The toppling of toxic gender tropes is opening the door to a new masculinity. 

“This is a man’s world” sang James Brown in 1966, unflinchingly confident in his statement of patriarchal dominance. 

Except it isn’t any more, or at the very least it’s becoming less so. Unquestionably this is a fantastic evolution away from a world dominated by straight, white, middle class men from the Global North. Equality and equity are moral and ethical imperatives, and they’ve also been relentlessly demonstrated as drivers of commercial and creative success too. 

It’s often said that to a dominant group, ‘equality can feel like oppression’, and on a recent Rich Roll podcast, this was a view that internet and finance firebrand Scott Galloway voiced. He put forward the idea that society had largely collapsed the idea of toxic masculinity and masculinity into one another. 

This is at odds with what we’re seeing emerge from the data we collect and analyse within our CultureIndex platform. In fact we’re seeing a new form of masculinity evolve that is a counterpoint to the paranoid, misogynist community of the Andrew Tate-a-likes. 

We’re seeing the emergence of strong, emotionally intelligent men, untangled from the toxic weeds of aggression and entitlement. Men like this have always walked among us, of course, but their considerate, controlled voices have recently been superseded by their more obnoxious counterparts within popular culture. Today, they are setting the narrative on what it means to be a man. 

Men like Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown, athlete and podcaster Rich Roll, or Liverpudlian actor Stephen Graham, are unflinchingly honest about their own struggles with mental health stemming from toxic aggression. We’re even seeing steps being made in the most unlikely of places. Millwall FC, for decades a byword for violence in English football, recently became the first club in England to launch an LGBTQ+ inclusive men’s team. 

The way men communicate with each other is opening up, and the way brands speak to them should reflect this. This presents a huge opportunity to make a positive contribution to the world. Here are a few things to bear in mind: 

• Understand that the changing tide of masculinity is driven by an ageless vanguard fearlessly toppling old stereotypes. These are smart, emotionally intelligent people aware of their ability to shape the world. They may not be the loudest, but they’re the most confident that the sands of time will find them on the right side of history. 

• It’s one thing to tell people how much you care about issues like men’s mental health, but actions matter more. Brands who not only celebrate but demonstrate progressive ideas, through their internal culture as well as external comms, will naturally earn their place in people’s lives. This isn’t about representation of masculinity in shaving adverts, but of how we portray masculinity in all communications. 

• The opening up of masculinity to be more inclusive is a wonderful thing, and there are ample opportunities for brands to platform individuals, groups and communities doing work in this space. As with any partnership, this should be a collaborative effort with tangible benefits for all parties, that allow people to speak in their own voice, on their terms. ‘Birds of a feather flock together’, as they say, and if brands give a true platform to this modern masculinity, maybe the toxic voices will be drowned out…

To unlock more identity insights, email discover@culturelab.co 

^{(Sources: CultureLab CultureIndex, June 2024)}