Jun 4, 2021
How IDLES Challenges Toxic Masculinity
Examining songs that showcase the Brit-punk’s efforts to confront toxic male power.
IDLES is a British punk band from Bristol, formed in 2009 by lead singer Joe Talbot, the band has single handily redefined the punk/post-punk genre with their music. They are the prime example of the old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. At first glance, they came off as a rowdy quintet that wanted to make the most aggressive sounds fuelled by anger and rage. However, the truth is, the band is merely using their music to spread their message in a way that is feasible and (based on their punk energy) will force listeners to understand what it is they’re trying to convey as visceral as possible.
The band is brutally honest about its stance on social issues such as racism, bigotry, and most importantly, toxic masculinity. The band’s frontman Joe Talbot has been very open and vocal about the stereotypes that have afflicted men such as not talking about mental health, misogynistic values being learned at a young age, etc. IDLES illustrates their message to listeners that offers support and positivity, all the while still making you want to headbang and go buck wild.
Their songs aren’t meant to bash men or demonize them through a beta-male lens. Rather it’s them saying “look, we’re men, and there are things about us that we need to discuss, and to change if we want to be better”. Whether it’s calling out guys that embody a toxic stereotype, understanding that women work just as (and harder) than us, and lastly, learning that it’s ok to show feelings rather than bottle them up. With all that being said, I’ve plucked 3 songs from their discography that I believe are great examples of the band’s crusade against toxic masculinity.
1.) Never Fight a Man with a Perm
Possibly their most recognizable song, “Never Fight a Man with a Perm” calls out the stereotypical, macho men that plague society (or in lamens terms, the douches.). Both verses have Talbot describe the typical “Alpha male” that tries to confront him on a day-to-day basis, even fighting the men he describes in the song’s respective music video. The first verse details the daily essentials of the modern toxic man such as greasy hair products, supplements, and some good ol’ blow. Things that they think make them feel superior and above others when in reality, he just looks like a joke.
Brylcreem, Creatine
And a bag of Charlie Sheen
Brylcreem, Creatine
And a bag of co-ca-ine
A dulcet man with a dolcet tone
From a dulcet town and a dolcet home
It’s more than just the band giving a suspect description. They straight-up insult them, hitting them right where it hurts by dissing their roided up look, fashion choices, (While I’ll admit the Topshop line hurt me a little), and so forth on the second verse:
Me, oh me, oh my, Roy
You look like a walking thyroid
You’re not a man, you’re a gland
You’re one big neck with sausage hands
You are a Topshop tyrant
Even your haircut’s violent
You look like you’re from Love Island
He stood and the room went silent
Whereas as most toxic guys would just start throwing punches, IDLES fights them with their words. Talbot and company aren’t scared one bit, and they’ll let everyone in the room know that the supposed alpha male is a phony. The song ends with Talbot suggesting he and the toxic man hug it out, suggesting his ideals of masculinity as being steeped in aggression and homophobia should be met with Talbot’s opposition to choose affection and compassion instead. Sometimes being the bigger man means to let your guard down rather than be on the defense all the time.
It also plays into the album title Joy as an Act of Resistance, from which “NFAMWAP” is from. Defy what the world thinks of men by choosing to be vulnerable than aggressive.
2.) Mother
Coming off their 2017 debut album Brutalism, “Mother” is dedicated to Joe Talbot’s own mother, who passed away just 2 years before the album’s release. The song is mainly focused on how hard his mother worked during his childhood. Whether it was due to poorly managed governments in England at the time, but Talbot’s mother worked every single day, covering long hours, and with no pay:
My mother worked 15 hours 5 days a week
My mother worked 16 hours 6 days a week
My mother worked 17 hours 7 days a week
On the surface, it clearly shows the time his late mother spent at work but you could also define “work” as other things such as taking care of the home, the children, and other jobs that gender norms and class systems expect a mother to do, but goes unnoticed in comparison to the work a man does. Talbot’s verse is the realization of the efforts she made to ensure they have a house over their head and those other things are taken care of. The real breadwinner and provider is not just a father, but a mother as well.
The song’s chorus, which is literally just the word mother fucker repeated twice, is Talbot saying how society has essentially fucked his mother over. She works twice as hard, whether it be at her job or at home. Doesn’t get paid, and the class system doesn’t bat an eye, either because she is a woman or is part of the working class that gets pushed around.
IDLES also take shots at sexual violence, more so how habits are learned at a young age. Admittedly it's a verse that comes out of nowhere considering the context of the song, but it’s an important lesson that must be learned.
Sexual violence doesn’t start and end with rape
It starts in our books and behind our school gates
Men are scared women will laugh in their face
Whereas women are scared it’s their lives men will take
IDLES are essentially saying acts such as various forms of harassment or smaller actions shouldn’t but swept under the rug, but most ignore them until it becomes something worse. Keep in mind this was months before the #MeToo movement, where men in power were outed for predatory behaviour. They’re also suggesting that these behaviours start in schools, where kids act recklessly but adults and teachers won’t mind, because they are kids after all. The reality is (and I’m assuming most schools are doing this) that children, boys especially, need to be educated about consent, unwanted touching, and so forth. “Mother” is IDLES’s most taboo song upon dissection, as it uncovers a harsh truth that needs to be brought up.
3.)Samaritans
Another single off of Joy as an Act of Resistance, “Samaritans” is what I consider to be the band’s prime example of dismantling toxic masculinity and a song that quite honestly moved me, by telling listeners that it’s ok for men to show genuine emotion. As boys, we’re told to suck it up when something wrong happens. whether it be from bullying, abuse, etc. Talbot delivers a mantra that young boys are told through the song’s verses:
Man up, sit down
Chin up, pipe down
Socks up, don’t cry
Drink up, just lie
Grow some balls, he said
Grow some balls
Man up, sit down
Chin up, pipe down
Socks up, don’t cry
Drink up, don’t whine
Grow some balls, he said
Grow some balls
All we’re told to do is keep our head up, let out a tear and you are weak, you’re not “man enough”. The fact of the matter really is it just teaches boys to bottle up their emotions, and as we grow older these things come back, but we can’t show that it bothers us right? So what do most men do? They suppress it with unhealthy behaviour such as alcohol, evident by the line “drink up, just lie”. Just keep the bottles flowing and pretend that you're okay. Unfortunately, it’s become a traditional stereotype that has defined masculinity for some men, with various studies and personal anecdotes that confirm this in various cultures.
Talbot rejects this ideology, for one he and the rest of the band are straight edge which is self-explanatory. Moreover, he refuses to wear this mask of masculinity and declares himself to be a real man because he wants to cry, he wants to love himself. He then offers listeners a fact about older men such as fathers, who almost show little to no emotion, all because they were taught the same mantra of keeping their chin up and drinking up.
I’m a real boy, boy, and I cry
I love myself and I want to try
This is why you never see your father cry
This is why you never see your father cry
This is why you never see your father
On a personal level, I’ve witnessed older men in different families who’ve used alcoholism as a coping mechanism for a bad divorce, money/job problems and so forth, especially as an Indo-Caribbean person in countries such as my parent’s home Guyana where alcohol use is celebrated. Instead of finding a healthy avenue to deal with their problems, they drown them in booze, simply because other male influences taught them to do the same.
Thankfully, we live in a world where mental health and personal problems can be treated with healthy coping methods, and without the feeling of being shamed for feeling guilty or crying about them. IDLES wants men to know that there’s nothing wrong about feeling the way you do, it’s normal and it’s natural. It’s a message to let men know that they can be who they want to be, show affection and feelings to become a better man.
We’re in a time where traditional gender norms, sexualities and roles are being challenged and changed. The same goes for the definition of masculinity. In the past, being a man meant doing all of the things that IDLES refutes. Whereas now, they’re considered toxic behaviours that have been passed down and must be changed. Truthfully, the real definition of masculinity is letting men (or those who identify as men) know to be comfortable in their own skin. Cry if you want to, dress however you’d like, love whoever you want. Forego what traditional values taught older generations and create values that adhere to you, which might be the most masculine thing a man could do.
My love for IDLES goes deeper than their great punk-rock, but the message they convey through their music, if you haven’t listened to them yet, by all means, give them a shot and really take in the themes they want you to understand.
