The Crisis of Manhood

Man up! Man down! From every angle, it seems, men are being told they're doing it all wrong. Is it any wonder they're confused? Jessica Bennett writes on the male identity crisis for the Daily Beast.

From the story...

Dear men: We're sorry to break this to you, but you're pretty much screwed. In decline, to be exact. Unnecessary, as The Atlantic put it—and overwhelmingly, the victims of the current "Mancession."

We are being facetious, of course. (You're totally not screwed.) But the crisis of manhood has become something of an obsession these days, with belligerent, contradictory, nonstop messages bombarding from every angle. Over the past six months, dozens of articles have used the word "mancession" to describe the current economic downturn. "Retrosexual" has replaced "metrosexual" to describe a breed of über-masculine fashionistos (clad in $300 flannel shirts). And just in case you weren't already confused, there are now three more books to add to the mix, with three more messages to add to your masculinity melting pot.