Poll: The 'Real' Man Debate

[IamLEAM1983]

This whole "Real Man" thing is ridiculous. This is 2012. Be whoever or whatever you want to be. Dress however you like, so long as it doesn't get you demoted or fired. Or so long as it doesn't get brought up as grounds for divorce.

 

[Macgyvercas]

No man can comfortably wear skinny fitting jeans.

It's just not possible

I know some men who can. Granted, they're gay, but that still counts!

And there's nothing wrong with shaving, OP. Some guys just don't like all that hair.

 

[jklinders]

I voted N/A

Seriously, I groan whenever someone, anyone breaks out that old chestnut "a real man should (insert stereotype here)."

Be who you want, be what you want and stop worrying so much about other people's opinions. Appearances are of paramount importance on one type of occasion only. When you are meeting someone important for the first time. Job interview, first date etc. For my part as long as someone is clean and looks like they take good care of themselves I don't care how they look. I am not hung up on other's looks and I am certainly not hung up on my own.

This "real man" shit has to go though. It has a lot of negative connotations to it. That phrase seems to come up in fiction in reference to rape. It comes up in real life a lot in reference to all manner of misogynistic crap. Let's leave it in the dustbin where it belongs.

 

[4RT1LL3RY]

To find out what a real man is view men in an environment without women. Its funny how at a place where the gender ratio is 6:1, men to women. I would just like to say, screw being a real man. If you want to look androgynous more power too you. Be who you want to be, some one who you are comfortable with being and never let someone say you that its wrong.

The hyper-masculine bullshit that people seem to think is what real men is like is plain wrong. I'm weird because I don't like football and because I would rather run crosscountry. I'm weird because I don't watch TV and instead browse the internet. I'm weird because I am different from the norm, and frankly I'm proud out that. Being normal sucks. I'd rather be my weird self who enjoys life.

 

[saruman31]

I find men who spend too much time in the mirror to be a bit vein. I for one, would never shave my arms/legs and wear eyeliner.

 

[lacktheknack]

They should care, but they shouldn't obsess about it or go waaaaaay out of their way to look good.

Someone who doesn't care typically looks like a hobo. People who care way too much are usually vain. Both are undesirable. Someone who combs his hair in the morning, showers and doesn't wear clashing colors? Perfect.

 

[Savryc]

Well I exist so I'm real and I'm an adult male so I'm a man. Therefore the answer is, as always, me.

 

[jhoroz]

I'm not very concerned with how I look, but I do maintain a reasonable level of appearance, such as shaving every three days and combing my hair. My clothes aren't scruffy, but not flashy either. I have no real interest in fashion sense, or appearing "fashionable", but I don't want look like a homeless piece of shit either.

 

[White Lightning]

A REAL man doesn't get dressed at all.

 

[Sansha]

In my opinion, if a man provides for and protects his family, lives by honor and virtue, faces up to his responsibilities, makes an honest living and enjoys his life in the company of his friends and family, he can look and act however he pleases.

That is a real man - courageous, hardworking, virtuous and kind.

 

[Olas]

Real men don't care how they look to others.
Real men dress the way they want, which is always in manly clothes, because real men naturally prefer manly clothes.
Real men don't groom themselves because looking nice isn't important to them.
Real men shave, but not often and only because beards are annoying.
Real men work out to keep themselves in shape for the tasks ahead not because they want to look buff.

A real man has one x chromosome and one y chromosome. Nothing else is applicable. No not even reproductive organs a man without a reproductive organ is still a man.

That's merely what it takes to be biologically male, not a real man. Don't get the two confused.

Anything else is just a stupid and shortsited social view of how our gender should define us. Let us do away with concepts like masculine and feminine and embrace who we are without labels and without prejudice. If a man wants to care about his appearance and wear make-up ect that is no less manly than someone who does not do either of those things. Tradtional masculinity is over-rated. Be who you are and screw social stereotypes of what you are supposed to be.

Where do you think art would be if we did away with concepts like masculinity and femininity? These aren't recent fads, they're longstanding cultural traits and ideals that every major culture in the world has recognized and embraced since time immemorial. They are directly tied to human psychology and are fundamental to how we understand gender.
To choose to overlook them is as naive as overlooking basic human emotions like anxiety or pride.
I'm not saying a man shouldn't be able to wear mascara if he pleases, but don't tell me that it doesn't make him less masculine. It does.

A real man is defined by his actions, not his chromosomes.

A REAL man doesn't get dressed at all.

Hell Ya! That's what I'm telling my boss when I come in to work naked tomorrow.
A real man doesn't need to keep his job!!

 

[Lonewolfm16]

Real men don't care how they look to others.
Real men dress the way they want, which is always in manly clothes, because real men naturally prefer manly clothes.
Real men don't groom themselves because looking nice isn't important to them.
Real men shave, but not often and only because beards are annoying.
Real men work out to keep themselves in shape for the tasks ahead not because they want to look buff.

A real man has one x chromosome and one y chromosome. Nothing else is applicable. No not even reproductive organs a man without a reproductive organ is still a man.

That's merely what it takes to be biologically male, not a real man. Don't get the two confused.

Anything else is just a stupid and shortsited social view of how our gender should define us. Let us do away with concepts like masculine and feminine and embrace who we are without labels and without prejudice. If a man wants to care about his appearance and wear make-up ect that is no less manly than someone who does not do either of those things. Tradtional masculinity is over-rated. Be who you are and screw social stereotypes of what you are supposed to be.

Where do you think art would be if we did away with concepts like masculinity and femininity? These aren't recent fads, they're longstanding cultural traits and ideals that every major culture in the world has recognized and embraced since time immemorial. They are directly tied to human psychology and are fundamental to how we understand gender.
To choose to overlook them is as naive as overlooking basic human emotions like anxiety or pride.
I'm not saying a man shouldn't be able to wear mascara if he pleases, but don't tell me that it doesn't make him less masculine. It does.

A real man is defined by his actions, not his chromosomes.

A REAL man doesn't get dressed at all.

Hell Ya! That's what I'm telling my boss when I come in to work naked tomorrow.
A real man doesn't need to keep his job!!

Yes but how does one decide what is femmine and what is masculine? They are, for the most part, human constructs with no inate value or relavance. They change with time, in ancient Greece homosexuality was considered failry manly (as was pedastry) and yet we now tend to associate it with femininity. How does wearing masscarre make one less of a man? Where is the corrolation between caring about ones appearance and less masculinity? And is manlyness somthing we should aspire to? How is it in any way beneficial to act "manly" over simply being who you are? In addtion all these assertments of some kind of inate masculinity that men either have or don't only leads to wounded pride and foolish behavior. Besides in recent years the defention of femmine has changed drastically with females being in tradtionally male roles such as police officer or construction worker being seen as normal and even being seen as a kind of new independent ideal. Who is to say masculinity won't undergo a similair change? Also females tend to wear clothes that, for most of history would be considered male (pants instead of skirts mostly.)

 

[Olas]

Yes but how does one decide what is femmine and what is masculine? They are, for the most part, human constructs with no inate value or relavance. They change with time, in ancient Greece homosexuality was considered failry manly (as was pedastry) and yet we now tend to associate it with femininity. How does wearing masscarre make one less of a man? Where is the corrolation between caring about ones appearance and less masculinity? And is manlyness somthing we should aspire to? How is it in any way beneficial to act "manly" over simply being who you are? In addtion all these assertments of some kind of inate masculinity that men either have or don't only leads to wounded pride and foolish behavior. Besides in recent years the defention of femmine has changed drastically with females being in tradtionally male roles such as police officer or construction worker being seen as normal and even being seen as a kind of new independent ideal. Who is to say masculinity won't undergo a similair change? Also females tend to wear clothes that, for most of history would be considered male (pants instead of skirts mostly.)

The true definition of manliness has changed a bit, as have positions on a variety of moral and cultural subjects. But the core values of manliness are surprisingly universal across time and space.
And there's nothing wrong with being manly. Being manly isn't picking fights all the time and showing off your muscles. People who act like that are wannabe's, they want to be seen as manly, but it just shows how insecure they are deep down. Real men are respectable, stoic, strong physically as well as mentally and emotionally, they don't succumb to fear, can endure pain. It's a trait all too uncommon in today's world. It's called the crisis in masculinity and it's been going on for the last 25 years.

Whether one chooses to value masculinity is a personal preference, so I won't argue that.

And you're right, it is possible for women to be manly.