Paging men everywhere: it's time to MAN UP.

Melissa Clouthier brings us a post today about how men need to butch up. Here’s an excerpt:

Do you guys think that by women entering the workforce, that women have had the same effect on the man’s role as say welfare has?

I mean, a generation ago, a man wouldn’t look down on his woman for not working outside the home. Taking care of the house; cooking, cleaning, caring for the children and basically being the center of the home was what a woman did. It was enough. No one would consider her to be slacking. In this generation, women suffer a vague, and sometimes, explicit, unease about doing that job. She is viewed as not pulling her weight because she’s just a housewife.

And it’s not just women judging women. Men, too, want their women to work to take the pressure off. A man is simply not interested in carrying all the financial weight and why should he have to? Women are equal now. Equal means doing the same thing–working and living like a man. Feminism means, and it’s men that I’ve seen to be the biggest feminists, being a good man and bring home the bacon, frying it up in a pan and doing it again and again.

But it seems like an unintended consequence has been resentment. Women have excelled in the workplace. They can take care of themselves. They do leave their babies to work. Meanwhile, some men (not all, of course) have gone the other way. They no longer work as hard because they just don’t have to. On the one hand, they don’t have the financial pressure of their father’s generation, but they also don’t have the self-respect, work-ethic and noble purpose of their father’s generation either.

It seems to me that a man needs to be needed and when that feedback loop is cut either by the government, or even by a working woman, he can (not always) lose his drive and desire to work and succeed.
I’ve written before about how men need to freakin’ MAN UP. My most notable post on this issue was my The Shortage of Real Men post.

It can’t be said enough — if there are any real men left out there, they need to come out of hiding. It’s frustrating as hell, even as a woman, to see men becoming more and more pussified each year (yeah, I’m stealing Kim’s phrase).

The run-down housewife and over-worked husband myth needs to cease. If a woman wants to work outside the home, then that’s great. A real man would encourage her to, if that’s what she chose to do. But a real man would also accept her role as housewife if that was what she wanted — even if it meant taking on extra financial responsibility. A man’s job is to provide for and protect his family, and no, it isn’t because a woman is incapable of doing so. It’s because that is his primary responsibility. It’s one of the reasons real men like guns — because they understand that having a gun is a crucial part of the “protect your family at any cost” mantra encoded into real-man DNA.

As I’ve said before, I think you see an overwhelming number of real men flocking to military or law enforcement lifestyles. And there’s a reason — the values I listed above are instrinsic to being a real man, and also to succeeding in the military. And, as I’ve said before, this is a large part of why so many women pine over having a military man for their own. There’s a reason women swoon over An Officer and a Gentleman. Being in the military (or law enforcement) means you’re signing up for so much more than just a job — it’s a lifestyle, a mindset.

Women, although feminists like to deny it, want and need men who can be a real man. This means they want and need a living, breathing embodiment of values like honor, courage, and integrity. They want someone who will be strong even in the toughest of situations. They need someone they can feel safe and protected with. And you know what? They aren’t going to find those things in an emasculated, feminized, sissy-boy who still clings to his mommy’s apron and whines about carrying his family’s financial burden.

If you’re that kind of man, there are only two words you need to hear: MAN UP. Don’t whine that you have to pay for every date you take your wife or girlfriend on. Don’t bitch that your hair got messed up or your clothes got dirty from doing some manly activity — or worse, refuse to get involved for those reasons. If your shower and bathroom cabinet is lined and stocked with more haircare and body treatment products than your girlfriend or wife owns, reevaluate your male-ness. Real men have more important things to worry about.

Unfortunately, it seems too many men are willing to let feminists emasculate them. Too many men aren’t willing to stand up for themselves, lest they be attacked by the PC Police. Real men have thick skin, and are more worried about doing what’s right than what is popular, so who gives a crap what feminists like Amanda Marcotte & Co. have to say? I think all men know, deep down, what their priorities should be, and the values that they need to hold dear. But everything that real men stand for has been under attack for 20+ years, and men have seemingly given up.

Well, I think there’s been enough of that. MAN UP, guys. Grow a pair and be willing to express unpopular opinions because you know that they’re right. Be strong enough to shoulder extra burden so that your children can get the best possible upbringing they can. Be willing to put your own fears aside if the situation arises where you would need to protect your family no matter what. Don’t be afraid to be strong, to be aggressive, to have drive, honor, love of country, courage, and integrity.

This shortage of real men is problematic on multiple levels. It’s bad for our sons and it’s bad for our country — and it’s bad for our men. And guys, how long are going to sit there and take it?

When are American men finally going to man up?

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Posted by on May 1, 2008.
Filed under Miscellaneous.


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  • JT

    Does anyone else see the impasse that can arise when a husband is faced with this:
    If a woman wants to work outside the home, then that’s great. A real man would encourage her to, if that’s what she chose to do. But a real man would also accept her role as housewife if that was what she wanted — even if it meant taking on extra financial responsibility.
    and this:
    Be strong enough to shoulder extra burden so that your children can get the best possible upbringing they can.

    What’s a Real Man to do when he wants the best possible upbringing for his children (obviously meaning a stay-at-home-mom), and is perfectly willing and honored to be the 100% breadwinner to make that situation possible, when the mom wants to go back to work and send the rugrats to day care?

    That’s the problem with throwing around all-encompassing generalities like, “a Real Man does X” that really mean, “do what your wife wants, rather than what you can come to a rational consensus on what is best in your unique and specific situation”.

  • Les Nessman

    Too many men aren’t willing to stand up for themselves, lest they be attacked by the PC Police.
    I dunno, Cassie. Have you ever been attacked by the PC Police? Have you ever lost your job because of some PC violation? It happens all the time to men, even Real Men. It’s easy to talk tough when you don’t have to face an anti-male court system, PC corporate policy, draconian sexual harrassment rules, etc.
    Men can lose their careers and the ability to earn a living due to these PC rules. Women don’t have to worry about that.

    Women either yelled in agreement (Yeah! Equal rights, sister!) or stood by mute while these PC rules were crafted. Women are responsible for creating these PC rules, and now women are nagging men to defy these same rules? WTF?

    Real men have thick skin, and are more worried about doing what’s right than what is popular, so who gives a crap what feminists like Amanda Marcotte & Co. have to say?

    Who gives a crap? The Court system, lawyers ready to sue, future employers, people who write corporate policy, schools, political candidates, the media, entertainment industry, etc…, They’ve all bought into this PC crap to some extent.

    I will stand up to all this PC crap and I don’t care if I lose my job. But I really can’t blame a guy who has a wife and three kids that depend on him and bills to pay if he doesn’t. I won’t sneer at him to ‘Man Up’.

  • Patricia

    The author writes : While men are more and more emasculated in our society, there’s no argument against the fact that it is because of women. Women insisted that men change.

    Since when do REAL men let women force them to do anything?

    Grow up and take some responsibility for your own pathetic weakness.

    A Real Woman

  • James Cloninger

    P.S. The US army takes grrrlz. Think about it.

    That leaves you out, bryan

  • LogicSlinger

    The author writes : While men are more and more emasculated in our society, there’s no argument against the fact that it is because of women. Women insisted that men change.

    Since when do REAL men let women force them to do anything?

    Grow up and take some responsibility for your own pathetic weakness.

    A Real Woman”

    Alright that pretty much means that real men don’t give a crap what women think or want. I.e. what you need/want is your own problem. That puts us back in the 50′s. The same mentality Feminism rallied against in the first place. I do not think women can handle dealing with a “real man” because women on the whole tend to be too rebellious and disobedient, we can tell because they do things to act out and rebel against their “daddies” when their fathers are the real man in the house and don’t try to lie and say it’s not true. So be careful what you wish for.

  • professionalism

    More drivel?

    Real men have gone their own way a long time ago. They got tired of hearing women complain and piss and moan about nothing.

    You want to be treated like “princess”, yet you want to be recognized as “strong and independent”?

    Well while most of you are sitting up late at night trying to configure your lives to the next pop culture fad (be it some mutation of Sex in the City or Desperate Housewives), the real men are out working and going on with their lives, be it enjoying bachelorhood or being happily married to a REAL WOMAN who equality contributes and does not whine and complain or buy into radical feminist indecisivenesses/vindictiveness(due to daddy issues.)

    Another “shame” tactic by another frustrated and confused female blogger who can’t make up her mind.

    What is next on the agenda???
    Let’s see men who no longer pay attention/compliments to women in public, written by a woman who once wrote that too many men see her as a sex object in lieu of her low cut dress, daisy dukes, and clear heels???

  • slick

    There’s no such a thing as a “real man”. I realize you’re young – but please stop being such a fucking moron – I find it irritating.

    There are many different ideas of what a “real man” is. The definition is in the eye of the beholder.

    You know, there are times when bloggers make the MSM look good. This is one of them. Blogging for blogging’s sake. You, Melissa, et al, should really just STFU. Basically, if you don’t have a penis, I really could care less what you think about men.

    This is what happens when you have “affirmitive action” for females for too long. A ridiculously overinflated idea of their own self worth and value. Female echo chamber. My advice to all men: Sell.

  • svg

    Silly little girl thinks she can tell men what a “real man” would do? Ridiculous.

    You. Don’t. Know.