“Men are punished for a patriarchy they can’t remember”
In a Nutshell
Men face widespread denial of their struggles—falling behind in education, jobs, and rising in "deaths of despair"—while top performers dominate fields like sports, music, and comedy, leaving average men slipping into addiction and isolation. Young men feel punished for a fading "patriarchy" they never knew, born without inherent value unlike women, amid technological upheavals like AI displacing jobs and eroding traditional male roles. Sympathy is needed: offline spaces, positive role models (e.g., Gareth Southgate, David Attenborough), and rejection of casual male disparagement to help boys navigate a rapidly changing world.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Hunger for this content is a reaction to a felt lack of sympathy and denial of male pain. If there was more acceptance that guys are having a tough time through pretty much any objective metric, no group has fallen further faster than men. That's Richard Reeves line from the American Institute of Boys and Men. If there were places to go offline, fewer guys would turn to the internet, creating an opening in the market. If there are no role models, people propose their own.
Who are good examples of genuine positive role models for boys to emulate? In the UK, Gareth Southgate, former England manager, embodies dignity, sense of fair play, in a pursuit many boys (and girls) aspire to excel in. David Attenborough: adventurer, world-renowned colossus of naturalism, sensitive human being.
In scenarios of male failure like deaths of despair (suicides, drug overdoses), realms exist where men dominate: English Premier League football, rap, grime, drill—preeminent, world-famous, highest-paid, highest-achieving exponents are men. Homosexuality is still questionable and taboo (few openly gay footballers or rap artists). Most successful comedians are still men. Realms exist where traditionally masculine-presenting men are ascendant.
Difference is between guys who rise to the top and the average man. Average man increasingly slipping from university, high-paying jobs, more likely addicted to drugs, video games, porn, weed. Men dominate extremes at both ends.
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