Just in case people don't understand the concept being discussed. Here are a couple definitions.
toxic masculinity
noun
a cultural concept of manliness that glorifies stoicism, strength, virility, and dominance, and that is socially maladaptive or harmful to mental health
or
Toxic masculinity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The concept of toxic masculinity is used in academic and media discussions of masculinity to refer to certain cultural norms that are associated with harm to society and to men themselves. Traditional stereotypes of men as socially dominant, along with related traits such as misogyny and homophobia, can be considered "toxic" due in part to their promotion of violence, including sexual assault and domestic violence. The socialization of boys in patriarchal societies often normalizes violence, such as in the saying "boys will be boys" with regard to bullying and aggression. |
Self-reliance and
emotional repression are correlated with increased psychological problems in men such as
depression, increased
stress, and
substance abuse. Toxic masculine traits are characteristic of the unspoken code of behavior among men in prisons, where they exist in part as a response to the harsh conditions of prison life.
Other traditionally masculine traits such as devotion to work, pride in excelling at sports, and providing for one's family, are not considered to be "toxic". The concept was originally used by authors associated with the
mythopoetic men's movement such as Shepherd Bliss to contrast stereotypical notions of masculinity with a "real" or "deep" masculinity that they say men have lost touch with in modern society. Critics of the term argue that its meaning incorrectly implies that gender-related issues are caused by inherent male traits.
[1]
The concept of toxic masculinity, or certain formulations of it, has been criticized by some
conservatives as an undue condemnation of traditional masculinity, and by some
feminists as an
essentialist concept that ignores the role of choice and context in causing harmful behaviors and attitudes related to masculinity.