What it Means to be Masculine

This weekend I had a conversation with a friend that surprisingly pertains considerably to the subject of this week's blog. We were in the car lisening to a song, "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter", and he began to criticize the song. Although not my favorite song either, I didn't have a huge problem with it so I asked what he found so appalling about it. He replied that it "just wasn't a very masculine song". This intrigued me. What does it mean to be masculine? Is Ozzy Osbourne more masculine than Daniel Powter? Why, because Daniel Powter sings about having a bad day and Ozzy Osbourne sings about hell and fire? Or because Ozzy Osbourne bites off the heads of animals? Is decapitating animals somehow linked to the male gender? I think the idea of masculinity varies for everyone, but magazines, tv shows, and movies continue to shape the world's perception of what exactly it is to be a man.

My dad is from Chicago, Illinois. His idea of masculinity consists of sports and cars, both of whicih he invests a lot of his time. Although I haven't met either of my grandfathers, I've heard many stories about both. One's idea of masculinity consisted of cursing and consuming large amounts of alcohol. The other's consisted of hunting and being reserved. My brother considers making a lot of money a sign of masculinity. My other brother thinks driving a nice truck makes him a man. Why these attributes? The majority of this answer probably comes from how each individual was brought up and how the community in which they lived viewed masculinity. Most individuals are scared to be portrayed as "different". Reading poetry isn't a traditional attribute of most men so instead of reading poetry and chance being looked at as a sissy, men go to the gym to lift weights. We are constantly bombarded with the traditional views of what it is to be either a man or a woman, and if we try to challenge those views we become targets for ridicule.

My idea of masculinity is a little different. It seems many men are so concerned with looking like a man that they lose sight of what it really means. Many children today are growing up without fathers. I think first and foremost to be a man (or anyone really) you have to be able to take responsibility for your actions. The cussing, brawling, and other "manly" characteristics are just camouflage for insecurities.