The Macho Complex

Feminists take a lot of shit for demanding equality for women and wanting to break free from the bimbo mold; however, when I say gender roles I also mean that male macho shit that men get forced into by society.

For the most part men and women are told how to act, and dress, what to like and dislike almost from the moment they are conceived. Pink if it's a girl and blue if it's a boy. As we develop into toddlers girls play with Barbie and boys get fake tools and cars. Even the toy store is seperated into boys' and girls' sections. But what would children individually choose to play with if they weren't told that girls play with dolls and boys play with tools?

This dilemma is the beginning of the torture society puts little boys through. They are taught to be strong and tough, leaving quieter, brainier men to feel less adequate. I mean what mental image do you get when you hear the word "man?" Something similar to the Brawny Paper Towel Guy perhaps? I am sure the image of, let's say, Bill Gates wasn't anywhere close to the image. But should he be considered any less of a "man" than the Brawny dude?

There are alot of men who are the typical jock type and there are alot of men who are not. There is a sad dynamic between the macho and the not so macho. One group making the other group feel bad for not being physically powerful and unappreciative of the others' mental power.

Men fight daily to live up to some Bruce Willis image of being a man. They are taught that they need to love action movies, watch sports and not act like "pussies." If they are are not Macho men and they are not gay then they are stuck in some in between area. And even if they are macho or gay then they are still victims of the macho society.

This is clearly a topic too broad for a few paragraphs. But the bottom line is feminism is Not just a movement that will benefit women. It's a movement that needs to benefit gender period. Another aspect of being a feminist is not just to benefit women but to benefit all of us from being victims of what society dictates we should be as men and women and impede us from being what we are as individual human beings.