New Macho Men: 5 Characteristics to Help You Identify Them
Despite the continuous changes society experiences, machismo attitudes prevail. Machismo is deeply rooted in different cultures and societies. There are still many beliefs that lead to the undervaluation of women that we must eradicate. In fact, some of them are masked behind certain subtlety and usually belong to new macho men. So what does new machismo consist of?
In Western societies, traditional machismo has been slowly disappearing. However, some people still defend the values that leave women in inferior positions to men. What’s more, they try to conceal them. Their arguments are more subtle but they’re still based on the erroneous idea that women are worthless. Let’s take a closer look at this.
What are the new macho men like?
As we mentioned above, new macho men still believe in the inferiority of women. Thus, they believe the classic macho ideas. However, their ideas are refined and less intense. In fact, even some women believe these ideas.
Even so, the new machismo isn’t based on a blind hate towards women like misogyny. It’s based simply on contempt towards women and on the belief that being a woman means being less valuable. In this regard, new macho men believe they should have less rights and less personal and professional development opportunities.
Next, we’ll explain some of the characteristics that people with new machismo attitudes share.
1. Condescending attitudes
A new macho man tends to take advantage of women. They do this because they believe that women aren’t as intelligent as men. For that reason, they address women in a simpler and more superficial way. Additionally, new macho men also think women aren’t responsible for their decisions and life in general.
2. New macho men promote traditional values
New macho men don’t explicitly express nor defend men’s supremacy over women. But they do show a certain longing for more traditional values that were prevalent in macho societies and cultures. For example, the vindication of women who only live for their partners without enjoying any type of freedom or individuality.
3. Frequently comment on women’s bodies
These type of men tend to make repeated comments about a woman’s physical appearance. This behavior rests on the fact that a woman’s appearance is important. It’s a fundamental factor in women, especially due to its relationship with reproductive value.
4. Constantly refer to women’s reproductive function
Another common habit among new macho men is constantly referring to a woman’s role in reproduction. It’s almost as if it were the principal objective in their lives. The foundation of this principle is that traditional societies limited women to domestic and nurturing roles. Meanwhile, men were responsible for the authoritative aspects of life.
Paradoxically, new macho men argue that we can’t limit men to a single attribute. However, the paradox is that they simultaneously value women only for their bodies and their direct relationship with reproduction. They express all this in subtle and masked ways.
5. New macho men criticize female leadership
New macho men think that women shouldn’t occupy high power positions. This is because leadership skills don’t fit the more traditional feminine ideal. Therefore, people with new machismo attitudes will be more sensitive to the mistakes women above them make.
As we’ve seen, despite the initiatives to promote equality among men and women, there are still myths to eradicate and rigid minds to fight. Although this list is only a small introduction to new machismo and those who practice it, we should remember that there are still many more characteristics that define macho men.