#ageofchange2023

[21stcenturymen]

Men Are Lost... ish

Christine Emba’s op-ed about men lacking a good roadmap forward struck a chord with me. Particularly toward the end where she and her sourced experts rang the bell that aging men have a responsibility for both adapting to a changing world and acting as valuable role models to a younger generation presently wading into a vacuum filled - mostly - by right-wing misogynists like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate.

This was meant as a limited-run blog, but then this isn’t a limited-run issue. And particularly in the last few years, American culture has really started to grapple with the question of “What is good masculinity?” Ultimately (as Emba points out) that exists on a spectrum between complete denial of both established social moors and biology and utter, dreadful misogyny. We can be healthy, whole humans without hating over half the population... or ourselves.

But what, truly, is the roadmap? No one knows. Even when the Washington Post Sunday email blast claimed that Emba had found such a treasure map, the article itself is lacking of just such a thing. And perhaps that’s for the best. Claiming to have a defined solution to a problem this complex would run afoul of the same hubris and chest thumping of people like Peterson and Tate. So, false advertising aside, Emba does provide (what I believe to be) a real answer to the question: we gotta live in that gray space of trying and not knowing at the same time.

With that in mind, I want to invite readers of this blog to an event! In the spirit of articles like this one (that acknowledges masculinity is something that craves definition and in the absence of a good one will find a bad one) I’ll be performing a piece about masculinity and aging between August 4th and 12th at The Phoenix Theater in Minneapolis. Five performances, and here are some instructions on how to purchase them:

Go here: https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/phoenix-presents#info

On the “More Info” page, you can see the dates that align specifically to my show: Aging In An Age of Change.

Write down the date and time that works for you.

Then purchase your ticket on the “Ticket Options” tab. Note that only 1/3 of the performances are for my show, so make sure you’re selecting the one that aligns with the date and time you picked on the “More Info” tab.

As with Emba, I can provide reassurance, empathy, and a starting point for how to move forward, and you should absolutely read her op-ed. But neither she nor I can provide an absolute roadmap. Anyone who claims otherwise is taking advantage of you. I hope to see you there!