Toxic masculinity is a term which was originally coined by women’s and gender studies researchers to discuss the pressure men experience performing masculinity to social standards, and the consequences of this behaviour.
“Toxic masculinity is the way men are culturally trained and socially pressured to behave. Its three core tenants, toughness, anti-femininity, and power, range in expression from person to person, but all combine to create the sense of ‘manliness’,” writes Kevin Foss, of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Some researchers prefer the term “traditional masculinity”, because it has different connotations than “toxic”, which can prompt defensiveness and make it difficult to discuss the real issue of harmful masculinity.
In 2000, the World Health Organization acknowledged that the discrepancy in life expectancy between men and women may correlate to the damaging way masculinity is defined in society, and the ways men have been conditioned to perform it.
G.G. says that over the course of his class project, he learned that performing masculinity is often about what not to do.
“Masculinity does not have a specific definition for people. It’s just a collection of social expectations made by men. It’s mostly centralised on the don’ts rather than the do’s. So, guys usually know more about toxic masculinity and what not to do as a man,” says G.G.
Tate has previously claimed that mental health issues such as depression are an illusion, and an excuse for lazy or weak men. He has also stated that men should not cry, because it is a sign of weakness and unattractive to women.
“I think when we see the very high rates of aggression, depression, self harm and the harming of others amongst boys and young men, that is the cost of traditional masculinity,” says Giese.
The lessons young men learn about masculinity can stick with them into adulthood, impacting their ability to form healthy connections.
Jan van Heuzen is a founder of Masculinity: Under Construction (M:UC), and participated in meetings with G.G.’s student group to assist with their project.
Members of M:UC practice tools and skills that help them acknowledge the impact of masculinity in their lives on themselves and others. Van Heuzen says that it would have been helpful for him to start having these conversations at a younger age. Listen below:
Says Giese, “It’s the inability to ask for help when one needs it. It’s the inability to form loving relationships with others and instead opting for relationships where one is abusive or domineering. That is the cost of what it means to be a traditional, hyper-masculine man.”
Tate has said in previous videos that having the potential to be violent is what it means to be a man. He has stated that disrespect is what causes men to be violent, and commit acts such as school shootings.
“It’s disrespect that will drive a man to the most heinous of crimes,” Tate told Patrick Bet-David in an interview posted to Bet-David’s Youtube Chanel.
A study by the United Nations found that, “Women aged 15–64, who were in relationships with men who had attitudes and behaviours that reinforce men’s dominant position over women and perpetuate gender inequality, were more likely to have experienced lifetime and current intimate partner violence.”
Controlling behaviours intended to police women’s bodies or autonomy are also associated with an increased risk of intimate partner violence.
A 2020 study published in the United States’ National Library of Medicine found that men experienced the greatest levels of loneliness compared to women, particularly those who lived in individualistic societies (such as North America).
In a 2021 article on pre-pandemic predictors of loneliness, authors reference this study and write that in an individualistic society where, “Individualistic values such as self-reliance and personal autonomy intersect with gendered expectations of men, there may be reduced access and use of social support.”
Researchers wrote that more than half of the men in their sample indicated at least periodic levels of moderate to high loneliness.
As part of his class project, G.G. interviewed more than 20 young men. Loneliness was a common theme.
“It’s something every guy kind of goes through. Maybe they’re lucky enough to have a father, a friend or an older brother to tell, because it’s kind of a part of male life to be lonely.”
– G.G.
According to the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation, approximately 1,000,000 men in Canada suffer from major depression each year, and according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, of the approximately 4,000 deaths that occur in Canada each year from suicide, nearly 75 per cent are men.
According to Cousineau, Tate capitalises on his fame, wealth and fast cars to attract young men with the perceived lifestyle that accompanies his misogynistic ideology.
Effectively, Tate’s brand is based on the idea that if you follow his example of masculinity, you will be afforded financial success, status in society and be deserving of the subservience of women.
G.G. says that in his experience, the glamour of the lifestyle associated with this type of masculinity often obscures reality.
“The idealised masculinity is this macho man, strong. Big. Has a lot of money, right? For me, in my experience, 100%, because that’s what’s glorified where I’m from, and it’s very much accepted,” he said.
“You only see the success of it. If they’re struggling, even if they actually go for help, you will never see that. So, you kind of get so mesmerised by it rather than learning and understanding it,” says G.G.
Giese agrees. “Nobody is as perfect as their presentation on social media. No one has it together. You have people doing a highly performative form of masculinity that they themselves are not capable of achieving regularly and maintaining, who are directing others.”