have been placed deemed “toxic” are not actually toxic, but are the attributs portrayed by men who lash out when they feel their masculinity is being threatened. Vinopal finishes the article by recommending that we not label these attributes as toxic, “but to ask more of men” more “positive aspects of performed masculinity – heroism, action-based empathy like protecting others, expertise, amassing resources, and work ethic.”            

Weathington, Bradley. “Is Sexual Harassment An Endemic Social Issue?” Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice 10(2), 2018 pp. 64–70. http://dx.doi.org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.22381/CRLSJ10220185

           Weathington performed a series of surveys during November and December of 2017 to find out if sexual harassment is an endemic social issue. The surveys found that “most U.S. women have been sexually harassed” in that 59% of female respondents claimed to have been sexually harassed. The survey also found that 58% of respondents felt that the #MeToo movement is likely to cause further segregation between men and women in the workplace.

           A careful and cautious approach must be taken when reading this paper as to not get trapped by the way the author segregates data obtained from the surveys.

  Weir, Kirsten. “The men America left behind.” Last modified February 2017.  https://www.apa.org/monito r/2017/02/men-left-behind?fbclid=IwAR17CoAmfKJziYzAvpwzjPCZLnngA0NKdzZW6R7Bp5ec_KRsLBfwPeM-2P4

           In this article, Weir discusses how the loss of “blue collar” jobs in America is leaving many men in the U.S. without a traditional place to work. Without these traditionally male jobs such as mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and heavy industry many men, especially those without the famed college degree find themselves unable to provide for their family. This loss of traditionally masculine jobs along with the rapidly changing social landscape is leaving many men, predominantly white, behind.            This article provides some enlightenment into why the range of “toxic masculine” attributes and the number of those portraying “toxic masculine” attributes are growing.    

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The Violence Cloaked In Toxic Masculinity

Zachary Kelly

March 12, 2019

           Toxic masculinity is not meant to be anti-men or anti-masculinity. It is a term meant to describe how certain aspects of masculinity can be harmful to everyone, including the men who themselves have this quality. Being informed is a good way to get an understanding of the issue and to be able to find ways to stop it. Many people’s misconception or misinformation on toxic masculinity makes them think it is either not a problem or not an issue worth discussing.

           Toxic masculinity refers to the aspects of masculine behavior which are considered harmful to society. Some of these masculine norms are considered toxic due to their relations to dominance, violence, competition, and lack of empathy. Many people might not see toxic masculinity as an issue due to their lack of knowledge on the topic. The damage from toxic masculinity can also extend to the person who displays toxic masculinity. In modern society men are held up to a standard which tells them to be dominant, powerful, and suppress their emotions. These sources all focus more on violence and bullying in relation to toxic masculinity, and how toxic masculinity is a possible root of some of these issues.

Popular Sources:

Barth, Diane “Toxic Masculinity is terrible shorthand for a real problem plaguing men” NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/toxic-masculinity-terrible-shorthand-real-problem-plaguing-men-ncna957941(accessed March 4, 2019).

Diane Barth talks about how part of toxic masculinity’s suffering comes from the men trying to live up to certain traditional standards that men are held up to. These standards include aspects which can harm the self during personal development. Showing weakness and trying to be more masculine are both parts of the puzzle which often turn into homophobia, bullying, etc.

Barth wants people to throw away these notions and instead of that focus more on positive development and not to reinforce these negative aspects of masculinity less they unravel into quality of life issues later on in life. This focuses more on how the personal health of the individual is affected by toxic masculinity and that focusing and fighting toxic masculinity can be helpful to our own life.

Fessler, Leah. “Activist Shaun king says toxic masculinity is at the root of gun violence, war, and terrorism.” Quartz at Work. https://qz.com/work/1409018/hhw4-shaun-king/(accessed March 4, 2019).

Leah Fessler discusses that activists in the Black Lives Matter Movement are trying to bring awareness of issues such as “police brutality, mass incarceration, voter suppression, sexual harassment, and, most notably, police killings of unarmed black people.” One specifically believes that that these events have roots in toxic masculinity and unconscious sexism.

Fessler answers some questions later in the article which tell how King identifies as a feminist, why he does, and also how he acts from day to day to advance gender equality. She discusses how he thinks toxic masculinity is harmful to all genders and shares his methods of discussing sexism and strategies in how to reduce the unconscious sexism that exists. Some people see toxic masculinity as a female centered view, but in reality it aims to benefit everyone rather than suppress or punish men. Fessler wants everyone to be against toxic masculinity.

Montero, Henry. “Depression in Men: The Cycle of Toxic Masculinity.” PSYCOM. https://www.psycom.net/depression-in-men/depression-in-men-toxic-masculinity/(accessed March 4, 2019).

Henry Montero discusses why one of the reasons he became a therapist was helping people with problems such as “anxiety, social awkwardness, bipolar disorder, and depression.” He noticed that some men, because of how these traditional views and goals of men were imposed on them, were unable to express, discuss, or even identify some of their problems. They have trouble admitting it and are often told to put these emotions away rather than to talk about it and seek mental help.

Montero tells the audience that he has seen how men have not been responded to with anything positive, and often “weren’t met with sympathy or encouragement,” which only amplifies these problems. At the end he gives specific examples of what you can do to help men be “more comfortable sharing their emotions.” As a therapist he wants people to change for the better.

Om, Jason. “Toxic masculinity: Helping men understand the impact of their behaviour.” ABC Life. https://www.abc.net.au/life/toxic-masculinity-men-understanding-their-behaviour/9998310(accessed March 4, 2019).

Jason Om talks about how there are many people who don’t see the toxic masculinity being shown in their own actions. They may attribute their fits of violence with being a man or as Bob puts it, “Oh well, that’s just me venting.” They didn’t see how their actions affected the people they love.

Om discusses how there are different programs and groups that are determined to help men change and that change is possible but it needs time and positive attitude. Om wants people to study their own actions more carefully, and determine if they exhibit any elements of toxic masculinity, because they might not see it otherwise. We may unconsciously make bad decisions and act out of impulse, but we need to take other’s feelings into account first.

Vagianos, Alanna. “How Gun Violence And Toxic Masculinity Are Linked, In 8 Tweets.” Huffington Post. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gun-violence-toxic-masculinity-tweets_us_5a85ead4e4b05c2bcac8ec08(accessed March 4, 2019).

Alanna Vagianos uses some of comedian Michael Ian Black’s tweets to show the link between toxic masculinity and gun violence. These tweets followed the Majory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting. Black discusses that until the problem of toxic masculinity can be solved, the gun problem is a good first step. He also talks about how men need the same space and the same sense of freedom that women have in terms of their identity, personality, and view of their gender.

Vagianos uses these tweets not only as a modern mainstream take on toxic masculinity, but also to link toxic masculinity to real world problems, which many people don’t realize. Some people think that these problems only go as far as personality and mood, and never put these issues into perspective of the real world and long term effects. Sometimes when personal expression is blocked these inside issues build up and are released. Vagianos tells us that these issues can build themselves up in other people as these bottled up emotions can turn to abuse, which only continues to cycle. Vagianos wants us to break that cycle for the safety of everyone.

Academic Sources:

Douglas, Susan J. “Why Toxic Masculinity Hurts Men as Well as Women.” In These Times(2017).

Susan Douglas’s article talks about how with toxic masculinity, everyone is the victim. It isn’t just those that are affected as a part of a person’s toxic behavior, but the person themselves is also harmed. Douglas discusses how some news outlets like Fox News specifically describes toxic masculinity as being anti-men where it isn’t, and is more anti-toxic-behavior and anti-harmful-ideas.

Douglas wants the reader to know that everyone needs to be informed and everyone needs to understand the issue. Feminists aren’t the only people that need to be concerned as everyone, even women, can be shown to display toxic masculinity. Douglas says that ‘toxic’ may not be the best word to describe the issue, but that the Right is not helping in solve the issue. Not all men show this, but it should still be acknowledged.

Haider, Syed. “The Shooting in Orlando, Terrorism or Toxic Masculinity (or Both?).” Men and Masculinities19 (2016).

           News coverage of the Orlando nightclub shooting shows tension between two frames. The main conflict was whether this was a homophobic crime or simple terrorism. Syed Haider links this to toxic masculinity and part of fundamentalist Islamic culture.

Haider talks about how masculinity is closely tied with violence and that when masculinities turn toxic, and immediate satisfaction takes over for long term solutions and peaceful problem solving. The division of genders does not help contribute to this conflict and only allows toxic masculinity to take its problems out on people.

Matos, Kenneth, Olivia O’Neill, and Xue Lei. “Toxic Leadership and the Masculinity Contest Culture: How ‘Win or Die’ Cultures Breed Abusive Leadership.” Journal of Social Issues74 (2018).

           Kenneth Matos dives deep into the “win or die” organizational culture that we live in. People compete for leadership status and exhibit “toxic leadership.” Certain aspects of toxic masculinity show themselves more in workplaces where toxic leadership is in place or where the workplace acts as a masculinity contest.

           Matos wants to understand that because of the culture of the workplace, sometimes toxic masculinity is the only type of leadership that can thrive, which in turn hurts the workplace overall. It increases stress, conflict, and reduces enjoyment of life and working. Matos wants us to reduce these actions even if they feel necessary and that the type of leadership is contributing to the company, where it only hurts the employees.

Veissière, Samuel Paul Louis. “’Toxic Masculinity’ in the age of #MeToo: ritual, morality and gender archetypes across cultures.” Society and Business Review13 (2018).

Samuel Vissière aims to dissect some of the cultural shifts that change how we see and view gender. It is more than just following what a man should be and is not a good part of today’s culture.

Stereotyped behavior shows in everything because gender is so ingrained in our modern culture. Vissière talks about how different cultures can be in gender identification and that certain cultures have similar issues. In an analogy with wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs, boys should be more like sheepdogs, and less like wolves. Vissière shows how boys are desired to show all of the positive aspects of masculinity that we see, and that we should raise our boys with a set of ethics which are safe for everyone.

Gruber, James, and Susan Fineran. “Sexual Harassment, Bullying, and School Outcomes for High School Girls and Boys.” Violence Against Women22 (2015).

James Gruber talks about how toxic masculinity creates a bullying culture which amplifies the competitiveness of toxic masculinity and the desire for dominance. Different studies being conducted link toxic masculinity to a factor in bullying for people.            Gruber talks about how males and females are affected differently but both still suffer, and overall like many other issues can extend the toxic masculinity in the environment to further generations and these problems don’t stop. Gruber differentiates bullying and harassment and sees that sexual harassment can be a strong predictor of bullying outcomes than general bullying.

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Top 10 Things to Consider About Toxic Masculinity

Abby Vitello

Core Comp II

March 12th, 2019

Top Ten Things to Consider About Toxic Masculinity

Toxic Masculinity has almost become a household phrase of Americans and people all around the globe. According to popular culture, boys & men are held to a standard of what emotions are allowed to be shown and how the dominance that is expected in men is becoming more and more toxic.  In almost every house in America, boys from a young age are told what to do and not to do in the ways that they carry themselves. While there are many different perspectives of how masculinity is affecting this generation. Here are 10 articles that touch on the different perspectives of what toxic masculinity is and how the world is affected by the controversy of the emerging ideas of feminism and masculinity.

Popular Sources

1.Salter, Michael. “The Problem With a Fight Against Toxic Masculinity” The Atlantic. February 27th, 2019. Accessed March 5th, 2019 https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/02/toxic-masculinity-history/583411/

Michael Salter from The Atlantic discusses when masculinity becomes a problem. Salter begins to touch on the history of the term Toxic Masculinity, the misconceptions about this term and how it ultimately affects the way men and women interact with each other in society.  In today’s world, the way toxic masculinity is viewed as an epidemic of abusive behaviors that continually cause turmoil between men and women. He explains the dangers of the sexist attitudes that both genders are subject to because of masculinity. Salter’s article offers insight to the growing opinions that society from a male’s perspective.

2. Beer, Jeff. "Forget Gillette: This Emotional New PSA Shows a Journey of Toxic Masculinity." Fast Company. February 27, 2019. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.fastcompany.com/90312483/forget-gillette-this-emotional-new-psa-shows-a-journey-of-toxic-masculinity

This advertisement shows a young boy turning into a teenager dealing with domestic abuse at home, shyness, and anxiety and then him turning into a teenager with long life issues. “Boys will be boys. Or they can be so much more” is the ending remarks of this ad, which tugs at the viewers emotions. In this ad, the company is showing the opposite of what the Gillette ad was trying to portray. Although this ad did not receive the same amount of publicity as the Gillette ad did, it does dig deeper into the roots of the role toxic masculinity plays gender violence, stereotypes, and how it can be avoided from an early age. The problems with toxic masculinity are not just exemplified through men but through women and the way they are treated. Beer’s creation of this PSA creates a deeper message of the true problems that arise from society’s realization that toxic masculinity can be avoided with little alterations from a young age.

3. Hamblin, James. "Toxic Masculinity and Murder." The Atlantic. October 11, 2016. Accessed March 05, 2019.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/toxic-masculini1ty-and-mass-murder/486983/

In this article, The Atlantic explains the Orlando killer’s suffering from toxic masculinity which had led him in the past to have pent up aggression against LGBT and events involving that crowd of people. The type of Toxic Masculinity presented by him was going into the club and getting drunk only to express his hatred toward the people in the club in a violent way. Not only does this article touch on a specific person affected by toxic masculinity, it compares it to the very serious subject of murder. When putting the two in one article, the readers can see how toxic masculinity is the root of the harsh problems society is going through in current events.

4. "Barth, Diane F. Opinion | Toxic Masculinity Is Terrible Shorthand for a Real Problem Plaguing Men." NBCNews.com. Accessed March 05, 2019.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/toxic-masculinity-terrible-shorthand-real-problem-plaguing-men-ncna957941

This opinion piece published by NBC News focuses on the emotional problems and how to learn to fix them, not internalize them. By keeping these problems inside, the anger of being classified within the toxic masculinity type fuels the anger of these outbreaks from men. Many men are fearful of seeking out help when faced with the idea that they are acting in a “feminine” or an “emotional” manner. Barth, a psychotherapist, explains the reasons why men and women struggling with their self-being should not be afraid to talk to someone about their problems of the feelings. Barth offers a different perspective than most popular cultures sources with her

5. "Opinion | What Growing up in America Taught Me about Masculinity." NBCNews.com. Accessed March 05, 2019.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/boys-are-internalizing-toxic-masculinity-habits-way-too-early-ncna814316?icid=related

John Legend goes in depth of what he believes caused him to be the man he is today but other young boys take the criticism they are hearing. Instead of embracing the criticism like he did, the young boys of today think need to be angry about it. Legend, being so well known in today’s culture, is a o

Academic Sources

6. Hess, Aaron, and Carlos Flores. "Simply More than Swiping Left: A Critical Analysis of Toxic Masculine Performances on Tinder Nightmares."

https://journals-sagepub-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/pdf/10.1177/1461444816681540

In this article, Aaron Hess & Carlos Flores take a look into the online dating site, Tinder and its counterpart, Tinder Nightmares. The supposedly private conversation between the men and women who use this mobile dating site is then publicized. By doing so, toxic masculinity is then exposed to the world. This article breaks down the different types of men that are encountered and how this causes men to reply to the toxic masculinity.

7. Jenney, Angelique, and Deinera Exner-Cortens. "Toxic Masculinity and Mental Health in Young Women."

https://journals-sagepub-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/10.1177/0886109918762492

While the popular TV series, 13 Reasons Why mainly focuses on the suicide aspect, Jenney and Exner-Cortens go in depth about the toxic masculinity, gender violence, and female expression. In addition to those reasons, they also touch on why bringing the ideas that are absent throughout the show to encourage the youth to understand. Ultimately, Hannah Baker, the girl who commits suicide, was pushed to do so because of the toxic masculinity she was exposed to in everyday life. Not only was Baker exposed to the harsh reality of toxic masculinity, but Clay is often subject to being the victim. In the show, he was threatened in order to keep him silent. The “gang” who did the threatening created the theme of toxic masculinity throughout the whole show. Since this show was such a popular topic among teenagers, it presents the ideas to a young crowd, causing the toxic traits to spread.

8. Jenney, Angelique, and Deinera Exner-Cortens. "Toxic Masculinity and Mental Health in Young Women."

https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/abs/10.1002/jclp.20105

The prisoner populations are one of most understudied and difficult groups to unfold the gender issues within. In this writing, the many obstacles of why toxic masculinity becomes such an issue among prisoners. This is due to the lack of resources, growing prisons, and stereotypes of what a “real man” is.

9. Iwamoto, Derek K., Jennifer Brady, Ayalin Kaya, and Athena Park. "Masculinity and Depression: A Longitudinal Investigation of Multidimensional Masculine Norms Among College Men."

https://journals-sagepub-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1177/1557988318785549?utm_source=summon&utm_medium=discovery-provider

This study exhibits the pressure men feel while going from their last year of highschool to their first year in college. Looking at the role of masculinity and the way it can negatively affect the men’s mental stability. The data provided shows the correlation between depression and the norms that are adapted by males in society. This description of the data explains that most boys entering college experience changes such as moving away from home for the first time, which can cause the situation to be more stressful. With more stress, any adversity the men affected by this will then have a tendency to project their feelings in a toxic way onto others.

10. Elliott, Kathleen. "Challenging Toxic Masculinity in Schools and Society."

https://www-emeraldinsight-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1108/OTH-11-2017-0088

This paper discusses where the toxic masculinity tends to appear, how to disrupt the learning of toxic masculinity and the way resisting it can affect the genders of society in the future. Toxic masculinity is seen in businesses, schools and throughout athletics. Although masculinity can play a positive role in growth of young men, it can also cause more problems that lead to more developmental issues in men. This article suggests ways that toxic masculinity in school and everyday life can be fixed in a way that doesn’t put the blame on just one of the genders.

      In all of these sources, the common theme is how the way society views toxic masculinity whether it be from  social media, mainstream television, or educational sources. Although masculinity is not always a bad perspective for young men to learn off of, it can cause issues when presented by belittling women in society and causes violence among children and adults.

Overall, society believes toxic masculinity should be taught to diminish at an early age to prevent any other disturbances throughout their lives.

Citations:

Salter, Michael. "The Problem With a Fight Against Toxic Masculinity." The Atlantic. February 27, 2019. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/02/toxic-masculinity-history/583411/.

Beer, Jeff. "Forget Gillette: This Emotional New PSA Shows a Journey of Toxic Masculinity." Fast Company. February 27, 2019. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.fastcompany.com/90312483/forget-gillette-this-emotional-new-psa-shows-a-journey-of-toxic-masculinity.

Hamblin, James. "Toxic Masculinity and Murder." The Atlantic. October 11, 2016. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/toxic-masculini1ty-and-mass-murder/486983/.

"Opinion | Toxic Masculinity Is Terrible Shorthand for a Real Problem Plaguing Men." NBCNews.com. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/toxic-masculinity-terrible-shorthand-real-problem-plaguing-men-ncna957941.

"Opinion | What Growing up in America Taught Me about Masculinity." NBCNews.com. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/boys-are-internalizing-toxic-masculinity-habits-way-too-early-ncna814316?icid=related.

Hess, Aaron, and Carlos Flores. "Simply More than Swiping Left: A Critical Analysis of Toxic Masculine Performances on Tinder Nightmares." New Media & Society 20, no. 3 (2016): 1085-102. Accessed March 5, 2019. doi:10.1177/1461444816681540.

Jenney, Angelique, and Deinera Exner-Cortens. "Toxic Masculinity and Mental Health in Young Women." Affilia 33, no. 3 (2018): 410-17. Accessed March 5, 2019. doi:10.1177/0886109918762492.

Kupers, Terry A. "Toxic Masculinity as a Barrier to Mental Health Treatment in Prison." Journal of Clinical Psychology 61, no. 6 (2005): 713-24. Accessed March 5, 2019. doi:10.1002/jclp.20105.

Iwamoto, Derek K., Jennifer Brady, Ayalin Kaya, and Athena Park. "Masculinity and Depression: A Longitudinal Investigation of Multidimensional Masculine Norms Among College Men." 12, no. 6 (July 4, 2018): 1873-881. Accessed March 5, 2019. https://journals-sagepub-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1177/1557988318785549?utm_source=summon&utm_medium=discovery-provider.

Elliott, Kathleen. "Challenging Toxic Masculinity in Schools and Society." On the Horizon26, no. 1 (2018): 17-22. Accessed March 5, 2019. doi:10.1108/oth-11-2017-0088.

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Ten Sources on How Toxic Masculinity Affect Men’s Mental Health

Ly Tran

Professor Mohrman

March 12, 2019

Toxic masculinity is a complex term to identify but some people identify toxic masculinity as a term that is associated with the characteristics of a man such as violent, powerful, strong and aggressive. Within our society there is a norm that in order to be considered a man, a man must contain these characteristics such as strong, don’t express their emotion and being tough which is something that is not true. This norm within the society has led many men to depression because they have to live up to these expectations that society have created for them. Many men and boys within our society are experiencing depression because of the culture that they are being taught, in order to be an actual man, a boy/man must suppress emotion and maintain an appearance of hardness.

Five Popular Sources:

Cannon, Amy. "Men, Depression, and Toxic Masculinity." Providence Behavioral Health. July 3, 2017. Accessed March 12, 2019. http://www.providencebehavioral.com/men-depression-and-toxic-masculinity/.

The author presents the concept that mental illness is not just for women, men also go through mental illness just in different ways than women. Men are more likely to seek eternal ways to cope with their pain because they not expected to show their emotion so instead of being sad, they would work drink. The author suggests that within the society people should change the expectation that men/ boys don't cry or show their emotion, so men/boys could be honest with their feeling. Cannon graduated with her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Towson University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. The article is published in 2017, on the Providence Behavioral Health page which is a clinic.

Marcus, Joshua. "How Psychology Deals With The Concept Of "Toxic Masculinity"."ThriveTalk. November 15, 2018. Accessed March 12, 2019.https://www.thrivetalk.com/toxic-masculinity/.

The author examines how masculinity is something that comes from cultural and it is not something that could be changed easily, in order to make the changes for men. Men are one that must let go of the expectation that society has for them because those expectations are holding them back from themselves. This article was written by a freelance writer in the mental health niche.

Montero, Henry. "Depression in Men: The Cycle of Toxic Masculinity." PsyCom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986. Accessed March 12, 2019. https://www.psycom.net/depression-in-men/depression-in-men-toxic-masculinity/.

The author of this short article talks about how the number of men with depression were increasing because men were basically forced to hold their emotion to themselves instead of expressing their emotion to anyone. Whenever a man or boy expresses their emotion, other people surrounding them will tell them "man up” instead of asking them if they are okay and comfort them. The author also explores the idea that there is no association between emotion and gender but it is just something that is natural for all gender to express their emotion for example if a boy cry that doesn’t mean he’s weak or like a girl. Addition to this, the author discuss how men try to hide their emotion and shut themselves off in order to show their masculinity which could lead to depression because they can’t share their thought with anyone. The author advocate for people to support the idea for men to share their emotion instead of keeping to themselves because that could lead to depression. Montero is a member of the Psycom editorial advisory board and a board-certified Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

White, Ruth. "Toxic Masculinity as a Mask for Anxiety." Psychology Today. December 22, 2017. Accessed March 12, 2019. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-in-mind/201712/toxic-masculinity-mask-anxiety.

The author presents the idea that that not only women are suffering in silence but also men, they are fulfilling the expedition that society has created for them otherwise they won’t be viewed as masculine. She also explains how boys get bully if they do something that is not considered to be masculine by their friends. She also encourages men and boys to share their feeling with others so they can relief any feeling that they're having in order to reduce the stress that may often be expressed in a violent way. White has a Ph. D  and is a clinical associate professor at the University of Southern California's School of Social Work and author of the forthcoming book, The Stress Management Workbook. The article was published in 2017 on Psychology Today, a magazine in the United States since 1967.

"'Toxic Masculinity' Leads to Mental Health Problems for Men." The Huffington Post. December 08, 2016. Accessed March 12, 2019. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/toxic-masculinity-leads-to-mental-health-problems_us_5849e9f0e4b0171331050f06.

The author illustrates the concept that men who conform with the masculinity norm, they are more likely to deal with mental health problems because usually men you consider themselves as powerful and strong, they would want to do everything by themselves without asking for help even if they needed. These men will end up with stress because even though they needed the help they would not ask. This short article is published on Huffington Post, an American news and opinion website and blog, with localized and international editions.

Five Academic Source:

Gibson, Kerry, Claire Cartwright, and John Read. "Conflict in Men’s Experiences With Antidepressants." American Journal of Men’s Health 12, no. 1 (2016): 104-16. doi:10.1177/1557988316637645.

This is a study on New Zealand men who have used antidepressants as a way to help their depression instead of seeking help from others. This study talks about the changes and conflict that these men have when using the medication. The study takes a look at the pros and cons of the medication and recommends men to use a different strategy to relive their emotion or pain instead of using the medication to treat their depress. This study helps the readers look at men in a different way, they are not always strong or rough, they also go through different emotion and could be weak as well. This study is public on American Journal of Men's Health which is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of Health.

Green Jonathan, Kearns Jaclyn, and  Ledoux Annie. "The Association Between Masculinity and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury." American Journal of Men’s Health 12, no. 1 (2016): 104-16. doi:10.1177/1557965315637897.

Researchers and clinicians believe masculine norm has led many men to engage in self-harm. The study contains data from a sample of  912 adults from two universities in the Northeastern United States who have completed a web-based questionnaire assessing adherence to masculine norms. Adults who have shows a stronger connection to the masculine norm were predict to have a high risk of harming themselves. This study shows everyone within the society that not only women are the one that harms self but even men when they are forced to live up to the expectation that the society has created.

Keohane, Aisling, and Noel Richardson. "Negotiating Gender Norms to Support Men in Psychological Distress." American Journal of Men’s Health 12, no. 1 (2017): 160-71. doi:10.1177/1557988317733093.

The journal explores the reason why the number of men suicide have an increase because there’s always the assumption that men don’t ask for help when they needed or doesn’t express their emotion, that is one of the reason but it is not the main reason why men suicide. The journal also discusses the different ways to support men who are in need of help. This is a good source to help people understand the different way to help men who are in psychological distress.

Scholz, Brett, Shona Crabb, and Gary A. Wittert. "Males Don’t Wanna Bring Anything Up To Their Doctor”." Qualitative Health Research 27, no. 5 (2016): 727-37.doi:10.1177/1049732316640294.

Many times because men care too much about their appearance and expectation it makes it harder for doctors to diagnose depression in men. Many men don’t express what they’re are going through which makes it hard to diagnose and be treated for. The journal talks about the analysis that was collected from research of ten men who have experience high-level symptoms of depression.

Wolf, Jacob, Elizabeth Nutt Williams, Megan Darby, Jonathan Herald, and Catherine Schultz. "Just for Women? Feminist Multicultural Therapy with Male Clients." Sex Roles 78, no. 5-6 (2017): 439-50. doi:10.1007/s11199-017-0819-y.

This was a study on the number of male clients that actually to see a therapy when they need help, there was a number showing that even though the number of suicide for men is increasing but the number of men seeking for help by coming to therapy is still low. Many of the men don’t come to therapy because they associate that with females also because they value the idea that they are strong and doesn’t need any help.

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10 Examinations of Toxic Masculinity and Relationships

Madeline Holmes

March 12, 2019

Toxic Masculinity is a concept which has gained significant traction in recent year. The Good Men Project, a website which explores what it means to be a “good man” in today’s society, defines toxic masculinity as follows:

Toxic masculinity is… the cultural ideal of manliness, where strength is everything while emotions are a weakness; where sex and brutality are yardsticks by which men are measured, while supposedly “feminine” traits—which can range from emotional vulnerability to simply not being hypersexual—are the means by which your status as “man” can be taken away.[1]

Often, the concept of toxic masculinity attributes manhood to negative personality aspects such as violence, aggression, a need for status, and hypersexuality. While toxic masculinity is present in many aspects of life, it’s effect on interpersonal relationships specifically is worth investigating. The following ten sources analyze the effect of toxic masculinity in romantic or sexual relationships, from lack of communication to sexual assault, and anything in between.

Academic Sources:

1. Weathington, Bradley. "IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT AN ENDEMIC SOCIAL ISSUE?" Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice 10, no. 2 (July 2018): 64-70.

This article examines the wake of sexual harassment cases in direct correlation with the #metoo movement. The author presents preexisting data regarding sexual harassment such as the percentage of women in the US who have experienced sexual harassment, and the most commonly experienced forms of sexual harassment in a succinct and highly readable manner. He concludes that the #metoo movement has reinforced liability in workplace sexual harassment cases. This article is relevant to the topic of toxic masculinity’s correlation to relationships because it clearly lays out the commonality of the issue using a variety of data represented with graphs and charts.

 2. Bivens, Rena, and Anna Shah Hoque. “Programming Sex, Gender, and Sexuality: Infrastructural Failures in the ‘Feminist’ Dating App Bumble.” Canadian Journal of Communication 43, no. 3 (2018): 441–59.

This article investigates the true effectiveness of a self-proclaimed “feminist” dating app which aims to curb toxic masculinity by giving control to female users. The authors conclude that the app has “infrastructural failures” such as offering only two gender options, or only implementing a “ladies talk first” rule for heterosexual users. The argument is that these problems bolster heteronormativity (the belief that heterosexuality is the default sexual orientation) and cisnormativity (the belief that all individuals are either “male” or female”) ultimately creating a platform which continues to support sexism and toxic masculinity.

3.  Miller, Brandon. “Textually Presenting Masculinity and the Body on Mobile Dating Apps for Men Who Have Sex with Men.” The Journal of Men’s Studies 26, no. 3 (May 2018): 305-26. The author of this study explores the relationship between traditional masculinity and gay dating apps. He discusses how these apps are well known for being cesspools of hatred and exclusion. His findings indicate that masculine body language and communication are the commonality on gay dating apps, and problems such as racism, body shaming, and femmephobia (the hatred or fear of individuals who appear effeminate) are rampant. Readers will be left with a clear image of the overpowering effect toxic masculinity has on gay dating apps.

4. Hess, Aaron, and Carlos Flores. “Simply More than Swiping Left: A Critical Analysis of Toxic Masculine Performances on Tinder Nightmares.” New Media & Society 20, no. 3 (March 2018): 1085–1102.

This article investigates the representation of toxic masculinity on the dating app Tinder, and furthermore focuses on the social media page “Tinder Nightmares” which is a platform for users of the app to share their negative experiences. The authors conclude that an outlet such as “Tinder Nightmares” gives women a sense of agency and the ability to counter toxic masculinity while at the same time sharing their experiences with other women. Hess and Flores outline how apps like Tinder maintain toxic masculinity by giving men an opportunity to purport their masculinity with relative anonymity, and by supporting “hook-up culture” which prioritizes men’s sexual pleasure over women’s.

5. Connell, R.W, and James Messerschmidt. “Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept.” Gender & Society 19, no. 6 (December 2005): 829–59.

The authors of this study discuss the ambiguities of masculinity and how the idea of hegemonic masculinity must be analyzed thoroughly in the various contexts in which it is used. Hegemonic masculinity is the process of validating men’s dominant position in society. Readers are encouraged to remember that gender roles and politics are ever-changing which should be considered in conjunction with hegemonic masculinity. The article provides a counter argument to the idea that toxic masculinity is inherently bad by citing the regional, interpersonal, and hierarchal differences found around the world.

Popular Sources:

  6. Vanhecke, Lou. “Gillette Commercial Reopens Toxic Masculinity Conversation.” The Panther Online (February 11, 2019). http://www.thepantheronline.com/features/gillette-commercial-reopens-toxic-masculinity-conversation This article directly attributes toxic masculinity to patriarchy. The perceived threat to power, strength, and independence is discussed and argued to be a misrepresentation of the idea behind eradicating toxic masculinity.

7. Om, Jason. “Toxic Masculinity: Helping Men Understand the Impact of Their Behaviour.” ABC Life (November 26, 2018). https://www.abc.net.au/life/toxic-masculinity-men-understanding-their-behaviour/9998310

The biggest question presented in this article is, “Am I being abusive without even knowing it?” The author presents examples of toxic masculine behavior which may not be the first things that come to mind when the term toxic masculinity is presented. Some examples include intentionally making one’s partner feel guilty, and being overly critical of things such as clothing or body shape. Taking time to consider the reasons behind their actions is a suggestion the author presents to male readers, and he imparts the wisdom that, although it can be a slow process, change is possible.

8. Forsythe, Emily. “How Toxic Masculinity Leads to Toxic Relationships.” The Odyssey (January 30, 2017). https://www.theodysseyonline.com/how-toxic-masculinity-leads-to-toxic-relationships

The promotion of violence to boys and men is one of the main focuses in this article. The author argues that the deglorification of violence and abuse in the media could lead to an influx of healthy relationships. An additional point that the author promotes is that toxic masculinity throttles the ability to communicate, which she directly correlates to strained relationships.

9. Iovannone, Jeffry. “We Need to Talk About Toxic Gay Masculinity.” The Establishment (May 8, 2018). https://theestablishment.co/we-need-to-talk-about-toxic-gay-masculinity-70dbcd13e775/

The focus of this article is toxic masculinity in gay communities, and the lack of attention these problems receive in comparison to heterosexual toxicity. The author argues that gay masculine toxicity promotes the oppression of LGBTQ individuals, and explains what he refers to as “a hierarchy based on norms of masculinity” within gay cultures. The author also touches on the exhibition of racism and transphobia through gay toxic masculinity. To wrap up their argument, the author discusses the relationship between privilege and oppression, and how gay men have an obligation to examine their own behavior in conjunction with these aspects.

10. Friedman, Jaclyn. “Building Better Men: How We Can Begin to Redefine Masculinity.” The Guardian (March 12, 2018). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/12/masculinity-gender-men-sexual-assault-rape

The author of this article offers a unique insight into toxic masculinity by opening with a narrative of her close friend who is a self-admitted former rapist. She lobbies for the separation of masculinity and misogyny, but also outlines the nuances which make such a separation difficult. Readers gain insight into the author’s thoughts regarding masculinity reformation by her description of her experience with the Maine Boys to Men program which focuses on restructuring traditional gender roles with middle school aged boys. Bibliography:

[1] Clemens, Colleen. “What We Mean When We Say, ‘Toxic Masculinity.’” Teaching Tolerance. https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/what-we-mean-when-we-say-toxic-masculinity

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List of everything you need to know about Toxic Masculinity

Toxic masculinity is a certain kind of masculinity that is harmful and perpetuated by society telling males that they have to do certain things and act a certain way to be a man. These expectations put pressure on men that cause them to act in ways that are “toxic” for society. Holding these beliefs can be harmful to both men and women and can often lead to violence and sexism. Many people today assume the term toxic masculinity is attacking men in general which is not the case; it addresses only a certain kind of masculinity that is unhealthy and harmful to society while not condemning men. Toxic masculinity often results in violent or oppressive behaviors because men think it is what is expected of them. The sources below paint a picture of the causes of masculinity, the damage it can do, and some misconceptions about the term.

Popular Sources:

Clemens, Colleen. "What We Mean When We Say, "Toxic Masculinity"." Teaching Tolerance. December 11, 2017. Accessed March 03, 2019. https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/what-we-mean-when-we-say-toxic-masculinity.

This article provides a simple definition of what toxic masculinity means. It identifies misconceptions about the term and how society contributes to toxic masculinity. This is valuable for readers because it gives them a basic understanding of the term which is important if they continue to read.

McCluskey, Megan. "Gillette Makes Waves With Controversial New Commercial." Time. January 15, 2019. Accessed March 03, 2019. http://time.com/5503156/gillette-razors-toxic-masculinity/.

This article reviews the recent and controversial Gillette advertisement that makes a statement about toxic masculinity. The advertisement takes a male-positive approach. The goal is to empower men. The point is not only how to end toxic masculinity but also to acknowledge that men are capable of acting the right way and that it is a choice. It is an example of how the media can have a positive effect on toxic masculinity. This helps readers to see that toxic masculinity is all around them, and hopefully it will give them the ability to recognize it in the media.

Project, The Representation. "SNEAK PEEK: Masculinity in Popular Culture." YouTube. July 08, 2015. Accessed March 03, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fh_ZPc29ks.

This video provides examples of toxic masculinity in pop culture as well as briefly addressing some causes. It also explores the archetypes of the kinds of males that are portrayed in the media, including in video games, music, sports, movies, and television. This gives the readers more information about the interaction between toxic masculinity and the media.

"NIMH's 'Real Men. Real Depression.' Campaign." National Institute of Mental Health. Accessed March 03, 2019. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-health/men-and-depression/nim Hs-real-men-real-depression-campaign.shtml.

This is the summary of a campaign to promote mental health among men. It talks about how stereotypes and expectations are often harmful to men’s mental health as well problems that could stop them from receiving proper care. It also outlines how mental health affects males differently than females. This is an important point for readers. This information would help them not to demonize men in light of the rest of the information.

Treacher, Jim. "Gillette Tells Men They're Repulsive Creeps. Now Give Them Your Money, You Piece of Garbage." Video. Accessed March 03, 2019. https://pjmedia.com/trending/gillette-tells-men-theyre-repulsive-creeps-now-give-them-your-money-you-piece-of-garbage/.

This article is an example about how the movement to end toxic masculinity is controversial and can be met with opposition. It expresses the view of one group that beliefs the controversial Gillette ad and the condemnation of toxic masculinity does not allow men to be their authentic selves. This is valuable for readers because they can understand the social context of the issue and realize that not all groups agree about the concept of toxic masculinity.

Academic Sources:

American Psychological Association. Accessed March 03, 2019. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/male-violence.

This article lists the many ways that male violence against women exists, what its results can be, and what its causes can be. It then poses possible solutions as well as justification and statistics. Violence is a main concern when it comes to the results of toxic masculinity, so facts about incidence of violence and its causes can shed more light on the issue.

Messerschmidt, James W. "Engendering Gendered Knowledge." Men and Masculinities 15, no. 1 (2012): 56-76. doi:10.1177/1097184x11428384.

This article explores the definition and origins of the term “hegemonic masculinity.” This term has a very similar definition to toxic masculinity. This gives readers more information about toxic masculinity and specifically provides an academic view.

Myers, Kristen. ""Cowboy Up!"" The Journal of Mens Studies 20, no. 2 (2012): 125-43. doi:10.3149/jms.2002.125.

This article addresses hegemonic characters in media geared towards children which affects the way children grow up and view the world. Both problems and solutions are provided along with positive and negative examples of these kinds of characters. This is important because toxic masculinity forms in men when they are just boys. This is important when it comes to solving the issue or at least making it better.

Payne, Brian K., Willard M. Oliver, and Nancy E. Marion. Introduction to Criminal Justice: A Balanced Approach. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2016.

This is a textbook about criminology which provides reasons for male violence and behavior. Statistics about crime and violence related to gender are also provided as well as more detail on the types of crimes.

Connell, Robert W. "Understanding Men: Gender Sociology and the New International Research on Masculinities." Social Thought & Research 24 (September 16, 2001). doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

This article examines the role of men in society. It also addresses the concept of masculinity and its evolution in society overtime.

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Top Ten Sources on how Toxic Masculinity Affects Mental and Physical Health

Cameron Cowan

Toxic masculinity is characterized by negative traits such as violence, being unemotional, and being sexually aggressive. These traits are shown itself through physical manifestations, but also have repercussions in mental health.  Toxic masculinity, in the public eye, shows how toxic masculinity affects others but these traits can also have negative effects on men displaying toxic masculinity which can lead to depression and mental illness. Due to masculine norms, many men do not express their feelings in a healthy way which can be seen through social media and can manifest into violence exemplified in prison.

‘Toxic Masculinity’ Leads to Mental Health Problems for Men

Popular article

McCarthy, Kevin. “'Toxic Masculinity' Leads to Mental Health Problems for Men.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, December 8, 2016. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/toxic-masculinity-leads-to-mental-health-problems_us_5849e9f0e4b0171331050f06.

This article written by Kevin McCarthy, explains which masculine norms are most harmful to society and how they are linked to poor mental health. Norms such as ‘playboy’ cause men to treat women as sexual objects which can cause some men to be unable to show true emotions towards women. The article uses a combination of seventy-four studies done with 2,000 subjects through Indiana University and explains the outcome of the studies and separates, which aspects of toxic masculinity affect the mental health of the victim and the perpetrators. McCarthy then moves to how these masculine norms increase the likelihood of men feeling lonely, hostile, and less likely to form meaningful social bonds. This article shows how masculine norms cause men to repress their emotions which can then become a mental illness.

Depression in Men: The Cycle of Toxic Masculinity

Popular

Montero, Henry A. “Depression in Men: The Cycle of Toxic Masculinity.” PsyCom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986, December 5, 2018. https://www.psycom.net/depression-in-men/depression-in-men-toxic-masculinity/.

Henry A. Montero speaks of his time as a therapist and how he has seen toxic masculinity hurt men. Phrases such as: “boys don’t cry,” “man up,” and “be a man- get over it” is prevalent in the way men repress emotions. Montero then addresses how toxic masculinity creates a cycle of depression among men and how to recognize the symptoms of men. Montero states, “depression is not related to gender” but toxic masculinity keeps men from coping with depression in a healthy way. Finally, Montero lists ways in which everyone can change the aspect of masculinity that makes men refuse to share their emotions. The firsthand experience of the author being a therapist helps to make this article a reliable source of how men choose to cope with their emotions. It also shows everyday phrases that stem from masculine norms to show how these saying affect men and show up in how they articulate their emotions.

Toxic Masculinity as a Mask for Anxiety

Gendered expectations and the raising of boys

Popular Article

White, Ruth C. “Toxic Masculinity as a Mask for Anxiety.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, December 22, 2017. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-in-mind/201712/toxic-masculinity-mask-anxiety.

  Ruth C. White highlights the masculine norm of self-reliance in her article and how it makes an impact on mental health. She also explains how ‘locker room behavior’ creates competition among men which can lower self esteem. This leads to White going to the roots of toxic masculinity in boys and how society can make an effort to teach boys that expressing emotions is okay and then gives examples of schools that are taking the initiative to offer classes to boys and men to help push toxic masculinity out of their lives.  This article shows how competition in masculinity influences boys and continues into their adult lives. Toxic masculinity is taught and boys should be shown that it is okay to express emotion and seek help to help stop the cyclical flow of traditional masculine norms.

Toxic Masculinity Harms Men’s Mental Health, Says American Psychological Association

Popular Article

Longo, Lauren. “Toxic Masculinity Harms Men's Mental Health, Says American Psychological Association.” Care2 Causes, January 18, 2019. https://www.care2.com/causes/toxic-masculinity-harms-mens-mental-health-says-american-psychological-association.html.

Lauren Longo expresses how toxic masculinity does not only hurt women, but it hurts men too. Guidelines had been released by the American Psychological Association on how to help women and how to help people of minorities. But, no guidelines had been made for working with men. Longo explains that the guidelines released by the APA is a good step in helping men in relation to mental health. She includes statements made by Fredric Rabinowitz, one of the guidelines lead writers, to show the goals of the APA in improving the mental health of men and straying away from traditional masculinity ideology. With snippets from the APA guidelines and explanation as to what it means for treatment of men in the psychology field going forward this article helps to show how mental health in men shouldn’t be ignored and should have should be equally recognized. Toxic masculinity should be swept aside so men can learn to cope with their feelings and in a healthy way.

Social media behavior, toxic masculinity, and depression

Academic Article

Parent, Mike C, Teresa D Gobble, and Aaron Rochlen. “Social Media Behavior, Toxic Masculinity, and Depression.” Denver, April 23, 2018.

The research done in this article shows how men who conform to masculine norms are more likely to have a negative online interaction. These men are more likely to express anti feminine viewpoints, make homophobic remarks, and display aggression. The research also found that these online interactions are associated with both internalized depression and masculinizing externalized depression. The article explains that their findings also have implications towards men being unwilling to seek psychological help for  depression and other mental illnesses. This shows that toxic masculinity creates aggression and dominance in men which can manifest itself in the online arena to have more negative interactions with other users. These negative interactions can be a coping mechanism for mental health issues that could be lessened or solved with psychological treatment but due to masculine norms many men choose not to seek aid for professional help.

Toxic masculinity as a barrier to mental health treatment in prison

Academic Source

Kupers, Terry A. “Toxic Masculinity as a Barrier to Mental Health Treatment in Prison.” Auraria, February 24, 2005.

This article discusses how masculine norms of aggression and dominance lead to prisoners resisting psychotherapy. It is explained that traditional masculinity causes men to close themselves off, emotionally, due to therapy being viewed as a sign of weakness and vulnerability in men. The article also examines how toxic masculinity is amplified in prison culture and how it acts as an obstacle in psychotherapy and in rehabilitation. This source shows how toxic masculinity affects prisoners and how it can prevent the treatment of mental illness and keep men in prison.   Toxic masculinity can both create mental health issues and keep these issues from being addressed.

Common health-related concerns of men: implications for counselors

Academic Article

Neukrug, Edward, Bruce S. Britton, and R. Clinton Crews. “Common Health-Related Concerns of Men: Implications for Counselors.” Auraria, October 2013.

Edward Neukrug, Bruce S. Britton, and R. Clinton Crews explain how men are less like to seek out a doctor for medical conditions due to hypermasculinity and lack of focus on the issues of men. This leads to less effectiveness in treating erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, trauma, and injuries. The authors also discuss how this is also what leads to the average lifespan of men being approximately five years less than that of women. This article shows how toxic masculinity does damage to both mental and physical health. Masculine norms pushes the idea that having health issues is seen as a weakness and that men should ‘man up’ and push through the pain. This ideology is a contributing factor to decreased life span in men and must be stopped in order to effectively treat men with medical conditions.

Perversions of Prison: On the Origins of Hypermasculinity and Sexual Violence in Confinement

Academic Source

Haney, Craig. “Perversions of Prison: On the Origins of Hypermasculinity and Sexual Violence in Confinement.” American Criminal Law Review Volume 48, no. 1 (2011): 121–41.

This video shows how hypermasculinity plays a role in prison along with prisoners sexual violence towards each other. Masculine norms show a need to be an alpha male or dominant over other men. This need for dominance leads to violence due to men wanting to have physical prowess over one another. In prison violence primarily establishes a hierarchy among men which can then lead to sexual violence as a way to dominate another man. The video shows how this stems from toxic masculinity teaching the objectification of women and being a tool for the sexual pleasure of a man. This then shows itself in prison of men seeing some other men as object of sexual pleasure rather than a person. The competitive atmosphere in prison created by toxic masculinity leads towards the violent tendencies of prisoners which can then branch itself into sexual aggression and violence.

Popular Source

These men are tackling 'toxic masculinity' from behind bars

CNN. “These Men Are Tackling 'Toxic Masculinity' from behind Bars - CNN Video.” CNN. Cable News Network, April 20, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/04/20/the-feminist-on-cellblock-y-digital-short.cnn.

This video shows a man named Richard talking to other inmates about what toxic masculinity is. He talks about how toxic masculinity shows itself in the objectification women, being hyper violent, being athletic, and the goal of being wealthy. These four beliefs are explained as leading towards what incarcerated the men he is speaking to. Richard explains how toxic masculinity can keep men in prison due to the masculine norm of being dominant which leads to aggression in prisoners because they want to be more powerful and more respected than other inmates. This source shows how toxic masculinity plays not only a role in mental health, but also in the prison system. Toxic masculinity is analyzed from a feminist viewpoint of feminism being able to progress with toxic masculinity being eliminated and how men can be able to progress by not adhering to traditional masculine norms.

Erectile dysfunction, masculinity, and psychosocial outcomes: a review of the experiences of men after prostate cancer treatment.

Academic Source

Chung, E, SK Chambers, G Wittert, and MK Hyde. “Erectile Dysfunction, Masculinity, and Psychosocial Outcomes: a Review of the Experiences of Men after Prostate Cancer Treatment.” Auraria, August 12, 2016.

This article discusses how men respond to prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction and how these treatments make these men feel a loss of masculinity. The authors explain that men feel a diminished sense of masculinity due to the feeling of weakness for needing treatment on a sensitive area of their bodies. This feeling of lost masculinity can come from masculine norms having a theme of a man only being a man through sexual prowess. The treatment of medical issues shouldn’t be seen as a weakness or vulnerability but most men still feel ashamed for having these conditions. This shows how toxic masculinity can also prevent men from seeking treatment for these, or related, conditions due to the threat of losing masculinity.

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Toxic Masculinity 101 Understood Through Varying Literature

By Lydia Buttrick

Toxic Masculinity is a term that describes the “dominant male” sexist ideals held within society. The standard belief instilled within men beginning at birth is to remain stoic, unemotional, to sexualize and objectify women, and celebrate violence. While not explicitly “taught” to boys as children, socialization in school, the media, and other daily exposures push these behaviors onto men in exchange for social acceptance. Recognizing the presence of toxic masculinity within our patriarchal culture has helped explain why there is such a disparity between men and women’s behaviors - as once thought to be simply a result of biological differences. With the feminist movement gaining more press, there seems to be a more open narrative on the socialization of gender that perpetuates toxic male behavior. Below is a collection of both popular and academic resources aimed to help better understand the overall implications of toxic masculinity.  The list of articles and journals below give a general overview on toxic masculinity’s presence within society as writers and scholars share their personal experience and research on the topic.

1.)

Smithstein, Samantha. "Toxic Masculinity: What Is It and How Do We Change It?" Psychology Today. October 02, 2018. Accessed March 01, 2019. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-the-wild-things-are/201810/toxic-masculinity-what-is-it-and-how-do-we-change-it.

John Leimer tells his story of his experience with toxic masculinity in this popular source, as he, like most members of our society, subconsciously subscribe to the notions behind it. John describes that males place the value of success on powerful jobs, wealth, and status. Women are not given the same standards of success as they are held to a standard of beauty and how her “personality” aligns with her attractiveness. Women are subconsciously subscribing to toxic masculinity as the more beauty she holds, the more draw she has to the male in power. Leimer describes his journey toward realization of this sexist societal system and how he, and most other males, rely on their power to seduce and sexualize women. He describes the process in which he worked to end this power dynamic within his life and focus on meaningful connections with the people around him, as opposed to an individualistic way of life with the notion of “what can I gain from this person?”. Leimer offers a first hand perspective of the common toxic masculine “trap” men fall into, and may relate to the reader as his experience is one many face as males within our culture. He explains that the solution in which he calls “healthy masculinity”; “Healthy masculinity means I must stand against my own actions that cause harm to others and myself.”

2.)

Clemens, Colleen. "What We Mean When We Say, "Toxic Masculinity"." Teaching Tolerance. December 11, 2017. Accessed March 01, 2019. https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/what-we-mean-when-we-say-toxic-masculinity.

Colleen Clemens, a classroom teacher, discusses the narrative of toxic masculinity she finds necessary to talk about within the classroom. In this popular source, Clemens highlights the common stigma behind the term “toxic masculinity”, and how its negative reactions bring teachers to avoid the topic all together. In wake of recent gun violence, Clemens urges educators to talk to students about the unhealthy promotion of violence within masculinity, and the little differences men and women have biologically. We typically associate certain characteristics with being “man” and “women” - like guns, rage, and power with men, and sex, beauty, and emotions with women. However, as research shows, there are minimal differences between sexes and most of them are artificially engineered in our culture to separate the two and create a power dynamic. This article is the first of a three-part series on the discussion of toxic masculinity, and offers a teacher’s perspective ways of discussing the topic with students and children.

3.)

Bruell, Alexandra. "P&G Challenges Men to Shave Their 'Toxic Masculinity' in Gillette Ad." The Wall Street Journal. January 15, 2019. Accessed February 28, 2019. https://www.wsj.com/articles/p-g-challenges-men-to-shave-their-toxic-masculinity-in-gillette-ad-11547467200.

The Wall Street Journal journalist Alexandra Bruell reacts to the infamous 2018 Gillette advertisement seeking to showcase toxic masculinity and the need for men to stop playing into it, as a response to the #MeTooMovement. Bruell discusses in this popular source the backlash from men to the advertisement, with many feeling like it was putting all men in a bad light. Other men said they felt attacked, criticized, and accused. The result of this advertisement brought much dialogue which, negative or positive, sparked good conversation about the topic of toxic masculinity. While Bruell did not share her personal opinion on the message of the advertisement, she highlighted the power brands have to start good discussion about these kinds controversial topics, and how many advertisers are using this ability for social change. This article showcases how the topic of toxic masculinity is becoming more mainstream, and the opposing reactions it can bring.

4.)

Kastler, Laura. "The Boy Code and Toxic Masculinity." ParentMap. March 07, 2018. Accessed March 02, 2019. https://www.parentmap.com/article/how-boys-suffer-the-boy-code-and-toxic-masculinity.

Laura Kastner, psychologist and writer for Parent Map, a blog for parents, talks about the negative effects and suffering toxic masculinity brings to young boys. Kastner describes in this popular source her professional experience trying to educate young boys and parents alike on the dangers of toxic masculinity, resulting many times in negative reactions. She describes “boy code” in which all men are “gendered” to fear anything feminine, including strong emotions and compassion, and to maintain a disposition of stoicness and power. Kastner offers a solution to this unhealthy expectation; “to validate boys’ feelings when they are experiencing negative emotions, trust and show compassion for boys’ tender issues, and enhance self acceptance”. This article not only explains the negative effects of toxic masculinity, but presents ways to combat it.

5.)

Hesse, Monica. "How Should Conversations about Toxic Masculinity Deal with the Toxic Women Who Also Perpetuate It?" The Washington Post. January 18, 2019. Accessed March 02, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-should-conversations-about-toxic-masculinity-deal-with-the-toxic-women-who-also-perpetuate-it/2019/01/18/ef4fa976-1a69-11e9-8813-cb9dec761e73_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5b99c5c08a53.

Monica Hesse, an author for The Washington Post talks about toxic masculinity in this popular source and how it is perpetuated by the women who subscribe to it. Hesse’s article was sparked by the Gillette advertisement highlighting the effects toxic masculinity has on men, urging men to “do better”. Hesse describes her reaction in watching the ads, and interprets it as an uneven dig on men without highlighting the push from women that feeds into the unhealthy power dynamic. Hesse shares her experience on writing about the topic of toxic masculinity, and describes how much of the toxic masculine behaviors from men stem from feeling a push toward it by the women in their life - mothers urging their sons not to cry, wives telling their husbands to cut the emotions. While the Gillette ad sent the message that “men need to monitor men”, the truth is that it is both men and women furthering the negative ideals of masculinity. This article explains the role women play in the toxic masculine narrative engrained in men, and this, Hesse claims, is what our culture needs to focus on in order to change the gender impact on society.

6.)

Douglas, Susan J. "Why Toxic Masculinity Hurts Men as Well as Women." In These Times, July 18, 2017. Quoted in "Why Toxic Masculinity Hurts Men as Well as Women." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2019. Opposing Viewpoints in Context (accessed March 5, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/QFXBLF796592516/OVIC?u=auraria_main&sid=OVIC&xid=9c84a8db.

Susan Douglas, a professor at The University of Michigan, studies and writes on the dynamics of sexism. This academic source provides a common misconception of toxic masculinity as the “hatred of men”, and points out that this stigma and misbelief perpetuates the toxicity within the topic toxic masculinity. Douglas describes the negative effects of societal expectations of men are, including the promotion of violence, sexualization of women, and lack of emotions. This, Douglas describes, is true toxic masculinity and it is hurting men and women alike. She discusses studies that have shown a positive correlation between men who accept and subscribe to toxic masculinity, and those who commit suicide, suffer from alcoholism and addiction, and other criminal behavior. While toxic masculinity aims to steer men away from seeking psychological help like counseling, men in turn internalize their emotions and act irrationally as a result. Lastly, Hesse explains that feminists and progressives often times blame men for this behavior, failing to understand that it is also women and the media that feed into the toxicity. This article highlights the ways in which some feminists fail to understand the faults in misconceptions they hold on gender equality, and how even “progressives” in gender issues miss the mark with toxic masculinity.

7.)

Posadas, Jeremy. "Teaching the cause of rape culture: toxic masculinity." Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 33, no. 1 (2017): 177+. Business Collection (accessed March 5, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A491250360/ITBC?u=auraria_main&sid=ITBC&xid=5c5613b9.

Jeremy Posadas is a writer for the Journal of Feminist Studies and Religion and a professor in religious, gender, and sexuality studies. This academic source discusses the curriculum in his course dubbed “Sex, Self, and Society”. In this class, he examines with his students the role of religion and how it emphasizes sex differently, the ethics of sex, pornography, marriage, gender, and topics alike. Posadas structures a unit in the semester around rape culture and the victims of sexual violence, and highlights how the result of this dialogue points to the students always coming back to toxic masculinity being the root of sexual abuse. This article gives a unique sociological perspective on the unknowing understanding students have on the culture that feeds into sexual issues as a product of toxic masculinity.

8.)

Monaghan, Peter. "The Fight Against 'Toxic Masculinity." The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 15, 2017, A8+. General Reference Center GOLD (accessed March 5, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A521459033/GRGM?u=auraria_main&sid=GRGM&xid=8abf79b4.

Peter Monaghan is a writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, an academic journal that holds advice columns, career building tools, current news, and other current event discussions. In the academic journal The Fight Against Toxic Masculinity, Monaghan examines the behaviors that feed into toxic masculinity. He writes about a study at Stony Brook University that sought to understand the graduation rate different between men and women, which was 17% less among the male student body. Charles Robbins, a professor at SBU, met with 100 male students because he felt there was a social stigma around “asking for help”. In his meetings, he found that initially, the men were closed off and uncomfortable, especially when Robbins attempted to get them to “open up” - talking about issues like sexuality, pornography, and stress. In his discussions, he was able to understand that much of the issues around men staying in school had to do with their perceived inability within themselves to conform to “masculine standards”; having adequate sex, drinking, and so on. As a result of his findings, he came up with the program he called the “male success team” that sought out red flags within struggling male students and worked to create a healthy dialogue within men as to the issues of toxic masculinity and their effects in college settings. The success of the program brought Monaghan to share its beneficial results and urges institutions to hold programs like these, and have more open dialogues on the effects of toxic masculinity. This article explains the specific consequences of toxic masculinity in college settings, and illustrates ways in which it can be combated by open conversations.  

9.)

Parent, M. C., Gobble, T. D., & Rochlen, A. (2018). Social media behavior, toxic masculinity, and depression. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, doi:http://dx.doi.org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/men0000156

Mike C. Parent, Teresa D. Gobble, and Austin Rochlen study the correlations between social media use and toxic masculinity within men. The study took 402 men and assessed toxic masculinity on 3 subscales; sexism, heterosexism, and competitiveness.This academic source examines research conducted via online surveys and results showed a positive effect of social media use and toxic masculinity resulting in depression. The more time spent on social media within the male subjects directly produced higher levels of depression and the internalization of it within males. The more a male subject endorsed masculine norms, the more they internalized and avoided seeking help for mental health issues. Social media was also shown to directly promote toxic masculine standards, including maintaining low emotion, support violence, and the sexualization and objectification of women. This study ties together the perpetuation of depression and toxic masculinity from social media ues, and directly links all three together.  

10.)

Creighton, Genevieve, and John L. Oliffe. "Theorising masculinities and men's health: a brief history with a view to practice." Health Sociology Review 19, no. 4 (2010): 409+. Academic OneFile (accessed March 5, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A250886433/AONE?u=auraria_main&sid=AONE&xid=3f2725f9.

Genevieve Creighton and John L. Oliffe study the physical implications of toxic masculinity in this academic source, as history suggests that men are more likely to die earlier than women because of physical debilitation. A common belief was that this was because of biological reasons, but modern research shows that it may be a more artificial correlation because of social engineered toxic masculinity. A link between masculine social norms, death, and illness has been discovered and Creighton and Oliffe conclude that this link must be addressed to intervene and stop the perpetuation of these dangers. This article highlights the physical effects of toxic masculinity, directly linking it to early death within males.

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Toxic Masculinity For Men

Despite the fact that toxic masculinity is predominantly a problem for men, many men are not aware of it or are not sure of its definition. Personally, I have been surprised by the amount of men I know who simply do not know what toxic masculinity is. When I describe it to them, their first question is usually along the lines of “Do I do that?” As a result I have gathered some sources that are all accessible and informative on the issue of toxic masculinity. These sources are geared specifically toward educating men on the history, definition, and repercussions of toxic masculinity; they should be used as a guide for men to learn more in order to prevent their own actions from becoming toxically masculine.

Popular Sources

1. Salam, Maya. "What Is Toxic Masculinity?" The New York Times. January 22, 2019. Accessed March 12, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/toxic-masculinity.html.

While this article from the New York Times is not particularly extensive, is a good introduction to toxic masculinity as a concept. By offering the example of the Gillette ad among others, it can be used as a reference point in one’s every day actions. The fact that this is a New York Times article also proves the importance and pertinence of the issue of toxic masculinity; it is not just a trend.

2. Gunnery, Mark. "Unlearning Toxic Masculinity, Learning Consent." WAMU. January 04, 2019. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://wamu.org/story/18/10/10/unlearning-toxic-masculinity-learning-consent/.

This article offers some context for toxic masculinity and its recent history. It is easy to read and offers points on how the concepts of toxic masculinity and consent can be communicated to men and boys. This can also be used by anyone who is making an effort to educate specifically men on toxic masculinity and consent. It sets guidelines for how to communicate about toxic masculinity since the subject can often turn into a heated debate.

3. “Why I'm done trying to be "man enough" | Justin Baldoni,” YouTube video, 18:31. TED, January 3, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cetg4gu0oQQ.

Justin Baldoni is an actor who, in this TedTalk, discusses his experience with the demands toxic masculinity sets for men in society and specifically in film and TV. This TedTalk is a relatable source; it tells how masculinity can become toxic even, and sometimes especially, for a respected and masculine man. Baldoni gives examples from his every day life, making his argument personal and individualistic. Sometimes, when trying to educate someone on an issue that might make them question their integrity, it is hard to get past the belief barrier they might put up. By showing them a TedTalk about toxic masculinity from a highly masculine man, one might be able to ease past that barrier. 

4. “The Masculine Mystique,” YouTube video, 1:26:48. NFB, March 21, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLA0MCH3oTE.

This feature-length film which was originally released in Canada in 1984 shows what toxic masculinity was like in the 80s. Following four men’s stories, the film conveys how men can act and then reflect on their actions with a new perspective. While this film shows examples of toxic masculinity in every day life, it is a dated film and toxicity is still seen even in the reflections of the men presented. It is important to note that every one of the men committed toxically masculine actions which were harmful to others; while each situation is different, none of them were completely resolved, and at no point are any actions explicitly labelled as bad, good, toxic, etc. There are also moments where women commit actions which would be considered toxically masculine. For example, when the woman in Mort’s (played by Mort Ransen) story is trying to pressure Mort into having sex with her. Mort get visibly distraught, but this moment is not acknowledged as harmful or toxic. Therefore, while this film can be used as a reference for specific examples of toxic masculinity, it should still be taken with a grain of salt.

5. Jenney, Angelique, and Deinera Exner-Cortens. "Toxic Masculinity and Mental Health in Young Women: An Analysis of 13 Reasons Why." Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work 33, no. 3 (2018): 410-17. Accessed March 5, 2019. doi:10.1 177/0886109918762492.

This article gives an example of a time in media where toxic masculinity was generally not caught by society because it was overpowered by another controversial issue, in this case, suicide. This article highlights ways people can catch toxic masculinity in popular media even when society might not recognize it. The show 13 Reasons Why was considered controversial because of its content of suicide, but suicide is certainly not the only controversial topic shown or discussed in the show. The contributors to this article tell how scenes of sexual assault and rape can be hurtful especially for young audiences, but the fact that they heat the show got was mostly about suicide shows that toxic masculinity is engrained in society. In this article, the show provides a recent and popular example of toxic masculinity.

Academic Sources

1. Katz, Jackson. "Bystander Training as Leadership Training: Notes on the Origins, Philosophy, and Pedagogy of the Mentors in Violence Prevention Model." Violence Against Women 24, no. 15 (2018): 1755-776. Accessed March 5, 2019. doi:10.1 177/1077801217753322.

This article, while focusing on the founding and development of one organization, gives a brief history and current societal context of toxic masculinity. It also describes a way for people to be part of a solution for toxic masculinity. It provides an approach called “the bystander approach” which could be useful for anyone dealing with someone who is acting toxically masculine in every day life. This approach can be useful in any situation, but here it is focused toward those of  toxically masculine origin. 

2. Connell, R. W., and James W. Messerschmidt. "Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept." Gender and Society 19, no. 6 (2005): 836-59.

This journal gives extensive information on the origin and definition of masculinity in general as well as some arguments about why the concept of masculinity can be toxic. It is a bit dense and might not be the first thing one would got to for the definition of toxic masculinity, but it is useful for an in-depth, highly supported argument. 

3. Grieve, Rachel, Evita March, and George Van Doorn. "Masculinity Might Be More Toxic than We Think: The Influence of Gender Roles on Trait Emotional Manipulation." Personality and Individual Differences 138 (February 1, 2019): 157-62. Accessed March 5, 2019. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.09.042.

This article is an accessible academic article that tells how toxic masculinity effects a person’s emotional state. The emotional damage that can be caused to anyone by toxic masculinity, whether in society or in every day, specific interactions, is serious. As discussed a bit more informally in the article about 13 Reasons Why, mental illness, especially in young women, is often caused by sexual abuse or harassment which is one of the main and more serious repercussions of toxic masculinity. Here the articles discusses just how those as well as lesser (but still important) events might lead to emotional damage or trauma.

4. Connell, Raewyn. “Masculinity construction and sports in boys’ education: a framework for thinking about the issue,” Sport, Education and Society 13 (2008): 131-145. Accessed March 5, 2019. doi: 10.1080/13573320801957053

This article is a can be a reference for information about gender in general and in sports. Sports, especially stereotypically masculine sports such as football and baseball, are a common vessel for toxic masculinity. This article gives guidelines on how toxic masculinity can be identified and dealt with within the realm of sports. 

5. Monaghan, Peter. "The Fight Against 'Toxic Masculinity." Opposing Viewpoints In Context. December 15, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2019.

Peter Monaghan, while not a graduate of a higher degree, writes an accessible article about toxic masculinity specifically found in the college environment. He includes excerpts from multiple interviews with various men of different perspectives: a dean of an all-male division of a college, a senior college student, etc. By providing a college perspective on masculinity, this article can be relatable and an easy reference for specific example of toxic masculinity found in a college environment and beyond.

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Ahmad Afridi

Professor Mohrman

February 28, 2019

  Religion: An Outlet for Toxic Masculinity

           Toxic masculinity has been around since the dawn of man, only it was not called Toxic masculinity until now.  No, back then it was referred to as, being a man, being strong, not letting yourself get emotional and feeling superior to other genders that is what being a man was all about.  However, throughout the centuries the idea of what it means to be a man has been altered.  Nowadays in let’s be honest a more progressive society, there are males who are breaking through those traditional roles of fatherhood and are transforming what it truly means to be a “man”. However, religion throughout the centuries has played a large role in toxic masculinity, it provides an outlet and ammunition for men to feel as if they are superior to other genders.  

 Below are ten great articles that prove the point of how religion is a gateway to toxic masculinity in our society.  First come the five journals/scholarly articles and the next five are articles found all around the internet.

 Messerschmidt, James W., and Achim Rohde. "Osama Bin Laden and His Jihadist Global            Hegemonic Masculinity." Gender & Society 32, no. 5 (2018): 663-85. doi:                                              10.1177/0891243218770358.

           In an article written by James W. Messerschmidt and Achim Rhode, they discuss how Osama Bin Laden used the Quran’s out of context scripture and societal hegemonic masculinity to help spread their terroristic ideologies worldwide. This is evident when Rhode and Messerschmidt explicitly state “We examine how in the process of discursively constructing a rationale for violent attacks primarily against the United States, Bin Laden simultaneously formulates a particular jihadist masculinity, which amounts to a specific version of global hegemonic masculinity” (Rhode, Messerschmidt).  Hegemonic masculinity refers to the legitimization of men’s dominant position in almost every societal norm.  Rhode and Messerschmidt are explicitly stating that Osama Bin Laden used the Quran to directly place on his followers the idea that they are men and they can terrorize any part of the globe that doesn’t follow their corrupted hegemonic agenda.  It is safe to say that this ideology was not targeted towards women in the Middle East since they are still being oppressed and have very little to no say in a majority of Middle Eastern societies today.

 Posadas, Jeremy. "Teaching the Cause of Rape Culture: Toxic Masculinity." Journal of Feminist              Studies in Religion 33, no. 1 (2017): 177. doi:10.2979/jfemistudreli.33.1.23.

           The next piece of work is a Journal description writing Teaching the Cause of Rape Culture: Toxic Masculinity written by Jeremy Posadas a Doctorate in social justice education. He discusses how “sex itself functions in religious ways as well as how organized religion engages sex in various manners. (1) Topics include gender roles and power in sex, secular and religious cultures and ethics of sex, sexual health, marriage” (Posadas).  In Posadas’s article, he discusses topics in lectures that directly pertain to how religion effects gender roles, sex, and sexual health. Religions like Islam and Christianity both present the fact that women are supposed to be subservient to men, and that they are obligated to take on the challenges inside the home, i.e., dealing with children, cooking, and cleaning.  Religion, in essence, creates the idea of toxic masculinity as it mentions how other genders are insignificant compared to men.  This is the definition of hegemonic masculinity.

 Haider, Syed. "The Shooting in Orlando, Terrorism or Toxic Masculinity (or Both?)." Men and                Masculinities 19, no. 5 (2016): 555-65. doi:10.1177/1097184x16664952.

           Syed Haider a homosexual Muslim discussed the event of the Pulse night Club shooting and how it was not caused by Islamic terrorism or homophobia but that these conditions were outlets that lead to Omar Mateen’s (Pulse night club shooter) toxic masculinity which lead to the terror that inflicted on many innocent civilians that night.  This is indisputable when Haider states, “Rather than simply admitting both frames, I suggest reframing terrorism and homophobia not as cause and effect, but as conditions that share an underlying ailment, and that is the problem of toxic masculinity” (Haider).  Religion for people like Omar Mateen is used as a gateway to be virulent.  Omar uses justification from the Quran to eradicate homosexuals.  This is what happens in extreme cases when misinterpreted religious scripture blends with toxic masculinity, it creates problems and tragedy for society.  Religion provides misconstrued evidence and when a person typically a man believes that men are superior to anyone else it often ends up with somebody getting maltreated.

 Dawley, William, and Brendan Jamal Thornton. "New Directions in the Anthropology of                          Religion and Gender: Faith and Emergent Masculinities." Anthropological Quarterly 91,               no. 1 (2018): 5-23. doi:10.1353/anq.2018.0000.

           An article written by William Dawley and Brendan Jamal Thornton discusses how religious literature has constantly neglected women and other genders.  In much religious scripture, women have suffered from male patriarchy.  This is evident when Thornton and Dawley mention in the second paragraph, “The literature has tended to coalesce around women as a "neglected set of subjects” within many religious communities. Such literature tends to center on questions about women's relative subordination and/or their numerical dominance in a given community” (Dawley Thornton).  Clearly, women have been subjugated in religious literature and in places where religion plays a large influence on societal norms. An example of this claim is apparent when one begins to examine women in Saudi Arabia. Women in Saudi Arabia are forced to stay at home and tend to their husbands and children.  It wasn’t until recently that women in Saudi Arabia began to drive.  Saudi Arabia is a great example because it is a society with sharia law, it is the same law that is found in the Islamic scripture known as the Quran.  This law leads to this day the subjugation of women and their rights.  Sharia law creates hegemonic masculinity.

Dube, Siphiwe I. "The Violence of the Masculine Ideal:

A Case for Nomadic Masculinities."                                            

           HTS    Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 74,

           no. 2 (2018). doi:10.4102/hts.v74i2.4935.

           An article written by Siphiwe I. Dube discusses how Christian ideals have led to hegemonic practices that occur in many societies with large Christian ideals.  In fact, many progressive followers of the religion have brought forward re-imagined scripture to Christianity.  This is to be obvious when Dube stats, “To the end of representing and challenging these exclusions in terms of gender, and with particular reference to the treatment of women within Christian theologies, multiple forms of feminisms and, lately, critical masculinities have put forth re-imagined scripts of being in opposition to the prescriptive and proscriptive definitions of the Christian tradition” (Dube).  Many reformists had to add new scripture to make Christianity more inclusive to other genders and ethnicities. Dube mentions earlier in the article that, “Undoubtedly, some of the harshest forms of hegemonic exclusionary practices of subjectivity have been enacted, unfortunately, through Christian theological discourses” (Dube).  Christianity just like Islam are both patriarchal religions, religions in which toxic masculinity tends to linger around.

Below are the following five secondary sources found across the web that reinforces the idea that religion is an outlet for hegemonic toxic masculinity.

 "On 'toxic Masculinity'." Denver Catholic. February 05, 2019. Accessed March 11, 2019. https://              denvercatholic.org/on-toxic-masculinity/.

An article posted on the website DenverCatholic.org written by presumably a woman by the name of Mary Beth Bonacci.  She mentions how she likes masculinity and a man's protectiveness and that a man's protectiveness is one of God’s greatest inventions, s strength, “Here is my take: I like masculinity. I think it is among God’s most wonderful inventions. I like men’s strength. I like men’s protectiveness” (Bonacci).  Bonacci is already utilizing toxic masculinity by justifying it through religion.  She states that God made men powerful and protective of others.  She admires how men are strong and she mentions that these ideas in retrospect are merely social constructs, “I think men should be what they are. Men are strong. Men are protective. Men are, yes, sometimes aggressive. None of these things are socially conditioned” (Bonacci).  All of her statements are extremely biased because she is a writer for and a believer in strong conservative Catholic values and these values reinforce hegemonic masculinity which has been staed in the Bible

 Harper, Rosie. "Toxic Masculinity: Why We Should Stop Calling God 'he'." Christian News on    Christian Today. October 09, 2018. Accessed March 11, 2019. https://                                   www.christiantoday.com/article/toxic-masculinity-why-we-should-stop-calling-god-he/                 130638.htm.

           Regardless of Bonacci’s opinion and article posted by Christian Today written by Rosie Harper states that toxic masculinity has plagued many areas of our society including homes, personal lives, politics, and even churches. “What most women experience is that 'toxic masculinity' has invaded our families, our workplaces, our schools, our politics and our churches” (Harper).  Now here is a woman that agrees that there is too much toxic masculinity in her predominantly Christian life. Religious scripture like the Bible and the Quran is all about putting people under rules and subjection.  Rosie Harpers asserts that the Christian Church has ignored these matters for far too long and that the Church fails to mention them. “Patriarchal ideologies are the norm. The Church has been horribly silent in the face of violence and abuse against women. We don't talk about it, even though in our congregations there will be many women – some say 87 per cent – who have experienced some form of harassment” (Harper).  Harper is demanding that Christian Churches rise up against the injustices that are happening to women in their societies. But, because the majority of the church is composed of males these matters of subjugating other genders constantly keep happening to genders other than male, changes to the subjegation that occurs are absent.

 Lee, Adam, and Adam Lee. "Mark Driscoll and the Christian Cult of Toxic Masculinity."             Patheos. October 10, 2017. Accessed March 11, 2019. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/                   daylightatheism/2017/10/mark-driscoll-christian-cult-toxic-masculinity/.

           The next article isn’t an article at all it is a blog post written by Adam Lee about a pastor who is very abrupt and outspoken on matters about the church and Christianity as a whole who guys by the name of Mark Driscoll. Lee in his blog mentions Driscoll past statements in which Driscoll stated, “ has transformed Jesus into “a Richard Simmons, hippie, queer Christ,” a “neutered and limp-wristed popular Sky Fairy…”(Lee, Driscoll).   Mark Driscoll who was a former Pastor called out that newer ideas that are more progressive (when comes to women and people of other races) stated that they are making Jesus Christ seem like a queer who is weak.  Driscoll is advocating for a more masculine, muscular, bloodthirsty messiah. He wants Christianity to be a strictly patriarchal religion to where powerful white men have all the power and other genders are deemed as unworthy and insignificant.  

 Haglage, Abby. "Terry Crews Says Toxic Masculinity Is a 'cult': Men 'need Deprogramming'."                  Yahoo! News. February 13, 2019. Accessed March 11, 2019. https://www.yahoo.com/                  lifestyle/terry-crews-says-toxic-masculinity-cult-men-need-de-                                                         programming-150543267.html.

In toxic masculinity, other men have described its toxic effect on society.  An article produced by Yahoo Lifestyle discusses Terry Crews’s thoughts on how toxic masculinity affected him throughout his acting career.  The author of the article Abby Haglage mentions how Terry Crews talks about toxic masculinity as a religious cult, “Crews took it a step further backstage, implying toxic masculinity is religion-like. “It’s a cult,” he says. “I love being a man. But people have taken this thing and warped it and twisted it … what we’re talking about is an abuse of power" (Hagage, Crews).  Terry Crews explicitly states how toxic masculinity is religion within its own right.  Many religions around the world don’t explicitly state that men are more powerful than man and men are supposed to be stronger and emotionless but this idea is attributed to these religions when most people male followers in a religion-state and express these ideas that men are stronger and are supposed to be emotionless.  When men constantly in Christianity and Islam portray and think that this is the way society is supposed to be that is when societies that have a prominent religious presence become toxic.  These societies like parts of rural America and many Middle Eastern countries where religion represents a large part in their political structure, these areas have no progressive reforms.  In areas like these women are oppressed and subjected to taking care of her husband and children, and god forbid that someone there has different security than what the Bible or the Quran explicit states.  Toxic masculinity takes the form of a cult in many religions today, and when these religions play a large role in societies like many today, that’s when the backwoods ideology spreads throughout society.

 Kilpatrick, William. "Christian Men Will Be Overrun by Muslims If They Don't Man up."              LifeSiteNews. February 15, 2019. Accessed March 11, 2019. https://                                              www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/christian-men-will-be-overrun-by-muslims-if-they-dont-                 man-up.

           The final article published by Life Site and written by William Kilpatrick discusses the idea of how America needs to develop a sense of toxic masculinity in Churches so that they won’t be overrun by Muslim men because in the Middle East more toxic masculinity practices occur.  The article states that toxic masculinity is required now so that America’s biggest religion will not be Islam.  This is indisputable when Kilpatrick writes, “More importantly, he observed that Christian churches seemed to have lost the masculine spirit that inspired the men commissioned by Jesus to spread the Gospel even in the face of persecution and martyrdom” (Kilpatrick).  Kilpatrick argues that men need to become more masculine so they can combat, “Islam, which is a hyper-masculine religion, is the world's fastest growing religion. Indeed its appeal to basic masculine psychology is one of the chief reasons for its success. In military-like summer camps across the Islamic world, young boys are taught who their enemies are, and they are taught survival skills, hand-to-hand combat, and weapons use” (Kilpatrick).  This shows how religion directly affects toxic masculinity, people like Kilpatrick advocate to use religion to enhance masculinity in order for military combative purposes.  They use religion as an excuse to be toxic to society so they can use their masculinity and spread their ideologies for malicious intent.

             Religion plays a large role in toxic masculinity. It provides an outlet for people to act toxic towards women, other genders, and just overall society.  They use religious scripture and religious theory to segregate and demote other races, religions, ethnicities, and especially other genders.  Followers of Islam, for example, feel the need to make women tend to the home and children while the men make money and are in charge of the important resolutions in the household.  Religion is an outlet for toxic masculinities because many religious scriptures make a clear distinction about gender roles and what different roles each gender has. Religion is, in essence, is a gateway for modern toxic masculinity by using scripture as a way to convince followers of religion what they are and are not supposed to be in terms of their individual gender.

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Doritos as a Metaphor for a High-Class Lifestyle

Modern advertisements sell more than just simple products or services these days. They increasingly try to sell a feeling or experience to consumers and base their advertisements on this instead of on the actual product or service they are selling. There were many examples of 2019 Super Bowl advertisements that did just this. One particular commercial that did this was the Doritos advertisement which starred Chance the Rapper and the Backstreet Boys ( Dua ). The creators of the Doritos commercial, the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, were able to convey a strong connotative message using, physical objects, celebrities, metaphors, and color association all in just thirty seconds. They left millions of viewers with the idea that Doritos are related to a high-class lifestyle. This tactic is used to increase their sales, and they try to persuade viewers that these ideas are attainable to even the average person if they buy new Flamin’ Hot Nacho Doritos.

The 2019 Doritos commercial starts with Chance the Rapper sitting on a piano in an airplane hanger eating new “Flamin’ Hot Nacho” Doritos ( Dua ). Then scene changes. Physical objects in the commercial work together to communicate this connotative message of fame and prosperity. Some of these featured objects are colorful expensive cars and an expensive airplane, both associated with wealth. His initial position in an airplane hanger on a piano also adds to this tone. In general, the commercial makes it seem like the new Doritos somehow gave Chance the Rapper access to a the jet and fast, flashy cars and to his luxurious lifestyle. He eats the Doritos and is instantly transported. In reality, Chance the Rapper is rich, so he definitely does not need chips to be able to drive nice cars. If anything, the money he was paid to be in the commercial would help him to do have these things and live this way, and the connection between gas station chips and fame and fortune is illogical. However, this is an effective marketing ploy. Goodby Silverstein & Partners are trying to sell Doritos to the average person. The advertisement is less focused on Doritos as a product and more on selling an experience and the concept of wealth and fame using expensive objects.

Doritos commercials are notorious for featuring celebrities as a marketing tactic. During the Super Bowl last year, Morgan Freeman, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and Peter Dinklage appeared in the Doritos commercial ( Dua ). This year, the company did the same thing by using famous figures to sell their product. Both Chance the Rapper and the Backstreet Boys are well-known and have a good public image and are therefore fitting for a TV advertisement. They are idolized by the public who are all diverse and fit into many demographic groups because the Super Bowl is such a popular sporting event. However, although people from all walks of life make up the audience members of the Super Bowl, they all generally have one thing in common:  they are all somehow in touch with pop culture. This is why using famous figures as a propaganda technique is effective. Viewers think that if Chance the Rapper likes the new Doritos, they should too. It’s simple but effective. People want to be like their favorite celebrities, and Goodby Silverstein & Partners try to send the message that Doritos make this attainable for the average person. The commercial focuses on famous, wealthy celebrities and not the actual chips.

Using both Chance the Rapper who is a newer celebrity and the Backstreet Boys who were more popular a few years ago, Goodby Silverstein & Partners captured a wider demographic than if they has just used Chance or just used the Backstreet boys in this commercial. “I Want It That Way” came out in 1999 ( “Backstreet Boys: I Want It That Way.” ). Chance the Rapper’s newest music came out in just two months ago on Soundcloud, meaning he is still a current artist ( “Chance the Rapper” ).This means that the commercial spans nearly twenty years of pop culture, so many people of multiple generations will recognize at least one of the celebrities regardless of age. This is useful as a marketing tool because people of many ages watch the Super Bowl.  

Another more complex tactic that is used in this commercial is metaphor. The metaphor equates the new Doritos to the collaboration between Chance the Rapper and the Backstreet Boys. It features a new remix to the classic song “I Want It That Way.” It also has a newer artist combined with a relatively older band. These are metaphors for how the new Doritos are a new version of the original ones. They are trying to show that when the original and the novel come together, good things happen with both Doritos and music. The commercial ends with the words “The original / Now it’s hot” which refers to the song remix as well as the fact that the original Nacho Doritos are now “Flamin’ Hot.” In the end, Chance the Rapper joins the Backstreet Boys in a coordinated dance number to show that the new and the old are better together. This message is communicated connotatively because metaphor is used, and it is not explained literally.

There is a subtle political aspect to the advertisement as well. Commercials are increasingly trying to promote racial diversity. Some past examples of this are the controversial Pepsi ad where Kendall Jenner shared a Pepsi with a police officer during a protest. This is an example of a commercial where the promotion of cultural coexistence was not done well. Pepsi claimed that the ad "reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that's an important message to convey" (Channick). A Groupon Super Bowl commercial from 2011 used Tibetans to sell their product. There were a public backlashes against these ads because of how insensitive they weres and how they made light of serious issues (Channick). This shows that advertisers are trying to use racial coexistence to sell products. This also happens in the Doritos commercial, but it is done more tastefully, respectfully, and subliminally. The Backstreet Boys are a very white band, and they join Chance to sell the product. This marketing technique is effective in this commercial because it tries to send the message that many kinds of people like the new Doritos and acceptance is becoming more trendy in today’s social climate.

A final technique used in the commercial is visual - color association. This is a subtle tactic, but the colored smoke that is coming from the cars in the commercials are purple, orange, and yellow. This is also the case with the airplane in the background. It is painted the same colors as the smoke and cars. These colors happen to be the same colors that appear on the new Doritos package. They are bright and even overwhelming, making the commercial visually exciting for viewers, capturing their attention fully. This visual effect helps the scenes transition into one another, and this also cements the relationship between the cars and plane, which symbolize the lifestyle being sold, and the Doritos. This is the message that Goodby Silverstein & Partners is trying to sell in the ad.

Generally speaking, even though this is a commercial for Doritos, the actual Doritos are not the general focus of the ad. In fact, the actual Doritos only appear twice for a few seconds each. The ideas of wealth, success, and an expensive high class lifestyle are being sold to the average consumer watching. The propaganda and advertising techniques used include the placement of specific physical objects, celebrities, metaphors, and color association. These all work together to convey this connotative message to consumers, as opposed to a denotative message which would say this message literally. Overall, this is a very effective commercial that associates almost unrelated things together to sell chips in the form of an experience and an abstract idea instead of as a product alone.

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Crack Open A Cold One With Nationalism

During the 2019 Super Bowl and in a time of pushes for sustainable energy, Budweiser aired an ad to announce their use of wind power to brew their beer. The ad depicts a Dalmatian happily riding atop a carriage filled with Budweiser beer though long fields of wheat covered in wind turbines. The words “Wind Never Felt Better” and “Now Brewed With Wind Power For A Better Tomorrow” appear at the end. While the advertisement gets the denotative point that Budweiser is now using wind energy to brew across, it also has connotative portrayals of nationalism and patriarchalism.

Masculinity and Patriarchalism

The image of a Dalmatian being blown by wind is the first shot of the advertisement. The use of a Dalmatian is symbolic of loyalty and determination; dogs, specifically Dalmatians, are thought to be loyal, working, tough dogs through their common association with firefighters. The use of a dog also adheres to a standard created by a patriarchal society, one where “a dog is a man’s best friend.” Usually, beer commercials are marketed toward men, and not just men, but an idealistic version of masculinity based in societal stereotypes and tradition. This is why Budweiser included a dog as the first shot of the advertisement. The ad overall is a nice break from traditional beer commercials in the sense that it does not use women’s bodies and sexual fantasies to link pleasure with a brand of beer. Instead, Budweiser has chosen what seems to be a path of righteousness by focusing on something good that the company is doing for the planet while also maintaining the traditional masculine image.

Militarism and American History

  After the focus on the Dalmatian, the camera pans out to reveal a metallic harness the dog is wearing while riding a carriage full of crates of Budweiser beer, driven by a male and female both clad in ceremonial militaristic uniforms complete with hats, gloves, and medallions. The horses drawing the carriage are also dressed in metallic harnesses and decorations. These details give the ad a militaristic feel, as if the carriage is needed somewhere for a military ceremony. The ad supports the ideology of militarism through its praiseful depiction of  men, women, dogs, and horses clad in ceremonial military uniforms. The use of a carriage reminds viewers of a time of Manifest Destiny. A time when the exploration of new land in the West meant building an American life for a man and his family. The carriage gives the tone of tradition and perseverance which contrasts to the ending shots of the wind farm, a new development in a world concerned with renewable energy. The carriage is traveling through long fields of wheat which extend out of frame; the camera sweeps through them as if the viewer is running alongside the carriage. This shot is meant to make the viewer feel apart of the carriage, the dog, and the mission they seem to be carrying out. Fields of grain are the most commonly referred to American farmland. They are mentioned in “America the Beautiful,” and are often used as a symbol for nationalistic values. 

A cover of the song “Blowin��� In The Wind,” a historically recognized “protest song” written by Bob Dylan in the 1960s during the Vietnam War, plays throughout the whole ad. This song, well-known to most Americans, questions the American government’s policies in terms of war. The specific verse used in the ad begins with the lyrics “How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?” This is the first verse of the song, but the company did not have to use the first verse; they chose it because it is perfect for supporting the masculine, nationalistic, and activist tones presented in the ad. Since the song was written as a protest song, the audience of nationalistic men in America will recognize the tones of revolution and associate it with American values and support for the nation. However, Budweiser chose to use a cover of “Blowin’ In The Wind,” performed by a woman. This choice could be an attempt to ad more a positive, patriotic female presence as if to signify Lady Liberty. The American woman singing a protest song about men in America is the perfect undertone for this ad. 

Activism and Manipulation

The denotative idea the ad conveys is that Budweiser now uses renewable wind energy to power its plants. In a time of a sustainability wave, Budweiser means to convey that it is supporting movements toward sustainable and renewable energy and away from oil and gas. This is also a political issue because the oil and gas industry is so large and would be destroyed if everyone suddenly realized the use of oil and gas is destroying the Earth over time. This makes it a risk for Budweiser to seemingly take a stand against the oil and gas industry and in support for pushes to prevent global warming. Budweiser wants to be seen as a company that stands up for what it believes is right. An image included below shows a screenshot of the Budweiser ad and an image of a sea turtle caught in plastic. This image shows that the association Budweiser is trying to make with forces for environmental change is successful. However, a disclaimer appears at the bottom of the frame in the ad that reads “renewable electricity from wind power is one type of energy we use to brew,” (my emphasis). The wording of this disclaimer suggests that Budweiser still uses oil and gas to power their plants in addition to wind power. This contradicts with the idea that Budweiser only uses renewable wind energy to power its factories which is the idea that is portrayed throughout the ad without the disclaimer. In the ad, the wind farm is shown to stretch as far as the eye can see; however, the truth of the amount of wind power Budweiser is using is unknown. The words “This Bud’s for a better tomorrow,” appear at the end of the ad. The company leaves “a better tomorrow,” up for interpretation. Budweiser wants to portray itself as helping to create a better tomorrow for the Earth and for those who support sustainability, using political and societal issues to promote their product and profit.

Nationalism and Patriarchalism

Through Budweiser’s use of masculine, militaristic, patriotic, and activistic themes, a contrast is made between tradition and revolutionary ideals. The contrast is seen between the carriage and the wind turbines, the new take on a traditional protest song, the old crates of Budweiser beer and the contemporary militaristic uniforms. This contrast is used by Budweiser to convey the message that the company has not forgotten its traditional roots even though it has taken a contemporary approach to the way the beer is brewed. One part of nationalism that is often forgotten is the idea that Americans are rebels and revolutionaries. Americans think of Americans as having the guts to stand up for what is right. This tone of rebellion and activism is slipped under the surface successfully because the ad presents it as one of the characteristics of nationalism. The revolutionary nationalistic theme is conveyed in the ad through the juxtaposition of traditional imagery and a contemporary societal issue the company is supposedly addressing, in this case global warming.

Patriarchalism is apparent through the use of the Dalmatian, the militaristic tones, and the lack of a positive female presence that is not tied to nationalism. It is also a corner stone of nationalism, and, therefore, is an underlying tone of the entire ad. While the ad does not use women as a mechanism for pleasure association, it is using global warming as a springboard for profit for the company. This could be arguably just as distasteful as if the ad had objectified women. This manipulation makes the viewer think “Budweiser has a lot of integrity. Finally an ad that’s not about drinking beer with the guys!” But if you look closer, the ad still promotes the traditional masculinity of beer ads, a consequence of a patriarchal society, it is just through different mechanisms. Therefore, the ad has connotative messages characteristic of nationalism as well as patriarchalism which are depicted through imagery and symbolism.

Budweiser. "Wind Never Felt Better." Advertisement. YouTube. February 6, 2019. Accessed February 19, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrKBdY2x7_U.

"Let's Get Social." Debunk. Accessed February 19, 2019. https://www.debunk.com/lets-get-social.