The Way of the Buffalo

The Hyacinth Girl has been writing some thoughtful pieces. Here's a touch of her latest:

“Man card” posturing and self-proclaimed beta male status may seem polar opposites, but they are two sides of the same coin. We (culturally speaking) have assimilated the often contradictory but ultimately damaging definition of masculinity proffered by the modern feminist movement, thereby relegating men to either second-class citizens (beta male) or senseless brutes ruled by their basest desires. I don’t think men as a whole fit into either category. I think they’re more interesting than that.

The "man card" is the humorous notion that there are certain activities that "qualify" one as a man, and if found lacking or in breach of conduct one's membership card in the club of manliness can be revoked. It's a young man's joshing and taunting exercise, and it underscores a certain shallowness to the perception of maleness. The combination of political correctness and the ever increasing efforts to marginalize masculine traits have been the tools used to diminish men in our society. This has been ostensibly done to elevate women, but the result is not quite what was intended: a twisted society that is detrimental to both the men and women living in it. April has written an excellent piece on it. Now stop wasting time. Get over there and read it!