And with a single fabulous flourish, Harry Styles has severed the chains that binds too many American men to the altar of toxic masculinity. All that is left is for more of us to follow his lead and escape this box that we have placed ourselves within. Harry Styles’ elaborate photo shoot, and the pearl-clutching among prominent conservatives, is the push we need to release men from toxic masculinity.
Who is Harry Styles and Where Are The Photos?
For those who don’t know, Harry Styles was a member of the iconic boy-band One Direction. He has since expanded his career to include acting (film credits include Dunkirk) and songwriting (his 2nd album, Fine Line, was the highest debuting album for any English male artist in the US, ever).
Now, on to the photoshoot in question. Styles, as the first solo male to ever grace the cover of Vogue Magazine. As he shattered this glass ceiling, he decided to wear a few provocative ensembles that have caused quite the consternation on the right side of the ledger. This tweet captures the essence of the project:
"There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I’ve never thought too much about what it means—it just becomes this extended part of creating something.": Read our full December cover story starring @Harry_Styles here: https://t.co/yILujUQQae pic.twitter.com/qwpGKBSQey
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) November 13, 2020
There are more amazing photos and I encourage you to head over to Vogue Magazine right now to read the article for yourself. He is a fascinating man and I am very excited to see what he accomplishes with the rest of his wonderful career.
Right-Wing (P)Outrage Machine Breeds Toxic Masculinity
I know what all of you are thinking… So, what’s the problem? To hear the conservative talking heads tell it, this development represents the downfall of Western hegemony. What we see as a refreshing display of personal style and fashion, they see as a direct assault on masculinity and their ill-defined notion of “toughness”. Similar to their iconic manly-man stomping and crying as he is removed from office.
I think it is pathetic. “Real” men can where whatever they want. What “real” men don’t do is worry about back-benchers complaining that their attire isn’t “manly” enough, whatever that means. Women can where whatever they want. What we can’t do is cater to bloviating Neanderthals as they con their ever-shrinking pool of gullible sheep out of their life savings.
Our culture has thankfully moved beyond such antiquated notions of male-female binaries, hopefully more of our fellow countrymen and women can join us in our glorious future!