What Is Toxic Masculinity?

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/ popdetective
You may have bumped into the term toxic masculinity during your travels around the internet. It usually shows up in connection with particularly abusive male behavior, but what does it really mean? In this episode we take a closer look at the term using Biff from Back To The Future as our example.
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PAYPAL
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LINKS:
• How Toxic Masculinity Feeds Rape Culture
• Video
• Toxic Masculinity and Murder
www.theatlantic.com/health/arc...
• 6 Harmful Effects Of Toxic Masculinity
www.bustle.com/articles/143644...
• Toxic Masculinity on Geek Feminism Wikia
geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/To...
RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
• The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love
www.amazon.com/Will-Change-Me...
• The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy
www.amazon.com/Gender-Knot-Un...
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
The Pop Culture Detective Agency is a brand new video series that looks at media through a critical lens with an emphasis on depictions of men and masculinity in movies, television, comic books and video games.
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Press images for media use:
www.flickr.com/photos/jonatha...
Full text transcript:
popculturedetective.agency/201...
COMMENTS
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FAIR USE
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CREDITS
Writer/Producer: Jonathan McIntosh
Motion Graphics: Jonathan McIntosh
Logo Design: Justin McIntosh
Music: Jonathan Mann
/ jonathanmann
Help us caption & translate this video!
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[@drumstick6610]

That golfinger scene creepy as hell

[@filmphilosophy4668]

Dear god that Goldfinger scene...

[@stargazerfox]

Could you do a video on healthy masculinity? I, as a man, don't really know what exactly it would be.

[@AlinaAlive]

Thank you so much for bringing actual depth and intellectual conversation to pop culture in the entertainment industry. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to view videos like yours.

[@chocolate11193]

I follow a lot of feminist, blogs, channels, etc which talk about very similar topics (I'm not sure if you define yourself as a feminist). These video's of yours are great, and I'm glad you don't cop much abuse, but it's super noticeable that the comments in your channel are all nice and supportive. Whereas in many other channels by women, and people who define themselves as feminist, it almost constant abuse, for talking about the same topics and sharing similar views. At least perhaps people will listen to you, and maybe think more introspectively. It's very much a good thing to hear positive views of masculinity coming from a guy. Loved your video on Newt Scamander as well.

[@heidilaursen]

Great video. One point: both men and women can participate in or perpetuate toxic masculinity. Society reinforces it in small ways like when someone responds to a man's display of emotion by saying 'man up' or 'grow a pair'.

[@SofiaCavalcante]

What you are doing is so important, a man, in the geek community ( a community that i adore but oh so often tends to be sexist, homophobic, racist, and very easily engage in the toxic masculinity feature) talking about these issues, and i have been seeing other videos of yours praising the /correct/ way of being masculine (like Steven U. and Newt S.) and that is so important because boys will know that it is okay to be like this, actually, it is desired to be like this. You sir are really reaching to those man that really need this advice. keep it up, luv u

[@jessicalee333]

It's really difficult to talk about "toxic masculinity" when so many men think it just means we think "masculinity is toxic" and that we think that means "men are toxic" and then they immediately go on the attack - just like the ironic misunderstandings of the MasculinitySoFragile hashtag a while back. There are positive and negative behaviors under the "masculinity" umbrella, that can apply to people of any gender. I've always found "toxic masculinity" doesn't _just_ refer to the negative traits, but more specifically to the traits that harm either those around the people who have them, or the people themselves. Just like "patriarchy" as a social order, "toxic masculinity" is harmful TO MEN... which makes the defensiveness (or offensiveness) in response so frustrating.

[@MCArt25]

And one of the most ironic points about toxic masculinity is that it harms MEN as well as women.

[@garrusn7702]

Jessica Lee Yes, they just didn't understand "MasculinitySoFragile". How could they not understand that you didn't mean that at all?

[@Kittymouth]

5:23 The reason they look so damned similar is because pretty much every "big business"-type villain in the 1980s was based on Donald Trump.

[@TheWeirdoClub]

This was an AMAZING video, and definitely accurate. But I think you missed talking about the other side of Toxic Masculinity - how it is not only toxic and damaging to others, but also to the individuals themselves. Toxic Masculinity is not only a set of behaviors, but a set of EXPECTATIONS often enforced through violence and intimidation. It is the force that causes men to be extremely emotionally repressed - the thing that causes them to not seek medical and psychiatric help even if they desperately need it out of fear of being percieved as weak, or because the idea of needing help at all is considered feminine and a weakness. It is a NECESSARY component to understand that men are VICTIMS of Toxic Masculinity as much as they are perpetrators, and these two sides go hand in hand. Men are not allowed to express emotions other than anger, to need help or to ask for it, or to seek genuine connection with others. So then their only recourse is to be violent, domineering, and abusive - and to enforce the same behaviors onto other men. It is a cycle of abuse that just NEEDS to stop.

[@BexTheBoo388]

The funny thing is that Biff was literally modeled after Trump

[@jaimeymcclurkin4284]

Good video and great choice in Biff. I feel like people who get so defensive about the term toxic masculinity will be more open to this issue when given an example like Biff.

[@queenlele6193]

Thank you I'm so glad you made it clear that toxic masculinity is NOT an attack on manhood because many people get that confused.

[@vickhs]

Biff is definitely the most obvious example but, as you've said it, his characterization is defined by toxic masculinity to such an extreme level that it can come off as rather one dimentional. I think it's interesting, however, to see how certain (some, not all) aspects of toxic masculinity actually affect _Marty_ throughout the entire trilogy. More specifically, the whole "chicken" thing. Many fans complain that the sequels only used this as a cheap way to move the plot forward and, honestly, I really wouldn't say that Gale and Zemeckis specifically chose this trope as some type of social criticism, but I do think the implications of Marty's vulnerability towards this subject are worth a discussion. In my opinion, it shows that toxic masculinity is often so rooted in societal perceptions of manhood that they end up being quite subtle. In one hand, if Biff basically has a neon sign on his head telling the audience that he's the villain, the opposite could be applied to Marty. He is the main character and it is _his_ adventure that we follow for the entire trilogy. He is the hero, and being so, he naturally draws our sympathy, because he's the cool guy next door we want to be friends with. And yet, the narrative breaks the idea that all heroes are morally invincible, because Marty isn't the perfect hero, and his vulnerability towards the social pressure of toxic masculinity really shows that. Despite not being the focus of the movies, I do find Marty's moral character arc to be quite fascinating, when seen on a deeper level: it's the story of a rather insecure young man who's constantly pressured by societal norms to reaffirm his own masculinity. He then needs to go through an entire journey to realize that, in the end, he doesn't have to follow these unhealthy expectations - and getting rid of his aspects of toxic masculinity is the only way for his future life to become better. So yeah, ok, it's not like Back to the Future is an incredible work of feminist identity or whatever, because it obviously isn't and I'd be very naive to even consider this. But I believe every work of media can be read in socially relevant topics, and this is why cinema can be so transformative and movies like this survive within the audience's imagination for decades after its release. That, and also because it's pure blockbuster fun filled with 80's cheese, right?

[@chrisfarmer6893]

This is a really interesting observation and thanks for sharing it. But I will say, as a youngster watching Back to the Future II was the first time I was aware of sexism in a movie. I remember thinking, "Why did they knock out Jennifer? Why is it OK for Marty to know the future but not her?" Looking back, it is a textbook example of female characters being treated as props who are inconsequential to the plot, unless their problems upset the male character in some way.

[@vickhs]

Oh yes, definitely! This was something I noticed too, particularly because I've only seen the trilogy for the first time last year. It was either Gale or Zemeckis who said that if they had already planned a sequel by 1985, then they would have made sure that Jennifer would never be in the DeLorean in the first place, so that she "wouldn't be a burden in Doc and Marty's adventures". That was something that really bothered me, because what they were really saying is that a female character can't be properly written and would only work as a prop for the male protagonist, as if Jennifer wasn't worth an actual storyline. Even Clara at part III fits this as well, in a way? She's definitely more developed than Jennifer, yet still very underused and mostly seen as Doc's love interest. Although I do enjoy Marty's character arc, I think the lack of female character development is the trilogy's biggest weakness. We do have to acknowledge that this was in the 80s, though, and unfortunately back then it wasn't seen as a big deal as it is today.

[@chrisfarmer6893]

Thanks for the reply. I agree that much of the issue with the way women are portrayed in movies is that male directors / producers / screenwriters simply think that women and their problems are totally uninteresting.

[@venus_exists]

can you do a video explanation for rape culture? i feel there is a lot of misunderstanding, and people who take personal offence when it comes to that topic too! thanks. :)

[@suruchisingh9495]

I'm so happy a guy is saying this. If this was a girl she would have had death threats by now! So thank you I guess.

[@Andreabellababe518]

The science community is infiltrated with this sort of thinking, perhaps it’s the general society, but I see many male professors being enablers of this, and as a woman it makes you feel disempowered, of course not all men are this way, but there’s so much programming in the media and these tv/Hollywood productions, so thank you for discussing such a heated topic

[@ClaireWhiteheadIrl]

Love the video, and I'm surprised to see such positive comments. I think can all agree if a woman was making the same videos she would have been branded a feminazi and targeted by now. At least someone can raise these issues without being bombarded by attempts to disprove your every world

[@rhaengelos3453]

This is a good video! It describes how masculinity itself is not bad itself but how masculinity gone awry has negative consequences for the person and the people around them.

[@louispilard5191]

love the moment when you're standing between biff and trump, hilarious

[@Micho55]

if only I had a dollar for every pasty dudebro who trivialized James Bond raping a lesbian in the comment section of that video

[@glanni]

i never realized how loraine's friend was always just standing and watching worriedly without helping

[@agrofindastation]

It's interesting. I watched a video from Thoughty2 about the "myth" of Toxic Masculinity, and he literally spends the whole time defending "Masculinity" while never once examining the "Toxic" part of the phrase. It was almost as if he was afraid to really look into what Toxic Masculinity really is.

[@ByzantineCapitalManagement]

I have also seen that women too through subtle gestures support the idea of toxic masculinity and get in line with those sexist men.

[@shaikfaridhussain113]

It's funny because the director of the movie back to the future stated that the character real estate Biff was loosely inspired on Donald Trump in his younger days

[@ebybeehoney]

I love the truth that Biff and Trump are actually the same character... this is struck home time and time again.

[@maxcervantes]

Amazing video. Great content. That Goldfinger r*pe scene definitely plays differently now.

[@CecileVeillard]

When I think of toxic masculinity I think at least as much about how it harms men themselves than how it harms women. For example displays of toxic masculinity in the locker room can make it harder for men of principle to stand up against rape culture for example, or for gay men to come out to their peers on the high school football team. As another example the unspoken rule that men aren't supposed to feel or at least shouldn't be sharing their pain/emotions leads to social isolation when men get depressed, which may be a reason why men suffer higher rates of completed suicide. So in other words toxic masculinity hurts men by inwardly policing & limiting, in toxic ways, the ways that men are supposed to behave & feel. Toxic masculinity eats men up from the inside. This is why we all need feminism. If we can win a gender liberated society, it will free us all. 💗💪

[@PheonxD]

This video is so relevant now, 2.5 years later when Gillette touched on this subject. Thank you for speaking about this!

[@embothebimbo]

These videos should be shown in my sociology class

[@JordanBarclay]

I'd love to see the like/dislike ratio on this one. I can't think of why anyone would dislike this rational and calm video lol.

[@RunyaEithelNar]

I like the scene with Trump and silent comparission between him and Biff, it as funny ;D

[@docette2015]

Yup, Biff is basically the poster child for some of the worst of toxic masculinity. Though I do like that you underlined your point about any man being able to participate in those behaviors by also showing Marty and George (the "good guys" of the movies) indulging in a few. And yes, obvious parallels between Biff and Trump are obvious. XD

[@noamjosh]

you are wonderful I wish there were more men like you around ... what you talk about is so important , and goes unseen by so many. so Thankyou.

[@MaureenMurphy_]

🤤 A guy talking about toxic masculinity and giving intellectual conversation? YUM!

[@mamatthews78]

Great video, as always, but interesting to discuss Back to the Future in this context and not discuss the fact that Marty's entire character arc is a struggle against toxic masculinity.

[@samahnajim]

i love your videos so much!

[@inanjoice8251]

Can't like this video enough times

[@MorganRhysGibbons]

Your videos are SO essential and well-made. Thank you for your hard work.

[@marco.nascimento]

Thank you. That's a very important topic to discuss, even more with regards to pop culture, as everyone tends to idealize the characters they like most. The geek/nerd community, in particular, suffers a lot with toxic masculinity, and that's a shame 'cuz they/we were the ones traditionally suffering in the hands of bullies, as exemplified by the movie shown in the video.

[@classicwhomst4912]

Biff was based on Donald Trump

[@Reggie1408]

Honest question: if a woman is a sexual predator or hypercompetitive, does she also display toxic masculinity?

[@MrSeventyAce]

Sure. Masculinity and femininity aren't gender specific; there's lots of women we would call masculine in some way. I see no reason why toxic masculinity is any different. It's all just social conventions.

[@leonardorossi998]

I'd say yes. Even though I think you could say that more generally it's more about linking one's own personal worth to aggression and the capability to hurt people.

[@seriouslysinglemom3835]

Your videos teach me so much, make me think in new ways, and present popular material in a whole new light. I truly enjoy what you present in all of your videos. You are a wonderful resource. I appreciate all of the impact that pop culture has had on me, and I know the propaganda effects I have felt. Watching your videos helps me to unlearn things I have learned. Kudos about the Harrison Ford predatory romance video. Please keep making videos! I have a son and I need to educate him about the mixed and negative messages in pop culture while also exposing him to pop culture and how it has a place in his life. . I am a person who can enjoy and appreciate things simultaneously. I can enjoy Harrison Ford but understand that his characters represent deeply flawed versions of men who have dysfunctions that get portrayed as strengths. Man-I eat this stuff up!

[@Bytheewaay]

Hey there. First of all, I absolutely love your videos! I was always (or at least since the concept started to be a thing) interested in this topic. What it always got me about it, and you sadly didn't mention (but I'm sure you are aware of) is how it affects men themselves. Even many that don't engage in this type of behavior. The emotional detachment that it's believed to be a sign of masculinity, plus the fear of being somehow feminine end up having terrible effects on them. The constant fear of losing what they believe is (and indeed is... sadly) a valuable possession in society, that opens many doors for them and makes them more "respectable" than women and "feminine men", makes them feel very vulnerable and unstable on the inside, but as they are taught not to show those emotions, not even admit they have them, that toxic masculinity behavior turns against themselves, "poisoning" them... And that's what I always think about when I say "toxic masculinity". That kind of behavior (that it's actually part of a mind set) imposed by society decreases their chances to be truly happy, to connect with others, to know and accept themselves and pursue the life they'd desire. I think men themselves (those who have this toxic behavior and those who don't but were taught they should and believe it in some degree) are the first to be intoxicated.

[@najrenchelf2751]

That moment @ 5:22 when you realize how similar the two look :-D

[@zainmudassir2964]

Thank you for your video

[@brunoivan1875]

Could you do a video about rape culture? That would be incredible

[@bestdreamlife1518]

Really good. Can you speak on/ explain the term fragile masculinity? And how can women support or contribute to this condition/habit/mindset?

[@David-ob3wq]

THANKS

[@headlessspaceman5681]

According to Bob Gale, it's no accident that Biff the casino mogul and woman-abuser in Back To The Future Part II reminds of Donald J. Trump. It was totally intentional. Trump is the villain of every story he is in, and so are characters based on him.

[@stoopidapples1596]

I mean home alone 2 didn't really paint him in that negative of a light...

[@Supernaturlisch]

I really hope your videos get more attention. A lot of people could learn from you!

[@verbulent_flow6229]

I need to show this to my family. They think that men acting aggressive and cruel is "natural" and that the solution is removing men's testosterone.

[@elenacosta1040]

When trying to think of what toxic femininity would look like, I’ve come to realize that a lot of behaviors considered “toxic” for women are really behaviors that threaten a man’s masculinity. I don’t know if this is just how the media has portrayed it, or whether it is inherent to femininity to be understood as dependent on a conception of masculinity, while masculinity can be understood independently. I’d love to hear your comments on this.

[@emd1646]

I think that you're one of my new favourite person on this website

[@sheikaejulius4441]

I love this channel

[@phelyne]

Being generally against a lot of third wave feminism, I'm really glad that you explained this looking at both sides of the whole thing. Toxic masculinity does not mean "All men are bad." Toxic masculinity is a super overused term, but in all of the examples you gave, that was most definitely toxic masculinity.

[@Sidneycozzoi]

The actor who played Biff has said more than once, He used trump as a model for the character.

[@frappalina]

i love your work! just binge watching your channel

[@theaquinnwrites]

i love this video must suck for people to troll you so much over such uncontroversial video

[@FlorenciaMur9]

Thank you for being so clear

[@nelsonjanusson7278]

Good vid

[@apeman6059]

The movie Menace 2 Society shows toxic masculinity well

[@realhippiesarecowboys]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Very well done! Edit: God I dont think I like James Bond that much anymore

[@smithasreejith8855]

I love this, and i also acknowledge that if a woman had made this video then she would have been labeled as a feminazi and pushed down, so yeah cheers.

[@ZombieOfMist]

I am pretty sure I read somewhere that Biff was based off of Trump? Which makes a lot of sense, imo.

[@evantsb]

Such a great video! I love this channel

[@victrosia]

Whenever you say toxic masculinity has this weird melody to it. Great video I love your channel

[@wildcatste]

Wonderful video!

[@sandrinelaberge8136]

Absolutely needed to be talked i am forever thankful. Very objective and educational : best combo. As a suggestion, you should do one on toxic femininity

[@treeofjessie]

I have a really serious question here that I'm legitimately struggling with and hoping for some guidance. Okay so masculinity is not a synonym for men. I wanna be super clear that I'm talking about -masculinity- the construct, and not men the individuals. But is there any part of masculinity that isn't related to or a function of misogyny? Something that stands entirely separate from concepts of being unlike women, owning or dominating women, being or having the opposite of what we think women should be or have? I'm really struggling with this, like, a LOT. and I don't like it. But I can't think of anything, and I feel like even if these pieces of masculinity aren't actively destructive in some obvious way, if they still work within the above constructs then they're still pretty toxic.

[@finn-sw9tq]

i love your videos!

[@TathD]

Subscribed!

[@elle3839]

Love your falcor shirt so cool!!!

[@yoot134]

Good video

[@aninditafarzana2773]

i dunno why you get so much hate, your work is great

[@lauram.9892]

this channel

[@ankejl3830]

Awesome, dude!

[@christinamuchitsch9208]

THANK YOU! Amazing work!

[@Trund27]

Super good video!

[@Jerrytheworm]

I love your videos! You explain things so well!

[@deadbeatboy]

amazing video

[@Shodan451]

Great video! and I love your Neverending Story shirt!

[@dancingfishfilms]

lovely, clear, truthful video. what we all need

[@Rana-yk9sh]

YOU NEED MORE VIEWS

[@laydieelle7069]

Good explanation.

[@vicarious_tv5695]

Well said, nice videos. :D

[@hiredsword]

well said

[@maeveriden8887]

Thank you for this so, so much... So well thought out, simply explained, just beautiful. This is so needed

[@likira111]

I thought a big part of it was desperately trying not to be seen as feminine? im a little disappointed you barely touched on that.

[@PopCultureDetective]

Anti-femininity is very connected to hypermasculinity. It's a little more complicated but I got into exactly that in detail in my latest video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bX2af4WFg6Z3gJY

[@jenmol9644]

Do Beauty and the Beast! And any other Disney misconception regarding toxic masculinity.

[@TAPcast]

Nice to see you curate your comments.

[@AliMarie022]

that was explained sooo well! thankyou for this great video

[@eiqhties1140]

I love your approach to this subject, it's very coherent and respectful and you stay well within your own understanding of the topic. It's so refreshing to see a white male broach this subject in such an educated way, honestly, videos like this really go so far in enabling more people to understand the harmful and negative attributes that stem from toxic masculine behaviors. Thank you for this

[@rivertam00]

good stuff

[@MadameGumbo]

Excellent analysis in all videos ! Good work !

[@peeblekitty5780]

Apparently the writer for Back To The Future based the character Biff off of Donald Trump. No wonder they're so similar.

[@fiercenunbothered]

This is awesome, you’re doing God’s work. I’m going to save this to circulate to friends/family who get hot under the collar when I reference toxic masculinity in the media.

[@raianaml]

excelent video

[@ren.pfa.99]

Toxic masculinity is part of the patriarchal culture, it is driven by this need enforced on men to distinguish themselves from femininity, which is deemed inferior. I've been thinking about whether patriarchal ideas of manhood that are more harmful to the men themselves should be included in the 'toxic masculinity' label, like for example the urging to pretend they do not feel any emotion other than anger. Behaviour like this can end up in harmful behaviour towards women, but more often than that, they'll harm the person performing them more than anyone else

[@nfc598]

I really appreciate your channel