turning male bodies into a national manhood

This is from communist era Czechoslovakia. I doubt you've seen a spectacle of masculinity quite like this. 

Foucault

Some interesting theories on power and sex by Foucault. I'm not sure how widely accepted this is.

http://www.24grammata.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/foucault_sexuality_24grammata.com_.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/10154074866091729/

What is "male"?

The category "male," a biological and social construct, is determined differently across time and space. While the fluidity of gender, of "masculinity" is pretty easily seen, the fluidity of biology, of sex, is not always so evident. However, in the case of a small town in the Dominican Republic, guevadoces, the fluidity couldn't be clearer.

Guevadoces are people whose genitals don't fully develop until they are 12 years old. 

the Guavadoces . . . are deficient in an enzyme called 5-α-reductase, which normally converts testosterone into dihydro-testosterone. So they appear female when they are born, but around puberty, when they get another surge of testosterone, they sprout muscles, testes and a penis.

The article doesn't seem to understand the connection between sex, gender, and sexual preference. Nor does it speak with sensitivity about the issues of sex, identity, and biology. It does provide a unique case to ponder, however.

Clashing masculinities in the modern age

Man Cave vs. Study

when did men abandon one path for another?
or did they?

Gendered/Sexist Ads. Ugh.

I don't think I need to explain the following ads. A friend of mine on Facebook posted the link & they're quite awful.

http://shortietheatrekid.tumblr.com/post/51838554110/perpetualvelocity

And if you want to look at more, look at the "pointlessly gendered products" section on pinterest.

http://pinterest.com/socimages/pointlessly-gendered-products/


I think it's time we change this and just have "toys." Right?

It recently ocurred to me that one topic we never talked about was the Men's Rights Movement (MRM). I'd love to hear people's thoughts -- I honestly still don't know how to make sense of it all -- but until then, I thought I'd leave you all with this website. I don't even know where to begin as I'm having trouble getting past their "Mission Statement" on this website.

http://www.avoiceformen.com/policies/mission-statement/

MISSION STATEMENT

It is the mission of A Voice for Men to:

• Promote the dissemination of information that will expose misandry and gender-centrism on all levels in our culture;

• Oppose any form of gender-centrism. We propose to foster the equal valuing of men and women socially, regardless of sexual orientation and identity, as well as their equal treatment under the law;

• Recognize the institution of marriage and the family unit as the foundation of civilized society. However, we support the trend away from that institution until the current legal zeitgeist making it unsafe for men and children is corrected. We support an end to “no fault” divorce and support default shared custody in the event of divorce. We seek to promote awareness of information designed to protect men and fathers who are already married;

• Promote a rejection of sex based chivalry in any form or fashion.

• Promote the legal and nonviolent antagonism of all agents of misandry and gender-centrism, from members of academe, to holders of public office, to law enforcement and other state functionaries, to popular bloggers and to corporate agents who promote misandry and gender-centism for profit;

• Support peaceful acts of civil disobedience when necessary;

• Educate men, women, girls and boys about the threats they face in feminist governance and to promote an end to that governance;

• Debunk sex based lies and distortions wherever they occur;

• Offer a more reasoned, cogent and intellectually honest view of sexual politics;

• Address the variety of problems faced by men and boys under feminist governance and attempt to ameliorate those problems;

• Push for an end to rape hysteria, DV hysteria and false allegations;

• Promote a culture that values equal treatment under the law for all human beings;

• Facilitate a new social contract between men and women, leading to mutual respect, accountability and expectation.

Thoughts?