Originally Posted by The Batlord

Disclaimer: Anyone is free to chyme in, but I'm more interested in the male point of view, as -- no offense -- but, as a male, I wouldn't really be as qualified as a woman to comment on traditional female gender roles and expectations either.

Anywho, I'm not one to be particularly concerned with male gender roles: I don't really care to involve myself with traditional male activities, such as sports, even though I certainly appreciate the competitive aspect, and can enjoy the testosterone rush and camaraderie of actually participating in physically demanding team sports on occasion; I have no invested interest in defining myself as a man, even though I certainly consider my one, due to my lack of non-male or gender neutral "feelings", or whatever such notions runs through those peoples' heads; and while I'd consider myself heterosexual if pressed to define my sexuality, I feel no inclination to remain "loyal" to my "straightness" (While I'm really not attracted to men, I don't see the problem with engaging in a little recreational, same-sex friction if I were in an adventurous mood and the opportunity presented itself.)

But of course, even in many the most enlightened circles, there's still a certain, unspoken expectation that men conform to at least some traditional male attributes. Whether it be not hitting women, avoiding playing the "female role" in a relationship, maintaining that wall of manly stoicism that precludes crying or talking too much about your feelings, etc.

Then of course there are the more mainstream societal expectations that are even more restrictive. Having worked more than a few minimum wage jobs where my fellow male employees would have looked at me like an alien had I ever showed up listening to Britney Spears on an iPod, or claimed to be straight while still having had sex with a dude, I know that it's nearly impossible to integrate yourself into certain male subcultures without being "one of them", or at least pretending to. I listen to music that would make your average dude's look like Celine Dion, and objectify women and their naked boobies as much as the next straight dude, and yet that would simply be ignored in light of Britney and a night of drunken dick sucking.

Fight Club expressed this tension pretty well. Men are supposed to be more enlightened in this day and age, while still being expected to conform to old stereotypes that conflict with the new standards, and the issue is further muddied because of those ingrained instincts for men to be hunters and warriors, ready to commit violence at a moment's notice. I know it's hard to be a woman in a man's world, but it's also quite a headache to be a man in a world that doesn't even know what men are supposed to be anymore. It's like, can we just make up our minds already? I'd like to **** bitches and watch General Hospital in peace already.