What does it really mean to be a man?

[IronLionZion]

(CNN)Masculinity has always been a shifting concept. The history of man is littered with examples of provocateurs and puritans who have fought a seemingly endless battle over what it is to be one.

The warrior pharaohs of Ancient Egypt wore makeup long before it was dismissed as only for women, while in the kingdoms of Greece and Rome it was not only acceptable, but commanding to have sex with your male subjects, before early Christian rulers came and condemned sodomy as an outrage and an offense punishable by death.

The medieval era took the model of masculinity back towards basic, chivalric, Christian values, before the likes of Byron and Brummell shattered these ideas with the rise of the dandy. David Bowie might have shocked in the 1970s with his face powder and effeminate posturing, but in Regency-era England, he could've passed as an esteemed member of society.

Recently, the tall, strong, short-haired, hard-working heterosexual has been the norm of masculinity, but once more that is changing.
Looking at pop culture, it's clear to see that gender is a hot topic right now. Our perceptions of what gender means are splintering, and the conventions around how men and women must look or behave are being challenged.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/15/fashion/masculinity-for-the-modern-world/index.html

[MineralMan]

1. All you have to do is look at an issue of GQ.

That magazine knows.

[TexasProgresive]

2. Sorry to be "Off Topic" but this line made me think of a real man

"Recently, the tall, strong, short-haired, hard-working heterosexual..." - President Barack Obama. Now this is a man.

[angstlessk]

6. And Comey

Who said he really liked being with his wife of ??? years

[angstlessk]

3. CNN Style doesn't offer comments?

I was more interested in the comments, but there are none

[HAB911]

4. The non-binary nature of sexuality

fights the Christian values definition daily. Natural sexuality will win.

[Aristus]

5. It means I have a 'X' and a 'Y' chromosome.

Everything else is just details...

[Maeve]

9. There are some born that way that would dispute the matter

Just sayin'....

[Aristus]

10. Oh I know; I readily acknowledge the complexities of human sexuality and gender identity.

I just oppose the notion that 'being a man' means being a gun-owning, game-hunting, truck-driving, bathing-in-cologne-instead-of-soap, sports-fanatic, aggressive, handsy jerk.

[Maeve]

11. I agree--I'd rather see someone try to be a mensch

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mensch
mensch
A mensch is a someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character. The key to being "a real mensch" is nothing less than character, rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous. (Rosten, Leo. 1968. The Joys of Yiddish. New York: Pocket Books. 237)

(And I posted that because I'm watching a close friend dealing with transitioning)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. Sure, that and a pair of testicles.

[leftstreet]

8. The culture retrenches every time men 'break out' of it

"David Bowie might have shocked in the 1970s with his face powder and effeminate posturing, but in Regency-era England, he could've passed as an esteemed member of society."

So true

Just recently we lost the 70s guys with big hair and short shorts!