Who Is Toxic? Part 1:
Back To When Men Owned ‘Toxic Masculinity’
Revising the history and building a new perspective on one of the most contested terms in the gender war
The way ‘toxic masculinity’ is used these days is itself toxic. It’s not that there is no such thing — we all know guys who fit the picture. But the way it’s used in practice is often wrong. History, psychology and philosophy can teach us how to reclaim it and you can start applying this lesson today.
Read this for context:
The term ‘toxic masculinity’ is so associated with the feminist critique that most people are surprised to learn that it was coined within a men’s self-improvement movement. But surprises don’t end here.
The history of misappropriations started with J.R.R. Tolkien and continues to this day. No, it’s not about Sauron or Thorin. But the story of how the term came to be and how it changed in the feminist discourse, sheds some light on why it is so controversial and misunderstood.
