Action star and martial artist Michael Jai White, best known for playing the lead role of Al Simmons in the 1990s film Spawn, hit the nail on the head when he told podcast host Joe Rogan that American boys today are far too soft. Liberalism has turned masculinity into some kind of filthy disease and has vilified natural displays of manliness as “toxic,” leaving young boys soft and delicate.
In days of old, societies marked the passage into manhood with rites that forced young men to face trials requiring intestinal fortitude, inherent strength, and self-control. Modern liberals now frown upon these traits because they want men docile, complacent, and easily controlled. When has a so-called “safe” man ever accomplished anything great or pushed civilization forward? Rebel-rousing conquerors, not timid rule-followers, have always driven real progress.
“That’s another thing that’s sad about the United States: We’re not making men anymore,” White told Rogan while discussing rites of passage for men in other countries, citing Australia and New Zealand as examples.
“Not a lot of them,” Rogan replied in agreement. “When they are, they stand out.”
White also argued that Hollywood now casts non-Americans to play the “American alpha male.” “It’s very rarely an American. It’s such a trip, man,” he said. The point rings true. Take Jason Statham as an example. He has built a career playing essentially the same tough-guy role, and audiences keep showing up. Why? Because men—especially American men—hunger for unapologetic displays of masculinity in heroes they can admire.
Rogan agreed with White that American culture has “demonized” masculinity “over the last couple of decades.” White, a former schoolteacher, said he witnessed the beginning of that trend firsthand.
“I was right on the forefront, seeing, like, everybody gets a trophy,” the 58-year-old said of participation awards. “These kids, you know, it’s about their self-esteem, and you’ve got to protect that. I’m like, ‘Come on.’ And taking away competition? I saw the beginning of that.”
White pointed out that participation-trophy culture has left kids unable to handle losing. I would add that it also leaves boys ill-equipped to face the ordinary adversity life inevitably throws their way. Without learning how to endure hardship and overcome failure, White warned, “they end up shooting a classroom.”
White, who also appeared in The Dark Knight, told Rogan that his athletic career took off when he beat one of the fastest runners on his high school track team. Track later taught him lessons he applied directly to martial arts training.
“Nowhere is there a benefit like cutting off fractions of seconds in movement like track,” he explained. “As far as efficiency of motion, all the things I had to do with track, I started applying in fighting. And that’s what kind of gave me cheat codes into things—being super-efficient really helped.” Martial arts are a great way to cultivate true masculinity for boys. It teaches you respect, discipline, and self-control. All characteristics one needs to be a real man and not some frat-boy caricature of masculinity that you often see portrayed on television.
America is suffering from a masculinity crisis, and if the culture fails to correct course soon, the unraveling of the Western way of life will follow close behind.
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