Lovely Shadows After the Rally: Did I Just Witness a Celebration of Masculinity?

When the warriors return from their conquests in distant wars,

the women of the village emerge to cheer their procession, showering them with laurels, praise, and adulation.

This happy duty performed, they return to the halls of feasting for drink and celebration.

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There is something primitive and tribal going on here.

Something I found interesting about Tuesday's rally for the New England Patriots after their Super Bowl victory: a large majority of the people who packed into the city to celebrate were young women. Many were children, who took the day off from school to cheer on these burly, coarse sports heroes. (Presumably they didn't get the memo that Kamala Harris would like to arrest them for cutting class.)

In an era awash with accusations of "Toxic Masculinity" and condemnations of the "Patriarchy," this was a celebration of aggressive manhood which, in other circumstances (a college campus or a corporate boardroom, say) would have been derided as demeaning if not downright criminal.

I didn't hear any women demanding better representation on football teams or calling for the introduction of quotas so their gender would be better represented in sport. They seemed happy to remain on the sidelines, presenting themselves as eager, supportive fans.

Perhaps there is still a place for maleness in the modern world: construction sites, armies, and sports teams come to mind.

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