Thread: Men need men...

I'm a great fan of The Art of Manliness (that I got to know through SRP, by the way...) and I read articles on the site everyday and I've been listening to the podcasts recently.

One of the most important base-line ideas of the philosophy of the site is precisely this: our world is feminized and men today, perhaps more than ever, need other men to be able to be MEN.

So, men need men. This doesn't mean (as a feminist professor I had during my final year at University would say) that we are reacting and entering a new stream of reactionary "machismo". I'm sure that all of us are firm belivers that equality of gender in society is a great thing and none of us would be willing to submit women (manely our women, meaning mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and girlfriends) to the sort of apartheidish society that existed before some of the social revolutions that occured in the 20th century. But the result was a feminization of society due to our idiotic guilt complex...

But the fact of the matter is: men need men so that men can be men. And although we have women in our community (and they were welcomed with great warmth and gentlemanly behaviour from our part - I remember that because I was already a member of this community when the first ladies joined us), this forum is mainly constituted by men. Sure, the fact that this site is essencialy about shaving is one of the reasons that make this such a male-orientated forum. But I do beleive that we cherish this manliness... and that by participating in this global phenomenon that is the uprising of the classic shaving methods we are indeed getting in touch with our masculine behaviours that were somehow missing from our every day lives.

I speak for myself... my brother is on the other side of the planet, my father is not much of a role model though I have a nice relationship with him and I am, at the moment, deprived of friends (being all alone in Belgium at the moment... my very much loved little wife will be joining me shortly, though).

So I guess that this is, to me, more than a group of people that discuss razors in a rather geeky way. This is a group of male friends that I can count on for some support. Sure, it is not close support due to the fact that we are spreaded around the globe and if hell brakes loose, it is highly unlikely that any of us (except if you happen to live close to another user) would benefit from close phisical support. But it is guaranteed that, if something happens and you post something here, you will get replies from your internet buddies. And it is not cheap support either. I beleive that we all keenly read eachother's posts and reply earnestly. If you did a good thing you will be praised. If you did a bad thing you will get flack. And that is such a fantastic thing - this community is a community of instant friends. This is Men needing Men and embracing masculity in a earnest and composed way... I really do belive that I have friends here. And I do belive that all of us have friends here. And we might never get to meet eachother in real life. But it is nice to count on eachother in this nice, rugged way.

Thanks for reading this rather lengthy post... I guess I was feeling a bit lonely. All better now, though!

Men need men...

WHAAAAAA?

Oh,the title freaked me out for a minute.After reading the post, I agree, as I've gotten low on friends lately.I'm glad to have these folks to relate to......

Originally Posted by aroliver59

WHAAAAAA?

Oh,the title freaked me out for a minute.after reading the post.I agree,as I've gotten low on friends lately.I'm glad to have these folks to relate to......

To be honest, I too have lost touch with old friends who I have grown apart from. I am 32 years old, and many of my friends are still living life as they were 10 years ago. So, it is usually just me and my woman.

However, I do agree with this post. I am glad I stumbled upon this wonderful online community and it is nice to know there are other men out there who share the same passion and are always there to give advice.

Originally Posted by aroliver59

WHAAAAAA?

Oh,the title freaked me out for a minute.after reading the post.I agree,as I've gotten low on friends lately.I'm glad to have these folks to relate to......

Yeah, the title is freaky. But how else would I get any of you to read my pointless rumblings?

Originally Posted by fpessanha

Yeah, the title is freaky. But how else would I get any of you to read my pointless rumblings?

Some pretty good pointless rumblings, I might add ...

Originally Posted by fpessanha

One of the most important base-line ideas of the philosophy of the site is precisely this: our world is feminized and men today, perhaps more than ever, need other men to be able to be MEN.

My friends have always been predominantly men. I really didn't have female friends until I was in my forties. If I wasn't romantically involved with a women I didn't hang out with them. Maybe because I always worked in male dominated vocations. Twenty years an ironworker and twenty years, and still, a professional tattooer in street shops.

Back in the '70s the "hip" media talked about the 'myth of the macho man' and ridiculed the idea. At that time I was climbing columns 200 feet in the air and walking around on 4 and 6" I-beams with sixty pounds of tools and bolts strapped around my waist. So much for the PC hip media and their ilk.

As soon as you learn Dutch, you can start watching the M!LF: Men Liberation Front.

It's a show by 2 men who have started the war against all 'new men', and their goal is to turn men into 'real men' again. It's all tongue in cheek, but a really great show, and if I am honest, some of their points are things I agree with. Like when they did something about men who use day / night creams on their face, or who eat 'light' products.

Irony: MLF is also a real organization from France. Their initials stand for 'Mouvement de Liberation des Femmes.... Feminists

I couldn't agree with you more. Men need men friends. Because of this I started with some guys I know a guy night where every other week we go out to a local place, get some nachos and have a beer. We just chill and talk about whatever comes to mind. Been doing it about a year now and what everyone has said multiple times "This time helps me survive the next two weeks." Man time rocks.

JT

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

My friends have always been predominantly men. I really didn't have female friends until I was in my forties. If I wasn't romantically involved with a women I didn't hang out with them. Maybe because I always worked in male dominated vocations. Twenty years an ironworker and twenty years, and still, a professional tattooer in street shops.

Back in the '70s the "hip" media talked about the 'myth of the macho man' and ridiculed the idea. At that time I was climbing columns 200 feet in the air and walking around on 4 and 6" I-beams with sixty pounds of tools and bolts strapped around my waist. So much for the PC hip media and their ilk.

Yes, good point. But you are from a different generation... You are at the very least old enough to be my father's older brother! My generation is puzzled, today. We live our lives for female approval and sometimes feel emasculated. I know this because, in a way, I feel like that... But I'm starting to brake free from these shackles and learning my way through manliness. I grew up with an absent father and with a grandfather that, despite the love I have for him, taught me virtually nothing... This is my point: men need men to be men. And have you ever thought that the fact that you had no female friends until your forties may have played an important role in guiding you into a profession where you would carry 60 pounds of stuff and be an iroworker? Don't get me wrong - that is admirable indeed.
It's funny, though, to see men my age (25 years old) learning to be men... It's pathetic. The good thing is: we are hard-wired to be men so it is rather easy to learn the ropes and strat being a man. Unless, well... the wires were mixed in the factory (maybe by Alfa Romeo factory workers from the 70's...) and you ended up a "different" sort of man.
I feel that this move to Brussels has put me well on my way to becoming a man.

Originally Posted by Bruno

As soon as you learn Dutch, you can start watching the M!LF: Men Liberation Front.

It's a show by 2 men who have started the war against all 'new men', and their goal is to turn men into 'real men' again. It's all tongue in cheek, but a really great show, and if I am honest, some of their points are things I agree with. Like when they did something about men who use day / night creams on their face, or who eat 'light' products.

Irony: MLF is also a real organization from France. Their initials stand for 'Mouvement de Liberation des Femmes.... Feminists

Will I ever learn Dutch?... I'm living in Brussels and working in Walonie so on a day to day basis, my language ends up being french. But I get your point! And yes, the fact that it mocks the MLF from France is hilarious. Because women needed to be liberated back in the 60's, today it's us that need to be liberated... Of course, it's not quite the same.

But I say "down with the night creams and the full body waxing and other nonsense". I say hurrah for brillcream, 3 piece suits and scotch!