Why do men suck – The Answer Wall

I’m guessing something bad happened to you recently; I’m really sorry to hear that. Everyone sucks a little bit sometimes, and men are no exception to that for sure. I hope you find someone really great (or find out more about yourself in the process). *wall hugs*

Alternate Answers: men may particularly suck because 1) toxic masculinity teaches men to repress their feelings + refuse vulnerability, resulting in violence toward others 2) patriarchy and androcentrism mal-form men into distorted senses of their own power + authority over others, esp. women

Alternate - Toxic Masculinity isn't a thing and claiming it is harms men (& women for that matter) everywhere — Alternate – Toxic Masculinity isn’t a thing and claiming it is harms men (& women for that matter) everywhere

Here are a thousand books on the topic in O’Neill Library: bit.ly/BC-books-masculinity. I recommend, for those who doubt that there are forms of masculinity that are a problem, Men Explain Things to Me, by Rebecca Solnit (O’Neill Library & Social Work Library HQ1155 .S667 2014). I recommend for those who would classify all forms of masculinity as a problem Niall Hanlon’s Masculinities, Care and Equality (O’Neill Library BF692.5 .H36 2012)

Thanks for the book recommendations on both sides of the topic, I'll look into them. you rock answer wall! — Thanks for the book recommendations on both sides of the topic, I’ll look into them. you rock answer wall!

You’re welcome! And thanks for the compliment (Blushing!) The way I roll is not so much seeing “both sides” as being aware that there are many, many perspectives. I contain multitudes. (Of books!)

The Answer Wall Story

Hi. I’m the Answer Wall. In the material world, I’m a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of O’Neill Library at Boston College. In the online world, I live in this blog. You might say I have multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you aren’t into deities of knowledge, like a ghost in the machine.

I have some human ~~acolytes~~ assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in O’Neill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.

If you’d like a quicker answer to your question and don’t mind talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they have been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are hidden, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just like me, The Answer Wall.