The Twilight Saga and Manliness

Your first question is probably what the hell gives me any authority to comment on what makes a man or what constitutes manliness? Well, being a man myself is a good start. But, aside from that, nothing, but this is no different than most, so I figure I'll toss my hat into the ring.

I don't claim to have all the answers (perhaps I have none - things are never simply black or white), but what I'm hoping to do it to comment on things that I come across that strike a chord with me. Thus, I hope to focus on one thing at a time and turn this into a series over time.

So without further ado, welcome!

This post is inspired by a comment I saw on Facebook recently. After posting about his excitement for the release of the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 trailer the very first comment the poster received was by another man who suggested he surrender his man card.

Now I ask you, which post was MORE manly and, if one individual were to actually surrender their man card, which one should it be? The stereotypical view would say the commenter was more consistent with being a "man". I couldn't disagree more! When did putting others down and showing a lack of respect become manly? When did blindly following the herd and not thinking for yourself become manly? I don't know, but this mentality needs to change.

Now you may be wondering, am I trying to argue that Twilight, a book/movie series clearly targeted to females, is manly? No, but I'm also not going to tell you that it isn't. That's something you need to decide for yourself.

Not willing to check it out and decide for yourself? Ask yourself why not? Is it something that legitimately does not interest you? No problem, that doesn't make you any less of a man. We're all different and have different tastes. My point is don't simply follow the herd, make an informed decision for yourself.

Drive, ambition, confidence, and a desire to be the best (among others) are undoubtedly "male" characteristics. Being a jackass is not. Do not misunderstand me. I'm not saying women can't exemplify these characteristics, but that they are characteristics that are derived from the male hormone, testosterone. And just as males require estrogen, females have and need testosterone to function.
 While some may see the post made by the commenter to simply be an effort to show that he's "better" or more of a "man", but his comment reeks of a lack of ambition, confidence, or true desire to be the best. All he has demonstrated is that the only way he can succeed is to bring others down. He wishes he had the confidence to stand up for what he believes in, but can't, so engages in a psychological defense mechanism to maintain his own warped sense of what it means to be a man.

On the other hand, I see the original poster as being more "manly". He made a decision for himself and wasn't afraid to go against the grain. He was confident enough in himself that he was willing to subject himself to the type of comments that were surely to follow. This confidence is much more manly than the false machismo demonstrated by the commenter.

Unfortunately, the commenter is more of a typical reflection of what people currently think it means to be a man. We are bombarded with douchebaggery whenever we turn on the tv, go to the gym, go to a restaurant, or just about any other time we step out of the house. These are our "role models" and they're destroying what it means to be a man.

Stand up for what you believe in. Think for yourself. Be a leader, not a follower. Help those less fortunate. Take care of yourself, your family, and your friends. Respect others. These are some characteristics of a true alpha male.

Pura Vida!

Shane