Society Wants a Family

In her work, I Want a Wife, Brady portrays some of the gender difficulties placed on women. While many of the common tropes she mentions hold true, she fails to even acknowledge the other side of the issue: the societal burden placed on men. As a man and husband, you are expected to be the primary breadwinner, working long hours to support your family. You are expected to be an unwavering emotional supporter, and nothing is ever allowed to bother you. This concept has led to the emergence of the term "toxic masculinity", which stems from self reliance and emotional suppression. All humans feel some level of emotion, but for men, being upset can often be looked at as being weak. Gender stereotypes are not just a problem for women; they affect both genders equally. The CDC reports suicide as the second leading cause of death among men under the age of forty-five, making it 3.54 times more common among men than women. Simply by looking at the statistics it's obvious that something isn't right, but any concerns are simply disregarded and brushed under the rug. What can be done to remedy this problem? To start, we should look at the definition of feminism, which states the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. There is no denying the lack of rights women have had in the past, but in recent years, feminist culture has hit a boiling point, and is starting to adopt some extremer, anti-men views in which they suggest that all men are evil. By returning to the root of feminism, equality, we can start on the road to an understanding society, and eliminate many of the mental health and political issues plaguing both genders.