Masculine and Feminine
Recently there was some controversy concerning an ad released by a certain shaving company. The commercial showed various offensive behaviors while asking men to act better. Predictably, the Internet was divided over whether the ad was a positive message for humanity or a vicious attack on men. While the commercial claimed to focus on "toxic masculinity," some saw it as demeaning toward all males and lamented the classification of masculinity as a negative thing. Some commentators asked, "why can't boys be boys?" I had many thoughts during and after watching the ad, but one question in particular lingers. It is a question I have actually wrestled with before. When people say that men should be masculine and women should be feminine, what exactly do they mean? Growing up, I never felt especially girly. In fact, for a brief period of time, I purchased and wore boys' clothing. I wasn't trying to reject my biological makeup; I just found boys' cl...