Transcript
0:00 A lot of people think that masculinity is under attack right now, and I would disagree. I think that masculinity is coming to a reckoning. I came up with this idea for a show called Man Enough. I believe that we have a problem with the fact that men don't really talk and have conversations. So I'm like, let's create a show where men have real conversations on this journey to figure out what the hell does it mean to be a man.
0:29 I have no idea what it means to be a man. Now what is. What do we think of as a real man? Stoic, strong, not sharing, dominant person. It's empowering for women to express themselves amongst each other, and it's giving away our power as men to express ourselves amongst other men.
1:03 Fatherhood is hard. Anyone else struggling? I am. And that's okay. Doesn't make you weak. Doesn't make you less of a man. Doesn't mean that you're not a great dad or a great husband. Makes you human. That's what we have to do, is we have to become human. But the truth about marriage and fatherhood is that it's messy. All right, sweetheart, I'm gonna sit on this stool right here, okay? I'm gonna sit down right here. And you can come to me when you wanna.
1:32 When you're ready, okay? Come here. It's okay, baby girl. Mom, I love you. Do you know how much I love you? How much do I love you, Maxwell? I get a chance to raise a son. I get a chance to raise a little man. I get to teach him that it's okay to cry, that it's okay to show his emotions, that it's okay to respect women. And I also get to teach him that mama and dad are not perfect.
1:58 And that we're learning just like he's learning. Woo. Sticky. I got a witch. I got a witch. There is no father of the year without a mother of the year. And the truth is that I don't do anything well unless she does something amazing.
2:21 That's a real man willing to see that he needs his people, he needs his family, he needs his woman to be able to do everything that he's doing. That to me, is a real man. That to me, is a real father.
2:34 We're team. So there's no glamorizing being a dad or being a husband. It's like, no, let's tell the real story so that men can also know that they're not alone. And I feel like we spend so much time as men putting on this, like, putting on this mask and then pretending like we're good and we're strong and we're tough, when in reality, we know that we don't know anything. We know deep down that we are not put together.
3:06 But the issues of masculinity, I believe, start with the way that we're raising our boys. And I really believe that it's important that we don't raise our boys to be brave or strong or tough, but we raise them to be good humans.
Summary
- Masculinity is not under attack but is undergoing a necessary reckoning.
- The show "Man Enough" aims to facilitate real conversations among men about their experiences and emotions.
- Traditional views of masculinity often emphasize stoicism and dominance, which can hinder emotional expression.
- Fatherhood is challenging and messy, and acknowledging this does not diminish a man's worth.
- Teaching boys to express emotions and respect women is crucial for raising well-rounded individuals.
- The speaker highlights the importance of teamwork in parenting, recognizing the role of partners.
- Many men feel pressured to appear strong and composed, despite internal struggles.
- The focus should be on raising boys to be good humans rather than conforming to outdated masculine ideals.