During a recent episode of the IMO podcast, former President Barack Obama, joined by Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, made headlines with a controversial suggestion: that young men “don’t need sports,” but instead need “gay mentors” and shouldn’t aspire to be providers.
While cloaked in academic phrasing, the underlying message is clear — yet another progressive attempt to rewrite what it means to be a man, by detaching boys from time-tested values, traditional roles, and biological truths. This isn’t cultural evolution. It’s ideological overreach — and it’s dangerous.
Masculinity Isn’t the Enemy. It’s the Foundation.
Let’s be honest: masculinity, properly formed, doesn’t harm society — it holds it up. The role of men as protectors and providers is not an outdated construct. It’s how humanity has survived and thrived for millennia.
Masculinity doesn’t diminish femininity. It complements and safeguards it. That balance — not erasure — is what holds civilizations together.
Sports Don’t Just Entertain. They Educate.
The Obamas may dismiss sports as unnecessary, but for countless boys, athletics offer something far deeper than competition: structure, accountability, and identity. The court and the field are where young men learn discipline, grit, humility, teamwork, and resilience.
These are not “toxic” values. They’re the same qualities that built nations, won wars, and raised honorable men. From the Olympics in ancient Greece to Friday night football, physical challenge has long served as a rite of passage. Strip that away, and boys don’t become better. They become lost.
Mentorship Is Crucial — But Let’s Be Honest About What Kind
Of course boys need mentors. But the solution isn’t to reinvent them. It’s to reintroduce real ones — men who lead by example, who demand more through tough love, not soft platitudes. The military understands this. So do great coaches, tradesmen, and fathers.
Mentorship should strengthen boys, not erase the very traits that help them become stable, confident, responsible men.
Biology Isn’t a Social Construct
Masculinity isn’t a vibe or a stereotype. It’s anchored in biology. Testosterone isn’t a flaw to be managed — it’s a natural design that prepares men for leadership, competition, and sacrifice.
Throughout human history, men have filled high-risk, high-responsibility roles — not for power, but out of duty. Even today, the vast majority of military, law enforcement, and blue-collar labor roles are filled by men. That’s not patriarchy. That’s biology in action.
Stop Apologizing for Male Purpose
Providing isn’t toxic. It’s noble. When we tell boys they don’t need to provide, we’re not liberating them — we’re making them irrelevant. A man’s purpose isn’t rooted in dominance. It’s rooted in contribution.
When men stop contributing, families fracture, crime rises, and purpose disappears. History is full of examples — from the fall of Rome to modern urban decline — where emasculation preceded societal collapse.
You Can’t Re-Educate Nature
Pretending you can “talk” boys out of their natural instincts is as foolish as trying to coach lions into being housecats. You don’t improve society by taming masculinity. You strengthen it by channeling it.
And when you remove masculine structure — from homes, schools, and culture — you don’t get enlightened young men. You get directionless boys, ripe for addiction, nihilism, and anger.
Weakening Men Weakens Nations
This isn’t about politics. It’s about survival. The infrastructure we rely on, the wars we’ve fought, and the freedoms we enjoy were made possible by men steeped in traditional masculine virtues: courage, endurance, sacrifice.
Undermining those values — under the guise of “progress” — doesn’t build a better future. It erodes the foundation of the one we have.
Why the Left Keeps Losing Men
The political fallout is already clear. In 2024, President Donald Trump saw a massive shift among male voters. He led President Biden 55–43 among men. Young Black and Latino men turned away from Democrats in record numbers.
Why? Because phrases like “The Future is Female” and endless identity politics left men feeling disposable. When masculinity is treated like a pathology, don’t be surprised when men stop listening.
Now Democrats are scrambling to reverse course with a $20 million “Speaking to American Men” campaign. But men don’t need marketing. They need meaning.
Masculinity Isn’t the Problem. Weakness Is.
The effort to reinvent men isn’t noble. It’s suicidal. A strong, stable nation doesn’t come from blurring gender roles. It comes from honoring what each gender brings — and raising men who are prepared to protect, build, and provide.
Strength is not shameful. It’s essential. Masculinity, when forged with integrity, uplifts everyone. If we want our culture to thrive, we don’t need to cancel manhood.
We need to reclaim it.
