The Macho Man Syndrome

Even before the dawn of Hollywood hunks like Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon and George Clooney, men have been obsessed with being a man. Every single man in this planet is trying his direst to become a man. But what seems to be perplexing is that the harder we try, the easier we fail, which leads us to believe that all men are obsessed with being called a “macho man”; that self-deprecating label of a man. And somehow because of our persistent efforts to try to become one, more douche and we become less manly. But what surprises us the most is the fact that masculinity has now become a commodity, an idea of something more than what it is.

For several years, even decades now, men have been trying to project an image of a man. But what we do not know is what constitutes an image of man. Male-oriented media has taught us that beer, guns and sex are the three prime things that make a man, a real man. But the underlying notion to all of this what seemed to be a noble pursuit back in the heydays of our forefathers seems to be a regular thing of the past for most of us today. And we’re not saying this to make our fathers look like fools for thinking that a Gillette Razor will give them smooth skin or how beer can make them look like they’re tough and ready to brawl anytime. And it is most certainly not a validation of men slinging guns around town just to be perceived as strong and powerful.

Our male identity is at question most especially with the onset of the “metrosexual” lifestyle, where every beauty company had something specific for men. And if that’s not enough, the rough and rugged stars of yesteryears are now some of the most polished and good looking actors of today. It looks as if everything that a man tried to fight for decades ago faded away through time and evolution. Our heightened sense of self-consciousness disrupted our ideals of being a man. A proof that our prominence in this planet has shrunk in great proportions; from what used to be a male dominated world, now crumbles to the power and stature of women. The men-women dynamic has evolved drastically that even our macho kind couldn’t keep up. In a recent conversation with a London escort, she reveals that her sexuality has propelled her to the top of her game and allowed her to manipulate men to do what pleases her. A feat that the men of the 50s would definitely not allow, it’s as if manliness has now reached its dire extinction.

But with all the fiasco about male sexuality and masculinity, one truth remains: that in order to be a real man, one must stop proving himself to be one. A real man never cares about what other people think of him, he cares about what he thinks of others. A real man is self-assured, rid of doubts as to what makes him a man. And most especially, a real man, a macho man, never worries about life; he just lives it, whatever it may be.