• Toribor@corndog.social
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    1 year ago

    Fictional men telling you it’s okay to have emotions and struggle is appealing because real men do not typically speak about these values. Boys are constantly surrounded by a maelstrom of toxic masculinity. Anything that helps them cultivate a positive inner voice and healthy self image is fine by me.

    • First Majestic Comet@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 year ago

      I wish they would honestly stop with the Toxic masculinity and gender stereotypes, boys can and should be kind and compassionate and also be taught that self care is important, not be scolded for doing these things. Strange that we live in a world where being a boy who takes care of themselves causes you to get shit for it.

      Luckily things seem to be changing for the better in recent times.

      • Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 year ago

        Not without substantial pushback but we’re shifting in the correct direction

        And to those that think it only comes from men, I’ve been in the receiving end of that kind of crap from both men and women in my life.

        And to those that need to hear it, sometimes you have to cut your relatives out of your life because of their toxicity. Be they your parents, your grandparents, or even your siblings. It hurts, but you will be happier without them constantly being toxic to you.

        • First Majestic Comet@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 year ago

          And to those that think it only comes from men, I’ve been in the receiving end of that kind of crap from both men and women in my life.

          I’ve gotten it from both, especially teachers in school. “Riley why are you crying, see this is what I’m telling you, you’re clearly not a boy, boys don’t cry that much”. My school was interesting because they were trying to be ““trans-inclusive”” but ended up pushing toxic gender stereotypes onto people. They also were enbyphobic too (didn’t believe in or care about NonBinary gender).

    • PolarPerspective
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      1 year ago

      I take a more neutral view on this. Master Chief and Kratos are great examples of what could be called “toxic masculinity”. They are the epitome of the duty-first, hide-your-emotions male. But they are also great examples of why toxic masculinity is a flawed concept.

      Both of these characters have lived lives where discipline and emotional control were key to their survival. They have learned resilience through hardship not by taking the female approach to emotion resolution, but by taking the male approach. Instead of letting their emotions out by crying and socializing, they channeled them into their work.

      There is a time and place for both methods. Neither is inherently wrong or unhealthy. But the latter is traditionally masculine, and would definitely qualify as toxic masculinity by the common definition.

  • an angrier terrarian@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1 year ago

    I would be lying if i said i didnt listen to duken nukem inspiring me to shower daily

    i would also be lying if i said that it didnt help me shower every day because it absolutely did

  • HardlightCereal@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    How come only boys are allowed to be Master Chief fans? I’m nonbinary and there aren’t any nonbinary characters as prominent as Master Chief. Plus he’s already a queer icon so why can’t I like him as a fellow asexual?

    • potustheplant@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Here’s a crazy idea. Maybe videogame characters are separate from you and it doesn’t matter if they’re male, female, non-binary, etc. I always empathized (or didn’t) with characters if I found their problems/feelings relatable. Their sexuality or whatever couldn’t be less important.

      • Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 year ago

        But also having ones who you can relate to due to their shared characteristics with you is also important.

        As a dude, seeing a fictional dude overcome his traumas and become a better person is heartening.

        As a member of the queer community, seeing a fictional character who’s also a member of the queer community learn who they are and learn to express themselves to others as who they are is inspiring.

        Or seeing either of those characters go about their heroes journey while having those traits is also greatly inspirational.

        For some people having the characters be more relatable to them in personal traits helps them to put themselves in their shoes. For others it’s not that important. Both are are perfectly valid ways of going about it.

    • First Majestic Comet@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 year ago

      There used to be some weird elitism that “video games are for boys” or something dumb like that. I’m not sure why maybe it was based on the subjects in video games but it’s not as mainstream today as it used to be in the early 2000s, nowadays it’s pretty widely accepted that gaming is typically gender neutral, or at least masc-neutral.

      • HardlightCereal@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Maybe it’s because video games used to be expensive and parents wouldn’t drop that much money on a girl’s toy unless it was traditionally feminine. In a patriarchal society, men have the privilege of gender neutrality

        • First Majestic Comet@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 year ago

          That is true, although in the early days (when they started being a thing in the late 70s) video games were something meant for the whole family, not just for the boys/kids and they were usually marketed to the family.

    • Acer@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Never thought about it but it makes sense that he is nb I guess lol never played Halo