Be a Man!

This past week we focused on how being a "man" is important with the male species. At a young age boys are taught that they need to be tough. They need to act like men and that being a man is showing how "hard" you are.

Boys are taught that if you do anything like a girl you are less than a man. You have to be able to beat each other up and be the best if you want to be a man.

I wonder if this want to show manhood not only comes from the media but is in our DNA. I mean when you think about it Indian men had to prove their manhood. Men in old time greece did the same thing. Manlier men were more highly re-guarded. I know that the movie "Tough Guise" says that the media shows this in movies and television as well as advertising but where did it come from? It had to start somewhere from us to start having these thoughts about men.

Animals fight each other to the death sometimes to show who is the alpha male. Men sometimes do the same thing. Gang members have initiations that have the person getting in get the crap beat out of them to show how tough they and if they fail then they don't get in. I don't know about you but I don't think i would enjoy a book club that I wanted to join to beat me to death with books because I wanted to join.

Men have used violence to show their masculine sides for years. I think it has gotten worse because we are putting more violence in our games, shows, advertising and letting our children see these things. Were basically saying that its ok for men to be and act violent.

Unless we completely rework everything. Nothing is going to change.