The past 40 years have turned male-female relationships inside-out. The feminist movement has allowed women to question, re-define and expand roles for themselves. But what about men? This documentary takes a look at how a group of men gathered at a weekend retreat are responding to a world changed by the feminist revolution and how they re-envision what it means to be men.
I appreciate the value of the discussion brought by the programme that is highlighted in the video, but there’s a part where it gets mushy and kumbaya that repels me. The men’s rights movement in my opinion is about moving away from misandry and gynocentrism.
The approach taken is a decidedly feminine one in my opinion. Talking, holding hands, singing songs together. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that the programme was done this way because based on life experience, this is how one man learned that “healing” is done. It appears to be based on a therapeutic model–a model that is designed for and by women. Let me be clear that I view this programme in a positive light, and that my little dissents are more about style than substance; I do note, however, that the style is largely based on the structure. While men can and indeed do talk though issues, we typically don’t do it by holding hands and signing songs, we do it while working or creating.
Men are culturally and socially shamed and debased. The opposite of debasement is not pedestalising, but simple normalization.
Individuals should be assessed based on their actions, rather than groups being tarred with muck or painted with glitter based on which chromosomes they are born with.
As Victor Zen points out, those in the Men’s Rights Movement are still finding our own voices, our way of doing things, and I believe that the more voices we have, even and especially, those with which I might have quibbles need to be heard.
So good on TVO for promoting this.
Francis Roy's Blog 