This is a thought provoking post from the Feminist Skeptic at thefeministskeptic.wordpress.com. It seems pointless to have an international Mensday but if you are going to have one, the press release should read like that. While it is parody, it brings up a good point. How do expect to raise anything other than generation after generation of violent, emotionally stunted men if that’s all we show boys to look up to? Thoughts?
Because apparently not every single day is already a Men’s Day, tomorrow is International Men’s Day, which is all about celebrating MANHOOD™ of the gender essentialist variety.
Now, they haven’t actually released a press release for this year’s theme (“Keeping Men and Boys Safe”), but they do have one from around this time last year, complete with essentialist goodies such as “[n]o matter how great a mother is, she cannot replace what a father provides to a child” and “[i]rrefutable research shows that mothers typically are nurturing, soft, gentle, comforting, protective and emotional. Fathers tend to be challenging, prodding, loud, playful and encourage risk taking”. Of course, they do not link to any of this research; we’re supposed to take it at face value, without questioning their authority.
Now, I’m not happy with the gender essentialism. And because tomorrow is the proclaimed International Men’s Day, I’m going to…
View original post 604 more words
The Well Examined Life 