What Maketh A Man?

The Observer asks what five ‘brilliant’ writers believe ‘makes a man’. Jackie Collins goes for talent, Tony Parsons votes for pride, and Jonathan Coe says chivalry… and confusion?

If I’m confused about masculinity, in any case, I think that puts me in pretty safe company – the company of every other thinking male in the country. Because after the New Man debacle came the 1990s wastelands of Lad Culture, and where does that leave us now? Our sexual politics are in the same state as our national politics: confused, moribund, rudderless. Is it time to try to recover some essentials, to see if there might possibly have been some virtue in that baby we so ruthlessly threw out with all the chauvinist bathwater?

It’s actually a good question to ask of yourself; What makes me a (wo)man?

As I said last month, according to Esquire I may not be all man.

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Comments

2 responses to “What Maketh A Man?”

  1. This is an interesting and important topic. Recently, I was asked to comment about this question and how it intersects with race. My piece is on my blog:

    http://www.thesuperspade.com/what-makes-a-black-man/

    I don’t define manhood by sex or gender. I frame it as a mixture of responsibility and accountability.

  2. Hi Garlin,

    I read your post a few days ago after I saw you ‘tweet’ about it earlier this week.

    It’s a very nice article and I completely agree with your sentiment than ‘manhood’ is not gender-specific. This is possibly the most important thing.

    Thanks again, Garlin.