GOOD NEWS FOR MEN #5
A look at all the latest positive things happening for men and because of men.
1/ Louis Theroux documentary - Inside the Manosphere
Arguably the biggest news story about men in the last few weeks is Louis Theroux’s new documentary, taking a peek behind the curtain of the manosphere.
There is a very live (and very fair) discussion around just how useful or positive a thing this documentary is - which James covered here last week, so I won’t rehash that one.
Whatever your view on it, I believe there are some positives that have come from it that spell good news for men.
I believe that if we look at this from an unsentimental lens and focus not on the output, but on the reasons the documentary existed in the first place, then we can perhaps feel confident that change is around the corner.
The first step in tackling any challenge or problem is accepting that we have one. That step alone can sometimes take decades. Once we realise we have a problem, it then becomes a question of “do we want to give any energy to solving this thing?”. That step can also take a long time.
The step after? That’s where resolution normally sits (even if it’s messy, convoluted journey to get there).
I think we’re seeing the conversation on masculinity progressing in the direction we need it to. We’re aware we have a problem. We’re starting to give it attention. Now we begin to work on solutions.
Roll back the clock maybe even just a couple of years, and you’d have been laughed out the Netflix boardroom for suggesting they should headline a documentary on “men’s stuff”.
This is a start. Now let’s turn this into some real action.
2/ Free prostate cancer screening programme
Sir Chris Hoy, who has sadly been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, has launched a free screening programme for 25,000 men in Scotland. Obviously this story has come off the back of terribly sad news, but I have an untold amount of respect for Chris for using it to try and enact some positive change.
More broadly, many men are leaving things too late before they go to get them checked. Early detection can save lives. A much-needed programme, and we hope to see it broaden out to many other areas of health.
3/ Comedy being trialled as a treatment for mental health issues
Stand-up comedy is being trialled as an alternative treatment for depression, both to relieve pressure on the NHS, as well as giving us a chance to explore other types of treatments.
Of course, a disclaimer needs to go in here that this won’t work for everyone, and for more serious or acute cases, likely isn’t the answer. But it’s fantastic to see this approach being looked at.
This isn’t only for men or about men, but we know that many men are resistant to typical talking therapies, and so this presents another option which might be something they feel more comfortable engaging with.
4/ Attendance at men’s support groups is rising
A survey of 30 men’s wellbeing groups in Wales has found that more than 80% have reported rising attendance. Perfect. We don’t need to say much more to add to this - the good news story here is self-evident!
A snapshot there of some of the biggest stories happening around masculinity in the last few weeks.
What have you seen that we missed?
Let us know in the comments.
George and James x