The silent killer of masculinity.

For a while now, I have been noticing how society’s focus has been shifting from masculinity to femininity. While I believe men could learn a thing or two from women, and that females are deserving of everything they work for, in no way do I think masculinity is evil and that it should be eradicated.

Even though I had some ideas as to why masculinity (in the positive sense of things) has become an endangered trait, I had no real science to back it up; or so I thought. Just this past week, I read a new, groundbreaking study involving mice and BPA. However, now that I am writing this piece, it is impossible for me to find that article. Instead, there are a ton of them on this subject back from the year of 2011. (Maybe I traveled into the past and back without realizing it?) Anywho… Researchers found that male mice exposed to BPA exhibited traits usually more associated with females. Spacial navigational abilities were tested, as well as mice’s sensitivity to fear or anxiety in new places. Basically, they put the BPA exposed mice in a labyrinth and observed their movements. Compared to the non-exposed male mice, the BPA ones failed to navigate the maze efficiently. Instead, they wondered around aimlessly, not really committing to any of the paths. They also seemed a lot more anxious. (What is interesting is that the increased anxiety and the inability to navigate the maze quickly are traits associated with female mice.) Moreover, when presented with an option (BPA fueled or BPA free male mice), female mice picked their male counterparts that were not exposed to BPA twice as likely. Masculinity is sexy, after all! Also, aside from the fact that females choose the more masculine males, the BPA exposed males have a hard time finding any females due to their spacial navigation issues and anxiety. That in turn, makes it more difficult for them to procreate. In a sense, you can say that BPA is killing the mood AND the future generations. (There has also been a study done on human urine BPA levels and the decline of male sexual function.)

What is BPA, you ask? Well, my friend, BPA is short for Bisphenol A, sythetic estrogen, a chemical found in… many things, used to harden plastic. However, it is not only used in plastic bottles. BPA is also in the lining of aluminium cans (be it beverages or canned food). Even CDs! Yes, it is ubiquitous. While we ingest most of it through food stored in BPA filled containers, it is also possible to inhale BPA from air or dust. (Something has got to kill us, right?!) Bisphenol A can cause a series of health issues, including (but not limited to): disturbing the hormonal balance, cancer and heart problems. What can you do to minimize the intake of BPA? Look for BPA free products. However, chances are that in place of BPA something else, possibly even more dangerous, is being used. You can still try… Use glass bottles/ containers instead of plastic ones whenever possible. For the love of everything that is holy – do not microwave plastic!!!

Now, that I have all of you freaking out about the health ramifications of BPA (if you have not been doing so already), I would like to get back on track and tackle the whole “masculinity” issue. It seems that we live in an “either/ or” world, where two parallel things are not possible to co-exist. The minute feminists started loudly and proudly fighting for their rights, masculine males became public enemy number one. I, for one, believe both can co-exist, as they both bring valuable traits to the table. Girls want a boyfriend who is in touch with his emotions, i.e. knows what he is feeling and why and can clearly communicate that. Sure, that can be a useful block in a successful relationship, but – Girl, do you not feel weird if your boyfriend cries at a drop of a hat and you always have to be that strong person you both have to lean on? Single mothers, often influenced by their own negative experience with men, try and raise their sons to be loving, caring and respectful of women. That is fantastic, but when a boy turns into a man who is unable to do anything but talk about their feelings and cry with you, things are not so idyllic anymore.

In a way, I think feminists might have messed things up for “regular” females. Because they push their agenda so hard, many men take the whole “equality” thing at face value. They stop seeing weaker, more vulnerable females. Instead, they see just another human being that is capable of everything they are. That sounds great, you would think. But the reality is far from it. Females, in their quest for equality, have become more macho that some of the men of today, who are taught to act more like females. Did you, too notice the role reversal that is happening? The effect of BPA on females is ambiguous (rather minimal or non-existent),  but now we know that it causes males to be more feminine. With the culture of water (in plastic bottles) drinking all the time, I am not shocked that we pack ourselves full of BPA.

This is not meant to go back in time and push “traditional” male vs. female roles, but to argue that some things might have been better in the past than they are now. It all started innocently, with men caring a bit more about their appearance than they used to in the past. All of a sudden, they started getting mani-pedis, facials, they begun waxing their bodies and using scented lotions. Females are often taken aback, when they find out that the male they are dating spends more time in front of a mirror than they do. Of course, men should take care of themselves, but why are we trying to dethrone females from being the “beautiful gender”?

Men are so worried about being accused of sexual harassment, that often times they treat a woman as someone invisible. It bothers me when I see a man rushing to the door in front of a woman, but not to open it for her, but to squeeze in before her. Sometimes they do not even hold the door behind them. Female or not, etiquette says: “Hold the door for someone (relatively close) behind you”. Are there any females out there that do not think twice about a man not opening the door for them? It is possible for a man to open a door for a woman, without doing so only to look at her buttocks or showing that women are not equal to men. It is simply a nice gesture. Nothing more, nothing less. The situation frustrates me even more when the female is walking with a bunch of heavy grocery bags, trying to just get onto the bus where she can lay the bags on the floor, and the male nearly knocks her over in an attempt to get in front of her in the line for the bus. And then, he fumbles in search for his bus pass. And she stands there. Behind him. With her knuckles white. Praying that the plastic bags do not just break, sending all the loose apples down the street. He finally finds the ticket and then dashes to the only free seat. Now, I know people need to sit down for various reasons, but C’MON! “Why did you not help her with her bags?” – I want to ask, but then, I realize that the man in his late 20s has his hair dyed pink and weighs probably not more than 100lb. His arm sticks would not be able to hold half of the bags she is carrying. Why did he need the seat so badly? Maybe it is because he lacks any sort of muscle therefor he might break in half when the bus stops or turns. Or maybe, it is because he needed to check all his social media accounts…

My female friends work full-time for a living, while their male partners freelance, because they get tired too easily. The females also do all sorts of stuff around the house involving heavy lifting, because the men are too tired, or have back problems. Male neighbors do not offer a helping hand. Are men not supposed to be someone a female can lead on? Sure, men need support, too. It should be mutual. But what is happening now is that men are becoming USELESS.

We are told that macho men are bad. That they are set in their last century ways, believing a woman’s place is at home serving her husband and taking a beating every now and then. We need to realize that good macho men exist. There are not too many of them left, but we should not be actively trying to murder them. It is possible for women to achieve things without trampling over men.

Testosterone levels are declining, so is the quantity and the quality of sperm. We are so afraid of natural disasters, but we do not give it enough thought to realize that we might become extinct because soon enough we will all be females and unable to reproduce.

Wake up!
Women, appreciate the manly traits in your men.
Men, do not be afraid of being the right kind of men.