I keep seeing posts mentioning this phenomenon more and more often.
For instance:
‘Andrew Tate phenomena’ surges in schools - with boys refusing to talk to female teacher
Like, why? Why now? Why even? I really wish I had a time machine where I could go to the future and ask them what the general reasons were for this social development. But I feel like I’m looking for the specific thorn on a cactus that popped my balloon.
There are plenty of healthy ways to perform masculinity. If all you’ve managed to understand from that discourse is “all masculinity is toxic” then I’m afraid you just haven’t been paying attention. Toxic masculinity is when young men are taught that the only way to be a man is to be strong, outgoing, possessive, stoic, unemotional and tall (among other things). Toxic masculinity is when men that don’t fit those stereotypes are beaten down, verbally, but often physically, because they don’t conform. Because they’re gay, have “effeminate” hobbies, are short, weak, empathetic, dress sharply, you name it. It’s also harmful to women, but more than anything it’s men hurting other men for nonconformance.
Because it’s not a deeply structural societal issue? Before I transitioned, I faced the effects of toxic masculinity every single day, dozens if not hundreds of times a day. Meanwhile, yeah, my conformance to femininity has absolutely been questioned post-transition, but nowhere near as much. Women and girls have spent the last two centuries working through the toxic and smothering nature of traditional femininity, as much as the patriarchal nature of society had allowed us too.
This is exactly the explanation that causes them to rebel.
Believe what you want to believe. I’m just glad I don’t live somewhere this is a problem on the level of the U.S. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯