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Thursday March 28, 2024

Adnan Malik wants to 'reappraise what it means to be a man'

Coming from a man hailing form an industry that widely describes what it means to be a man, Adnan Malik's Instagram post came as a breath of fresh air as he welcomed the male members of the society to reexamine and unlearn all that they have been fed about the word ‘masculine.’

By Web Desk
May 04, 2019

Pakistan’s famed actor Adnan Malik has stepped forth shedding light on an issue not widely discussed in the country: Toxic masculinity.

Coming from a man hailing form an industry that widely describes what it means to be a man, the Cake actor’s Instagram post came as a breath of fresh air as he welcomed the male members of the society to reexamine and unlearn all that they have been fed about the word ‘masculine.’

“There are so many debates about the ethos of masculinity these days. Men, in general, are threatened by a rising tide of assertive, boundary-defining women who have had enough of the casual misogyny that has defined the gender politics of the 20th century (and of course much longer as well- but who reads history? And that’s another conversation),” he stated.

“With powerful (and I say welcome) movements like #metoo and #timesup, I think we as men really need to reappraise what it means to “men” and “masculine”, he added.

Speaking of his own experiences encountering and getting bullied for not fitting the impeccable image of what it is to be a man, Adnan states: “While growing up I was teased for being sensitive. When my newly-testosterone-fuelled classmates in middle school went around stomping ants nests, I remember being so angry at their self-centered-ness, as if they had to express their dominance over everything around them to feel like “men”.

I had other things going for me. I was also an excellent sportsman, liked by the ladies because I was respectful (and goofy), had good enough grades and essentially had parents who were kind and thoughtful and raised me with the values of living in harmony with the world around me,” he stated.

“They never wanted me to be the alpha, hyper-sexualised, mega-successful man that so many unfortunate young boys are pressured into emulating. I was told to be “me”, to find my “own truth”. I learnt to believe that being vulnerable, and having integrity and being kind and listening to other people and being respectful of women and seeking their consent in all decisions pertaining to them was the way that I could grow into becoming a “man”,” he added further.

“Stick to what you believe in. Trust in your sensitivity. It’s your strength,” he said while concluding the post.