Manhood

Yes.  I would say that they are most definitely part of the same conversation. Both of the readings are talking about how a man should act/be defined as/view himself/view others in the twenty first century. They both speak about gender norms that are directed towards men. They are responding to society’s deeply engrained beliefs about how men should be. The “they say” is what society: men and women, believes men are/ are not. The idea that men can’t be vulnerable or weak or a loser is attacked explicitly by both authors. “Just as high school basketball teaches you how to be a poor loser, the manly attitude toward sports seems to be little more than a recipe for creating bad marriages, social misfits, moral degenerates, sadists, latent rapists and just plain louts” says Theroux. Crew plays on this idea that in sports, if you win, you can get away with anything. And if you’re a winner, then you deserve your trophy wife. They both want to abolish, not sports, but the gender norms that are implicit within sports. Life is simply not a competition and men are expected to believe that it is and also that “nice guys finish last.” They are expected to try to outdo everyone in everything. Men are taught to be tough and independent winners. This, as the two readings seems to point out, creates boys that are scared shitless of not being on top; men that are arrogant, obsessed with the masculine ideal. I’ll share a story with you guys. I was raised by two beautiful women and because of this I didn’t have that strong of a male role model. Nor was I very masculine. I’m still not at all to be honest. But when I’d go to visit my cousins (both football players) they would tackle me and play so rough. I would cry often when I spent time with them. My uncle would often chime on to remind me that “men don’t cry.” That whatever I felt, I had to suck it up and be a man. I took his advice for such a long time but have now since realized that he was a victim of the same societal standards that I was and was most likely unaware of the water he was constantly swimming in.