I am a man. This simple phrase may conjure up a variety of images, few of which are likely to be consequential. You may envision hopeless men making impassioned claims of their masculinity or equally needy men excusing reckless actions as unavoidable byproducts of their manly nature. In any case, perhaps there is not much room in your mind for any new perspectives on the subject of men. You may feel that all there is to say has been said and that a further exploration of their existence would yield little. Yet I believe there is now a crux in the road of progress that demands renewal of our decaying notions of what it means to be a man. 

The words “I am a man” were once notably proclaimed in a very particular context, and for a much different purpose than what I presently have in mind. In a historic moment of undeniable poignancy, part of a larger historic movement for racial equality, black men serving as sanitation workers in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, carried out the Memphis Sanitation Strike in protest of working conditions unsuitable for any human being. These men wore signs which said simply, “I am a man.” These men demanded what was more than their due: to simply be afforded safety, dignity and respect as they carried out their indispensable civil service. Their voice rose not just as a cry for better pay and treatment, but as a just plea for an acknowledgement of their intrinsic and inalienable worth as human beings, as men.

The image of these men standing together with signs around their neck bearing the words “I am a man” is forever seared into my mind. Incredibly simple, yet unimaginably powerful. But at this moment, I wonder whether those words can be transplanted to our modern world, one that has grown much in regards to race, yet still has far to go on many fronts. I believe all men can embrace this same phrase and learn to live in courageous and noble ways, which is descriptive of the motivations which brought about the original utterance, and I find myself identifying with them. Though the circumstances defining my life are vastly different than the ones that defined theirs, I can relate on the level of principle. These men challenged oppressive cultural norms and forms of abuse that crippled them, all things that kept them from reaching their full potential. And in 2014, there are also things keeping men from reaching their full potential. But not only men; these are things that affect us all. It seems though, that many features of our hyper-connected, consumer-driven, image-conscious, pseudo-egalitarian, sex-saturated world have not quite created a utopia for us, and have dealt a special blow to men. Men are not at all the exclusive victims; they simply have a more pronounced identity crisis following prolonged exposure to poisonous cultural foolishness.  

Today, this is the new front in the culture wars: the fight for authentic manhood of which we can all be proud. The victory of such a fight would be astounding, as I do not believe there is anything left in this world that can receive popular support. Everything is contentious, and nothing is free from criticism. I look around to find men of noticeable character, those who stand out as true individuals and not constructions of society who blunder through life on the advice of others, but I find very few. These special men know our source of affirmation and guidance must come from a higher and more sacred source than pop-culture wisdom. Men of character will refuse to accept the crude pandering of the entertainment marketplace and the stifling restrictions of what is considered tasteful. Attainment of such fortitude could hardly be encapsulated better than by the reception of the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is awarded to those displaying “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity,” and I submit this award does not simply acknowledge a solitary act, but a lifestyle. Men must rise to attain such heights. 

We daily witness the unfolding proliferation of women’s campaigns for social equity, among other causes rightly deserving our attention, yet the men are presumed to be sufficient where they are. And this may be so. There may be no oppressive social scheme keeping men down and no bias working against men in any segment of society, yet the damage being done often originates in subtle, yet insidious ways.  

Even the humorous Aziz Ansari has addressed the issue in his most recent comedy production “Buried Alive.” He laments, in hilarious yet sobering fashion, the unfortunate plight of any woman looking to have any sort of relationship with any modern man. This is ironic, considering he draws much support from those who also support the means of the present male demise, what we may call “modern male spokesmen.” Clearly the critiques come from all over, yet the responses are consistently lacking.  The modern machismo that dominates our social spheres is plentiful. It overshadows noble and valiant manhood that exists in increasingly scarce amounts, being pushed to the margins as it is. And from here we must rescue it. 

The unchallenged authority of the “modern male spokesmen,” their take on manliness expressed through such publications as “Esquire,” “Men’s Health” and “GQ,” among other male outlets, has a strong hold on current conversations of masculinity. “GQ” can encourage us to buy expensive suits, objectify women without thought and allow cosmetic vanity to dictate our choices, but a lifestyle built on such frivolous platforms will be grossly unsatisfying at best and utterly destructive at worst. Content they daily publish and lifestyles they endorse serve neither men nor women, and their crimes cannot be mitigated simply by publishing such content as “The Make It Stop Guide To Not Raping People.” Such pieces may be hailed as forward thinking and exemplary of works of integrity, representing great strides in defeating cultural scourges such as sexism. Yet self-examination is of irrefutable worth, here and everywhere else. I submit even an infinite amount of such articles, even those much more sensible and virtuous, would not put a dent into the unyielding juggernaut that is the carnage being wrought by the magazines responsible for publishing them.  

Today our renown will not come from action overflowing with uprightness or speech dripping with virtue, but we will be made famous for our promotion of our own marketable assets, be they physical, social or otherwise, with our alternative being to embrace anonymity. This is what is common, and this is also the problem. Perhaps “Men’s Health” should encourage men to examine their heart instead of their prostate. Maybe “GQ” should seek to divorce their stylish ways from the use of female sex appeal to sell their grand vision of what a modern man truly looks like.    

I leave you with the words of the character Tyler Durden from the prolific film Fight Club: “The things you own end up owning you.” 

If you subscribe wholeheartedly to the philosophies of our “GQ” world, whether or not you subscribe to the magazines themselves, I feel it will not go well for you. Their ideology has in the past poisoned my mind, and I plead with all men, young and old, not to let it poison theirs.