Macho had some real heat against Hulk. I've read he blamed him for ruining his marriage. It is really sad because his ex got with Lex Luger and they became addicts and she died.
As I sit here watching K-Pop Demon Hunters with both of my sons whomst are obsessed with it right now, I have to wonder if conservatives aren’t right (for the wrong reasons) in that Masculinity is always about to disappear. Not because of femininity forcing the change, but because Masculinity isn’t actually natural at all. Certainly the hyper masculinity of wrasslin or MAGA is artificial, but I think the natural man is a lot softer than a Civilized Man who is taught the traditions of Masculinity. I’m sure there’s a bunch of books about this and I’m very very late to this particular party but it’s just getting so obvious to me that, absent a Masculine man to impart Masculinity to the next generation, boys will just grow up to be chill humans. The horror!
I have no doubt most of my worst characteristics came from macho men who influenced me as I grew. But then, some of my best traits came from them as well...
My dad showed me Revenge of the Nerds and Predator and Aliens and Terminator at like 10 years old to show me how men are supposed to act. All I got out of it was a huge crush on Vasquez. My dad taught me Masculinity; it just didn’t stick.
The starry eyed swooning over butch women I got from Aliens probably saved my actual life in 2018 so I can’t complain lol!
Masculinity doesn't need to be toxic. I think of that dad commercial where a man boxes, rides bike etc with young son.
My dad was a blue collar guy who taught me to shoot guns, fish, run a trap line, work on a farm, play cards, drink whiskey...but I can't think of a single example of anything I would consider toxic masculinity associated with any of it. It was just stuff he grew up doing. Then again, he was a union man and a Democrat. He lived in a town that literally had a John Birch meeting hall. He avoided all of that crap, and I'm certain he would have seen right through Trump. I guess maybe I'm lucky.
I had a similar upbringing, minus the farming, hunting, etc. But my dad, in his own way, was about fairness, equality, hard work and respect. Never once said the words "I love you" to me or my siblings, but also didn't allow us to make fun of others for their different life experiences. Not that he was perfect, not by any stretch. He would have hated Trump (he was a dyed in the wool Democrat and union man), as he hated when people cheated, lied and took advantage of people's situations and pitted each other against each other.
I think what some people don't get is, lying isn't the worst thing in the world. Its lying to constantly make yourself out to be a better person, or easily disprovable lies, that is the problem. Lying that you didn't speed is forgivable. Lying that you met a kid who was dying of cancer and promised to "body slam" a wrestler and win a title (when the matches are scripted), is another. Especially when the match he went on to talk about several times did not take place at the PPV, nor was he even touring with the company at the time. Like, that's cheesetastic.
There's more than cancellation going on here, it's wickedness. Dancing on a man's grave the moment he dies because he said the N word a decade ago. I saw a black wrestler talk about how Hogan saved his job once and talk about how he didn't think he was racist. Or another one talk about how Hogan used to visit children's hospitals to bring some enjoyment to sick kids. I could keep going but it's pointless because the mob knows better than his contemporaries anyway. People say stupid stuff all the time. Most just don't have people secretly recording their private conversations and then use them to cash in over a decade later. But whatever I'm not that invested. I just thought I'd show some kindness towards a man that gave me some enjoyment as a kid.
