I was watching a tv show recently and this married couple were arguing over the fact that the wife thought her husband should be able to build a diy porch. Her arguement was that he's a man, he should be able to do it.

Now as ridiculous as this sounded, I could see her point. I do expect a man to be manly. I grew up around cousins who built their mother's house by hand, can fix everything, work hard on a farm plus they can all cook, iron etc. Actually one of them taught me how to bake bread, but all that cooking stuff was just me bragging. What I want to know is do we still expect men to be "manly"? Should he only cry if his favourite soccer team loses? Must he atleast own a couple of tools and know what they are for? Should he only go to the mechanic when his engine is beyond repair?

some men just shouldn't be around power tools....just sayin'

You have a different definition of manly than I.

What you are describing to me is normal plug and fix daily chores. So I guess it depends on what your view of manly is.

Manly men know when to ask for help or seek it such as the car issue. And as far as fixing things as well. Some people have no mechaical ability or common sense.

I would like my manly man to be able to defend me if needed. Not fight me. And that goes inteletual and physical. And know when to ask for help.

How do you define manly?

Well if that is how you define manly, I guess I am a man.

Just like a lot of women couldn't boil water, a lot of guys are not the DIY type. Does not mean they are not manly.

All sexisims aside...(and I got a lot of em)

If you want something done and done right...do it yourself.

I am not allowed within 500 feet of a stove in 22 states and Puerto Rico. Every time I have ever tried to cook something, there is a 9-alarm fire and some sort of radioactive disaster. Thank God that Al Gore invented the microwave.

I have never used an iron in my life. I have no plans to start.

On the other hand, I have a reasonable grasp of basic tool usage, and I have occasionally pounded a nail into a brick or somesuch nonsense.

I have worked on cars but it is my least favorite thing in the world (tied with being married) and I have no intention of ever doing that again.

To my way of thinking, a man is someone who writes books and has protruding genitalia, Truman Capote aside.

If you ever read Louis L'amour Sackett books his idea of being a man is the same as mine. Maybe that's why I enjoyed the books so much?

Real men don't brag of what they done, they just done it. They do things not because it is expected of them but because they see it needs to be done. They stick to their beliefs but let others have theirs. Never abuse a woman in any way, or children, whatsoever. Don't see the need to lie. List is too long.

Before





After

This is your definition, and nobody can argue with a definition. Even I can't, and believe me, I can argue about a lot of things.

But it occurred to me: how is this definition of a real man different from the definition of a real woman, when we consider that the definition is describing a set of character traits, not physical or biological requirements?

Ok now this is going to seem like I'm arguing with myself, which I do alot, but the more I think about it, the more I have to ask myself, do men expect women to be womanly (is that a word?)?

But still arguing with myself, I still think there should be some line drawn somewhere. I never got the metrosexual thing of guys who go for facials. Maybe I'm a tad traditional.

This happens to be the kind of women who attract me. Self-reliant.

I guess I think a man should be...

well...manly in all honesty.

A man should be strong enough to stand up for the right things.
To not be weak for the wrong things.

A man should be willing to f*** up....as long as he is still TRYING.

A man will put his woman on a pedastle.

But, still really wanna play video games.

A man should be willing to let you know some of the things he would never tell another soul on Earth.

A man should be willing to shed blood, sweat and tears for those whom he loves.

I don't care if you got a penis or not.....Being a real and actual man....is earned. Not everyone earns it.

and then we want them to be "womanly" and cook and clean and put the toilet seat down?? (no stereotyping intended)
where does it ever end?? find a man who floats your boat and enjoy the ride! JMHO

What she said...

that's a lot of boats bastet

When you've been by yourself as long as I have you learn to cook and clean and put the seat down out of curtesy. But the toilet tissue has to go over the roll....

Up to about fifty years ago, there were very strong societal expectations that a man at least should not be gay.

We say now it's okay if he is gay, he is still a real man.

The list continues:

He must support his family. Now that's not an issue. (In most countries.)

He must fight for his wife's honour. We now think he has to sue for his wife's honour, and she can do that just as neatly as a man.

He must help the kids with homework, with math particularly. He has become exempt, though, becasue now, since the advent of calculators, nobody can do math.

ARE THERE NO BASTIONS OF MANLINESS LEFT IN OUR LIVES AS PEOPLE?

Well, relax. There are.

He must build the shack, put together the Ikea shelving unit, drink beer and watch football on Sundays, smack his tongue after a good meal the wife cooks and pat her rump in an appreicative gesture, suggesting more tokens of gratitude to ensue upstairs later, drive like a maniac when he is drunk, get a blood vessel pop on his forehead when the wife and the "girls" take him to "hooters" for his birthday, nap on the couch, do the income tax for all members of the family, or take the shoe boxes of everybody to the income tax preparer himself personally, kick the tires of the car he's about to buy, and teach his wife how to do that properly for when she buys her car.

This list is long enough now to be indicative of what it is what defines a real straight man for me. A real gay man will get his description in next week's edition.