mas·cu·line

–adjective

[Origin: 1300–50; ME masculin < L mascul?nus, equiv. to mascul(us) male (m?s male + -culus -cule¹) + -?nus -ine¹]

—Synonyms 2. manly. See Male

The above was taken from Dictionary.com’s page on the definition for masculinity. Though- other than saying it has something to do with being a dude, who is usually strong or bold, it’s pretty vague on what it means to be masculine. And I a guy myself, I must admit, I’m a little stumped on what exactly it is. I mean, if you show me guys like Steve McQueen, or Charles Bronson- yeah, I’d have to say they seem pretty masculine, and many would be hard-pressed to disagree. Of course, looking at the AskMen.com release of the top 49 manly men of today- finding a common thread in the people picked by readers for the list, is considerably more complicated than one might think.

As reported by WENN (World Entertainment News Network):

Soccer superstar David Beckham has beaten off competition from actor Matt Damon to be named the Most Masculine Man Alive. The British hunk, who is married to Posh Spice Victoria Beckham, topped an online poll created by website AskMen.com. More than one million people took part in the vote to find the Top 49 Men today. Coming in third behind Beckham and Damon is rapper Timbaland, followed by tennis star Roger Federer and Justin Timberlake.

David Beckham, who has also missed a fair percentage of the games he’s been scheduled to play due to injuries sustained in practice, and, in a drastic change from usual American sports heroes, plays soccer (aka: what the rest of the world calls football). Matt Damon’s most recent claims for fame are as lethal assassin Jason Bourne from the series of movies carrying the same name, as well as being the prime comedic fodder in the Ocean’s 11,12,13 flicks. Timbaland is the hit-record making producer behind pretty much every dance-pop-rap-r&b act today, who can be seen dressed as a blue and pink clad cowboy in Doritos chip’s new add also featuring rapper Missy Elliot. Roger Federer is the top ranked male tennis player today. And if you don’t know who Justin Timberlake is- you probably don’t have a TV/radio/computer, in which case- it’s unlikely you’re reading this now.

So what is masculinity? Other than having the requisite equipment downstairs, is it being the best in your field, like Federer and Timbaland? Is it the ability to be serious when the time is called for, but still have a funny side, like Damon? Is it being able to bring attention to something just by having your name attached to it, like Beckham? Does it have anything to do with appearance? It only gets more confusing and convoluted for us guys from here…

Maybe it’s just me, but when your top ranked manly man in the world is known for having prissy model looks, being only fair at his particular craft, and is roughly the same size as his former pop starlet wife who is now famous just for looking like a coat-hanger in need of a bra- something has changed considerably in the definition of being manly. Being a kid growing up in the 80s, unquestionably a time for the promotion of Alpha Males (biggest childhood hero was a guy named He-Man for cripes sake), the messages being sent on what it is to be a good man have been considerably mixed.

It’s evidenced in recent movies as male romantic leads have become considerably more accessable to the over/under-weight, slovenly, lazy, unmotivated, socially awkward,(but funny) guys. And for action movies, gone are the days when the Arnolds, Slys, Willis (ok, he’s still doing pretty well), and their ilk dominated the screens. Who was the star of one of the biggest action blockbusters this past year- former Disney star Shia LeBeouf (aided by a massive amount of special effects).

The Beta Male has taken the spot light.

And much of it has to do with the rise of the Alpha Female.

The second-generation feminists – that is, women in their twenties and thirties – have found a new way to solve the alpha-beta paradox. The 21st century sisters have a terrifyingly clear agenda when it comes to finding a mate. They map out their life plans early: rise to the top of their chosen career, get the smart house, the cute kids and curl up in bed with a loving beta male. The alpha girl doesn’t need Mr Alpha to sweep her off her feet and buy her a condo in town; she has enough money to do that herself. She is successful, confident and she wants a caring man who can pick up some of the domestic slack.

And apparently it’s not just nurture that’s removing the male-ness from being a male. Nature itself seems to be breeding it out of us.

Most men can expect their testosterone levels to drop by about 1 percent a year beginning in their 50s. So a man in his 70s might have only half the testosterone he had when he was 25. But researchers behind the Massachusetts Male Aging Study–which has been tracking behavioral and physiological traits for 1,709 men born between 1916 and 1945–noticed something strange. Men born more recently had T levels that were surprisingly low. The 60-year-old in 2003 had about 15 percent less testosterone than the 60-year-old in 1988, according to Thomas G. Travison, Ph.D., lead author of the testosterone study. Sixty was looking like the new 70. Had something happened? Could we be in the middle of some broad biological or environmental change affecting all men simultaneously?

Across the board the message seems clear- men, for whatever we are, are not going to be what we were.

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