I am not the only one who believes that true gender equality can only be reached when men and women challenge stereotypes and long held (traditional) preconceptions about their own, and each other’s gender. Before the late 1960’s women were, on the whole, treated atrociously by men (and male-oriented society.) The women’s liberation movement happened at a time of great change and new levels of personal freedom. But women did it alone. Yes they had (and increasingly do have) male support, but only from the view point of changing attitudes towards their gender. Women were busy fighting for their own rights, but men, lazily, forgot to challenge negative stereotypes and preconceptions about what it meant to be a man in modern society.
Slowly over the years this fact has become forgotten and as women started to achieve positions of power and influence and men became increasingly undervalued, then the view representing modern man became diluted. It was no longer desirable to be the alpha-male, banging his chest and asserting his will . The bread-winning man is, again, a role from a bygone age. Then there was “New Man”, that washed up husk, always the follower – never the leader, perpetually playing second fiddle to his much more dynamic, up coming and assertive better half.
Now, in the 21st century (yes people, it’s the future now, god-damn-it), men are increasingly depicted as fools and idiots, bumbling around unable to feed themselves or keep themselves clean. I can only think that those marketing and advertising types think this will help encourage women to act in an ever more male way (oops, forgive me the stereotype.) Domineering, manipulative and, who knows, possibly even violent.
Here is a link to an article by Nicolas Zart that seems to support my theory.
http://www.examiner.com/article/watch-out-ladies-men-s-revolution-is-around-the-corner
Enjoy!
