A
s I drift awkwardly into some substack reading, I've started coming across a particular subsection of writers who are avowedly right wing, highly intellectual, and concerned with revitalizing masculinity in the modern world. I find a lot of the writing compelling, and am willing to hear out the arguments; Lord knows I'm skeptical enough of the left wing, might as well hear what smart rightists have to say.
Similarly, I do agree that there's something of an issue with modern masculinity (though not in the sense that liberals might think). One of the abovementioned writers described the movie Predator as largely about the way that the modern world emasculates men. The masculine genius does not do well in characteristically modern environments (which is not to say that he feminine genius is exactly enjoying a heyday either).
So these writers tend to be weightlifters, and kind of edgy, while trying to cultivate a new kind of masculine persona that can work in contemporary contexts. There's nothing wrong with this project per se -- but I admit that the atmosphere they generate doesn't really come off as the kind of cultured-man vibe that they draw attention to from history. Anyone can come up with a long list of highly masculine, yet educated and noble characters from any period of time prior to basically the 60s; but I can't imagine any of those "paragons" writing the things that these new masculinists are writing, or behaving the way that they do.
It's a little hard to put my finger on. Again, a lot of these writers are very talented (though not all), and their points are well received. But they're... I dunno, a little whiny. A little too concerned with theory, a little, dare I say, womanish in the way they form and keep their communities. These guys are nerds, even the ones who lift weights. Or at least that's the vibe I get. I don't necessarily blame them; there really aren't that many solid men to look up to in this day and age. But therein lies the problem -- we need role-models. I don't think these guys have them; and they sure don't come off as super-compelling male role models to me. Maybe just sighing over busts of Roman emperors isn't enough to found a new culture.