WRITING|CREATIVE WRITING|MASCULINITY
The Problem With Masculinity
And no, old, tired stereotypes won’t help us deal with its crisis
Eleven years ago to the day a man retired after working continuously at the same organisation for twenty-six years. In the process he won a clutch of awards, earned the respect of millions and put said organisation centre-stage at world level.
Eleven years ago to the day a man retired after working continuously at the same organisation for twenty-six years. In the process he abused people verbally, ignored rules and even assaulted members of his team physically.
You’re not seeing double and no, I’m not going crazy. But forgive me if at the time I failed to be moved by the sycophantic tributes that flew in Alex Ferguson’s (“Sir” Alex Ferguson, my God, how could I forget?) direction when he announced he was stepping down as the manager of Manchester United Football Club.
A word of caution first, though. This is not a “disgruntled Chelsea fan from SW6” type of post. I am the first one to recognise that in a world as fickle and unpredictable as the world of football is, a head coach who lasted at a club for more than a quarter of a century was a feat. In fact, I don’t think that Alex’s tenure as United manager will be equalled…
