Chris Williamson and George TheTinMen discuss the problem of telling men to “just do better” while posing the question of why men’s issues are largely ignored by society. Why are men’s problems easily brushed off? Chris further asks, If the patriarchy is powerful, why aren’t men flourishing more?
Chris Williamson is an English podcaster, YouTuber and former television personality. He was a contestant in the first series of Love Island in 2015 and has hosted the Modern Wisdom podcast since 2018. The show has been downloaded more than 400 million times.
“The common question is, why don’t men just do better? Surely, they can try harder in school employment and health. Well, no other group is told when they suffer with reduced performance or accolades in the real world that they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps.”
In the podcast, Williamson challenges the gender bias imposed on men. According to him, society does not care much about men’s mental health or the issues they face. This is because society does not put the same effort into addressing issues affecting men as they do for any other group, including women.
“What’s the point in asking men to talk if we are unwilling to listen or even acknowledge the societal issues that they’re talking about?”
“We don’t tell any other group to talk about their problems; instead, we spend billions in taxpayer money and private charity to set up committees, departments, campaigns, and funds to solve the problem.”
Chris and George also touched on the issue of suicide among men, noting that men who resort to suicide are men who have reached a dead end and feel that the only way through it is out. They emphasize that simply asking men to discuss their issues is insufficient. It is time for society to do better in terms of pouring resources to address men’s issues just as they do when it comes to issues affecting women and other groups.
“In simple terms, if a woman has a problem, we ask what can we do to fix society. If a man has a problem, we ask what can men do to fix themselves.”
If you are a man looking for a safe space to not only talk about men’s issues but also find solutions and support, mensgroup.com is a leading men-only support forum where men come together to find solutions to issues affecting the daily lives of men.
