A Canadian columnist is facing a blogsophere backlash after writing an op-ed in which she lamented what she perceives as an increase in physical affection between heterosexual men.
In the Dec. 10 edition of Toronto's National Post, Christie Blatchford calls Toronto the "city of sissies," and after noting that she lives "surrounded by gay men, who, like most women, I adore as a group," adds:
But holy smokes, I am wearying of the male as delicate creature. I am wearying of men who are so frequently in touch with their feminine side they, not to mention me, have lost sight of the masculine one. I'm just plain sick of hugs, giving and getting, from just about anyone, but particularly man-to-man hugs.
And the novelty of being the toughest guy in the room -- and by this I mean me -- is getting really old.
She attributes this perceived increase in Toronto's "metrosexuality" to the local push for anti-bullying laws:
I remain convinced that the best way to stop a bully is not to go mewling to the teacher, who will only call the victim’s mummy, or to your own mummy, who will only call the teacher. The best way is to take the bully out for a short pounding after school -- and may I make it plain, please, that I don’t mean the victims should do this, but rather others. The onus for stopping bullies lies not with the people being bullied, but with those who see it happen.
Readers have responded to Blatchford's article by forming a Facebook event, "Christie Blatchford Needs A Hug," which, according to the site, runs through Jan. 31, 2012. "She should pause before looking a gift-horse in the mouth," one user writes in one of the more publishable comments. "Really, though, her advice is to pulverize the bully? That is the best she can offer in the way of addressing hatred, cruelty, meanness, tyranny, and injustice?"
Writes another: "If anything, [many] of the so-called 'masculine' traits she espouses are oftentimes nothing more than superficial veneers put up by people with deep-seated insecurities that have been gnawing at their core for years. So many men suffer trying to live up to a non-sensical stereotypical image that's marketed as the epitome of masculinity, when it's nothing more than foolishly chasing after a mirage."