American male ‘macho’ masculinity is waning while the ‘age of the softboy’ is rising. The American male since 1776 was known for a ‘man-up’, ‘take the bullet for the lady’, ‘grin and bear it’, brash, bravado, ‘there are no atheists in a fox hole’ attitude.
Nowadays, in the new age of the American male, softboys, are more in touch with their emotions, knowing what his partner is feeling, he is passionate instead of stoic, comes home on time to help in the kitchen or with the kids, makes love with a smile living a fantasy, does not take charge and does not lead but is led. Softboys sit back and lets things happen, are less active, hesitate, are less aggressive with meandering ambition, lacking a competitive spirit and afraid and unwilling to step up, pursue, and ‘own up’.
Classical American male masculinity ‘acts as if’ he matters and he does it with swagger, confidence and self-worth. Softboys are jugglers with a collection of toys. Women, on the other hand have become a collection of products and broken, unsatisfying body parts. Sperm counts in men have dropped by 50% in the past forty years. Will humanity be capable of reproduction forty years from now?
Modernism has failed leading us into the gaudy and pointless. We are paying attention to what is going on inside us instead of what is going on right in front of us. Most of those committing suicide with a gun do so with a shot to the head but are dead long before they ever pull the trigger. We now have gone from being prosperous, comfortable and respectable to being unconscious slaves to our head. This ‘head game’ we play on ourselves sets our natural default to being uniquely, completely, imperially alone day in and day out. We have forgotten where we come from. Reality is cracked and with it goes all our illusions.
SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCES: FREELANCE WRITER LIBBY EMMONS MARCH 2020 and THE BOOK “BREAKING OPEN THE HEAD” BY DANIEL PINCHBECK