As men, and as a country, we have gone from honoring and respecting silent heroes that oftentimes have been forced to express an opinion on the direction of our society- to rewarding the parables of online commentators for being “Not Wrong.” The common applause to a social media monologue unchecked by emotions, and riddled by little to no life experience is the overused bro-frat millennial badge of honor:
“He’s Not Wrong!”
If that’s the goal for what we should be striving for as the men who lead us, then we are doomed. In the classic movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” Mr. Smith went to Washington with his head down quietly fighting for the common man. Until the unfortunate circumstances unfolded and he was forced to explode in a filibustering monologue where he demanded moral and ethical treatment for all fellow Americans, on all fronts. He was raging for the idea of dignity for all to be a common goal. That was the ideal man. The hero. Now it’s men owning Instagram companies, screaming their heads off; after a night of coke, high class escorts, and bottles of “Silver Tequila,” (because they are watching their washboard abs). Why do we congratulate these men? Why do we see them as the future for masculinity? They aren’t the future for anything. In fact they are what is dooming masculinity. Not transgender college students just looking for a little peace of mind, or feminist activists marching on Washington. You wanna be a “real man,” whatever that means? Let them march, and worry about yourself. Everyone needs a purpose. Everyone finds it differently.
As a man, I believe in healthy respectable masculinity, and it's intended purposes. To protect our partners, and children in life. Not to troll people who are different, unhappy, and even perhaps at times misguided. In regards to the modern issue of manhood, I referenced a classic character such as Mr. Smith intentionally. For one reason, and one reason only. The actor who played the iconic character, Jimmy Stewart. A man who inarguably holds the distinction for being the greatest American actor who has ever lived, and should be the example we follow as men. Not this new modern man raging on Instagram.
Put your head down, and do what’s right. Simplify life. Enjoy breakfast, and coffee with the woman you love, and let her know it. Appreciate the sound of a freshly cracked beer in the summertime, and love your dog. It’s the simple tiny moments that make men who they are, not grandiose gestures of bravado on social media.
“The truth is that it's just really hard for me to get to sleep without a dog in my bedroom. I once had a dog named Beau. He used to sleep in the corner of the bedroom. Some nights, though, he would sneak onto the bed and lie right between Gloria and me. I know that I should have pushed him off the bed, but I didn't. He was up there because he wanted me to pat his head, so that's what I would do.”
-Jimmy Stewart
Listen to Mr. Stewart. Get a dog. Let him sleep in bed with you, and pat his head. Enjoy life, and be a real man.
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