General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe mockery of Gus Walz is almost a caricature of toxic masculinity
And yes, I'm aware some of the mockery is coming from women, but to me, that just emphasizes my point - they've internalized these ridiculous gender-policing norms, too. The idea that the only emotion it's permissible for a boy or a man to show is anger is where so much of the toxicity comes from. So there are kids right now, watching their parents mock a neurodivergent boy for being so overcome with love and pride for his dad that he cries, and what will those kids take away from this? Must not show genuine love and pride, must not be so filled with emotion that it comes out as TEARS, oh, heavens to Betsy, what would the neighbors think?
When you don't allow people to freely express genuine emotions of love (or grief, or whatever), but you do allow them to freely express anger, when you even encourage the expression of unbridled rage but no other emotion, is it any surprise that all that repressed emotion comes out as violence? Sometimes the violence is directed inward, and those are the ones who commit suicide. Sometimes it's outward, and we've all seen too much of that.
Please don't teach your children not to cry. Teach them how to manage their emotions, yes, but please don't repress their expression altogether. We have had so many generations now with this fucked-up idea that men aren't allowed to cry. Sometimes venting emotion via tears is the most cathartic thing one can do. And I say that as a woman who almost never cries - but I was brought up in a truly fucked-up, repressed-emotion way, too. I know the damage it does.
SheltieLover
(61,022 posts)No "almost" about it, imo.
And it's transgenerational!
magicarpet
(17,291 posts)Nice read.
Beastly Boy
(11,526 posts)meadowlander
(4,777 posts)Skittles
(160,873 posts)EVERYONE NEEDS TO STOP BUYING INTO THEIR BULLSHIT
Solly Mack
(93,359 posts)PeaceWave
(1,237 posts)The GOP is simply mean spirited. Period.
geniph
(12,599 posts)For people with narrow gender-role ideology, it's okay for a young girl to cry, but not a boy. They might have made snide remarks, but not the out-and-out viciousness that was directed at Gus.
DemonGoddess
(5,125 posts)are weak, lily livered BULLIES. That's been them for many, many years.
JoeOtterbein
(7,802 posts)....tears.
erronis
(17,399 posts)but I can't.
My voice cracks when i discuss sensitive and emotional issues.
If I go to a movie or theater production, I'll embarrass myself and any partner (fortunately no longer.)
But I'd rather be me after almost 80 years than the opposite.
geniph
(12,599 posts)but it's better than being a sociopathic creep who doesn't feel, right?
Actor trick here - drop the pitch of your voice when you feel it's shaking or cracking. If you drop into a lower register, it's easier to contain it.
erronis
(17,399 posts)Demobrat
(9,981 posts)showed the world exactly what kind of man Tim Walz is, and the maggots are reacting predictably. Derision and hate are all they have. They think it shows strength. As always, they are wrong.
iluvtennis
(20,984 posts)BaronChocula
(2,531 posts)i.e. the Coulters do it out of fealty to toxic masculinity.
colorado_ufo
(5,948 posts)The shortest verse in the Bible is two words: "Jesus wept." Gospel of John, Chapter 11, Verse 35.
Lonestarblue
(12,068 posts)Mostly the mean part. They are truly nasty humans. If they have redeeming values, Ive seen no display of them
Phoenix61
(17,769 posts)Its why men end up in fist fights at funerals and women end up in tears when their boss is a jerk to them. Everybody has the right to express the full range of human emotions.
PeaceWave
(1,237 posts)Response to geniph (Original post)
BrightKnight This message was self-deleted by its author.
Politicub
(12,301 posts)says so much.
Walz is the real deal. He has nurtured his son to live his best life.
I can imagine the pain he must feel that some on the right are degenerate to the point they will ridicule and make fun of an expression of pure love.
The depths MAGA will sink has no floor. The ones that dont call out these cowards, thieves, snakes and liars are complicit in perpetuating darkness.
BrightKnight
(3,684 posts)dont know how to do it in authentic and effective way.
Solid male role models are important socially and politically.
geniph
(12,599 posts)The two terms - masculine and toxic - aren't synonymous. I don't think most men are toxic, at all. I'm married to a man who is secure about his own gender identity and not afraid to show emotion. Toxic masculinity is a very small subset of male behavior, but a disproportionately negative one.
BrightKnight
(3,684 posts)I would be pissed that people keep going on about it. He gets a pass because it was authentic, the weight of the moment couldnt be more enormous and he has issues. Harping on it is not at all comfortable from his perspective. I wish people would just respect his dignity and let it go.
Aristus
(68,845 posts)Usually if he had just experienced a huge failure in his career, an election or a loss in battle for example. But it was considered normal to cry over such a loss.
Are we worse than the ancient Romans?
regnaD kciN
(26,677 posts)is a carrying forward of early childhood, where schoolyard bullies dominated, and no one was as low on the totem pole as their victims. Think about Trump mocking the disabled reporter and encouraging his supporters to beat up protesters his campaign slogan might as well have been Make Bullying Great Again. And you can easily imagine what a schoolyard bully would say about Gus Welz in fact, you dont even need to imagine it, as weve seen it all online since Wednesday.
PeaceWave
(1,237 posts)You didn't read anything but the title, did you? That was literally the first line.