When we walked into school on the morning of 6 November, we exchanged quick glances with the other girls in our social circle – looks filled with uncertainty and dread about the future.... [A]s we walked to our first period classes... we noticed a very different attitude among our male peers. Subtle high-fives were exchanged and remarks about the impending success of the next four years were whispered around. It didn’t make much sense....
An increased interest in pursuing the ideal masculine appearance by going to the gym and the creation of new male-dominated social activities like the infamous exclusive poker nights had seemed innocent and had been easy to write off as typical boyhood behavior. But now all that seemed as if it was just the beginning of a new wave of male conservatism that was infiltrating our school.
Obsession with achieving a more muscular body through excessive exercise and intense dieting fueled by ridiculous social media campaigns fell far outside the realm of healthy self-care. And the desire to socialize only with other boys stood in stark contrast to the co-ed activities we were accustomed to since childhood.
It hadn’t taken long for this focus on machismo to creep into these boys’ mindsets and conversations.
I think she's saying there was a growing masculinity — beginning when? — but she and her girlfriends just suddenly noticed it when they came back to school the day after the election. Or maybe the masculinity that was there all along just looked newly ominous in the light of the Trump victory.
I'm fascinated by her disapproval of the boys who are keeping and building their fitness. Perhaps this has something to do with the obesity trend in America: It's what girls want!
Seemingly harmless disrespectful comments with witty undertones toward girls became commonplace, and feelings of traditional male dominance started to sneak back into our friend groups....
Just in the last week? Wow. Imagine if Trump has the power to make males manly again. MMMA. And these "feelings of traditional male dominance" — who is feeling them, the boys or the girls? Are the girls so crushed at Trump's victory that they look around at their male classmates and ascribe dominance to them? What were all the songs and stories about female empowerment for if it doesn't work when confronted with a challenge... or, worse, if it crumples at the very idea that there could be a challenge? You're bothered by "disrespectful comments with witty undertones" now? What about all those movies where the girls top the disrespectful comments with sharper, snappier comments?
While these are just observations within our own high school, we believe that this is happening across the country.
I was going to make a disrespectful comment with witty undertones, but I'm not a boy. I'll just say this piece needs better evidence and reason.
Young, well-off white boys from liberal families are being tempted by conservatism simply to protect an archaic idea of masculinity that guarantees them inherent power....
How do you know?
How do we ensure that young boys practice critical thinking...
It's not as if you've been a model of critical thinking. How about just talking to the boys, getting some back and forth going, and enjoying debate with each other? That's my idea, possibly very old fashioned. You shouldn't want to "ensure" that anybody think in a particular way. Critical thinking is good, but there's also a place for "witty undertones."
... instead of falling victim to Trump’s rhetoric with its focus on recommitting to gender stereotypes that we believed had finally been eradicated?...
Why'd you believe something like that? Explain transgenderism in a hypothetical world of eradicated gender stereotypes. If you don't want to, I don't think you're really interested in critical thinking.
Boys in our school as young as eight are beginning to exhibit these same misogynistic tendencies that we never remember noticing when we were their age....
Maybe work on your memory and your power of perception.
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Have NY schools stopped drugging boys? There was the trendy medical study endorsed conclusion boys should be medicated to make school more palatable for gurls and the teachers who really, really love them. Guess that died out?
What exactly is a ‘liberal school’ anyways? I think we used to call them ‘schools’…
“When we walked into school on the morning of 6 November, we exchanged quick glances with the other girls in our social circle – looks filled with uncertainty and dread about the future.... “
They had the dread first thing in the morning after the election? Maybe 99% of the issues are in their perception.
Seems strikingly factual. We must silence Joe Rogan! Do it for the children!
Lurves me a Guardian fantasy piece.
Remember Penthouse Letters ? That's where supposedly bland office clerks would write in with tales of wild encounters "Then my girlfriend's mother stopped by wearing a low cut dress with her massive 38DDs straining at every button. It wasn't long before she was on her knees gnawing on my fully erect knob".
Yea, we all knew those were fakes written by the magazine's staff.
Guardian articles are equally bogus.
that we never remember noticing
When you start looking for a thing, you suddenly start noticing that thing.
Is there not enough trouble to stir up in their own country?
Seems like girls were getting quite lazy in regards to not thinking critically about the almost suffocating presence of girl power ("you go, girl") in movies and tv shows. In any male/female law enforcement or military partnership, it has usually been the female who runs faster, tackles the suspect (enemy), and cuffs him. My husband and I recently watched a Jessica Alba movie called 'Trigger Warning' and it almost became a comedy with as unrealistically bad ass the slim Jessica's character was in bringing down all the bad guys.
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face…
This is the paper that regularly prints the deranged fantasies of Robert Reich.
The cycle is coming back, the pendulum is swinging back. Boys want to be boys again. Men want to be men again, without accusations of being toxic or rapists.
We have spent decades drugging and demonizing our young boys and simply turning our grown men into one of two characters: serial rapists or bumbling clowns who can only get by with the help of their wives/girlfriends/daughters/or helpful Lesbian passing by.
In schools, on TV, in network programming, in product ads.
We mostly said nothing, as we watched entire generations of boys and men turned into Betas, or women.
And now, through natural selection, boys are deciding among themselves, that- yeah- they prefer being males. Growing up to be men. To be productive and strong, not dependent and whiny. For our society as a whole, it would be a much needed shot in the arm. For the industries that make their living on All Things Women, well...you're just going to have to deal with the fact that women can succeed even as men succeed. You don't need to promote them each hour of everyday for them to move forward in life.
The article reeks of "But Trump!"
"Trump’s rhetoric with its focus on recommitting to gender stereotypes"
One can apparently say absolutely anything about Donald Trump, and it can simply be assumed to be true. "Without evidence" is the phrase, I believe. Can anyone give me a single example that verifies the quoted phrase?
There could be something to this. Conservatives learned over the last 10 to 15 years to keep their heads down and mouths shut lest they be cancelled and to accept all the toxic masculinity crap. While us adults knew this was not a normal course of events, it would be the entire life experience for a high school boy. The pushback of the campaign, plus the "yuge" victory, is probably pretty liberating for teenage boys.
At the same time, teenage liberal girls have never been anything but the apex predators, able to strike down their opponents (at least the male ones) with a single baseless accusation and with zero push back on their wolrd views. The toppling of this probably does result in a feeling of dread.
the elephant in the room is the role the school played in all this nonsense. What I read in Alhouses post is some debate, free speech, would have gone a long way to bring all this out.
My perception of schools and what is taught there now is pretty negative. Free speech doesn't exist. Speech based on race, or color, or a narrative is all that is allowed. and that speech for decades has been anti male.
If teachers and schools were pro free speech, none of this would even be an issue
Speaking of schools, here is Hillsdale College's response to the "safe spaces and self-care" shows put on by the Ivy schools:
"Our post-election plan for students? Classes. We are holding classes as usual."
Have you heard about the kerfuffle involving Britiah journalist Allison Pearson? https://x.com/AllisonPearson
Seems the Guardian made a fake X account. That account says something racist. They reported the real person to the police who arrested her. Something near like that at least. So The Guarsian does seem to know a bit about intimidating women it disagrees with
The article starts out by the writer expressing her fears about access to abortion and contraception. She apparently isn’t aware that it has only been through efforts by Republicans that the latter is available over the counter. She seems also unaware that if she maintains her attitude towards males, she will have no need for abortion services.
At the end the Guardian has a note:
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask if you would consider supporting the Guardian’s work during our most important annual fundraising appeal.
Not if this is the sort of drivel you publish.
I was going to say something similar, with a bit of snark, but I like your take better.
Next thing you know the boys will be pulling the tampon machines out of the boy's bathrooms! The horror.
The article does look as though it was written by ChatGPT, doesn’t it?
Anyone who thinks this was really written by a high school senior raise your hand. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Some of my favorite AI trailers are bodybuilding riffs of fantasy properties. "Harry Squatter", with Dumbledore advising the students on protein powders; or LotR with a super buff Legolas the elf. "One does not simply walk into Mordor...after leg day."
I assume the memes represent a zeitgeist. Weight lifting is popular. And yes, Eowyn is also buffed. These nervous girls at school should try it.
I find it totally believable that a random high school kid noticed this effect, wrote a detailed column relating it to longer term societal trends, pitched it to a British newspaper, had it reviewed, edited, and published in perfect Guardian-worldview language, all within ten days.
The excepts at least sure seem to be third person observation trying to masquerade as first person.
Of course, there is also puberty and the behavioral Changes this it brings about in both sexes.
There's some writing talent there, and "Anonymous" deserves credit for striking while the iron is hot because it's far too soon to write about the infighting over the theme for this year's senior prom.
The Grauniad has long been a source of leftist fiction. The editorial staff "We" is a giveaway to the propaganda narrative.
My eyes rolled so hard I'm stuck looking at the ceiling.
And today is the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul! Face punches tonight on Netflix!
Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit! That is the voice and diction of no teenage girl EVER, particularly not in the age of texting and social media. A "just so" story for the gullible.
just wait until Jan! when Trump is IN power, and they find out that they are human chattel, to be bought and sold in the dating marketplace!
Even metrosexuals are manly now, and women are glad of it?
I take the Guardian's narrative on evolving sexual roles about as seriously as this silly, yet ubiquitous commercial.
She doesn’t sound like a teenage girl. At a minimum, she’s been coached. It wouldn’t surprise me if an investigation revealed she’s a “composite.”
Forget it Jake. It's the Grauniad.
I have been a high school teacher since the 1970's. From urban inner city schools to expensive private high schools schools. I'm here to tell you that no senior high school girl wrote that. They just didn't.
Boys who have just gone through puberty appear more masculine. Heh.
A "subtle high-five" seem like an oxymoron, doesn't it?
I read somewhere that one of the people to thank for Trump’s victory is Greta Gerwig and her movie “Barbie” because, although this was not her intent presumably, it celebrated traditional masculinity in its depiction of the character Ken and his comical embrace of the “Patriarchy”. This article seems like a take-off on that.
What a pant load. This is either pure fiction or some teenage girl, her imagination, and an afternoon with ChatGPT.
Just shake your head, your eyes are stuck.
There's a reason why the expression "She says 'No, No' but means 'Yes, Yes'" came into being a very long time ago. Women sometimes indeed struggle to sort out contradictory thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Puberty and sex hormones lead to highly predictable outcomes. Children go through distinct phases and...periods...as they change, but evolution points aggressively to eventual mating and reproduction.
Good point.
Ann said: "Wow. Imagine if Trump has the power to make males manly again. MMMA."
NO MA'AM (National Organization of Men Against Amazonian Masterhood) an anti-feminist group founded by Al Bundy
https://marriedwithchildren.fandom.com/wiki/NO_MA%27AM
The Simpsons can't get all the credit for prescience by [Fox] sitcoms
Good Lord! Boys being boys? Whatever next?
At liberal schools, they have first period classes. The boys are taught how to use their tampons.
They just cut off the boys balls now.
Have they been issued their red cloaks and white hats yet?
These girls were warned about what would happen if Trump won. Welcome to Democracy girls, where the majority rules what will happen to you.
Before you move on, I wanted to ask if you would consider supporting the Guardian’s work during our most important annual fundraising appeal."
Sorry, no. I'm saving up for an abortion.
New York's Hudson Valley — a "mostly liberal" place, we're told.
That's where I live, and my county just voted for Trump for the third time in a row.
If it's the Guardian, then the man who wrote this is definitely dating an underage schoolgirl.
“Betas” I read that initially as “Betos”! As in O’Rourke
I ran it through a checker and yes, it's ChatGPT.
This reminds me very much of those pieces we see from time to time, of some celebrity's 3 year-old saying something profoundly philosophical on some burning social issue, using the vocabulary and speaking style of their mother. Kids, eh? They always surprise you.
No 16-year old sophomore talks this way. They can barely form complete sentences.
My 8th grader says that on their field trip last week a bunch of boys started a Trump chant on the bus after they saw a massive sign. But many girls joined in too. Sounds like regular middle school boy behavior.
Mikee: Fight was last night. Tyson lost.
"The article does look as though it was written by ChatGPT, doesn’t it?"
I went to ChatGPT and then to Grok and used this prompt: "Write a 1000-word column from the perspective of a high-school senior who is female and liberal and comes back to school the day after the 2024 election and feels afraid of the boys in her class who seem to have changed into something more sexist than they had been before Trump won."
I won't copy the long responses but feel free to use my promo.
I asked ChatGPT, "How are teenage girls in New York's Hudson Valley reacting to the changes in their male classmates in the wake of Trump's victory?" and here's what it came up with:
In the aftermath of Donald Trump's recent election victory, teenage girls in New York's Hudson Valley have observed notable changes in their male classmates' behavior and attitudes. Many young women report an increase in politically charged discussions and a shift in social dynamics within their schools.
Some female students have expressed concerns about a rise in assertive or confrontational behavior among male peers, attributing it to the political climate. This has led to heightened tensions and a sense of unease in classroom interactions.
Conversely, other young women have noticed a surge in political engagement among their male classmates, with more boys participating in debates and expressing their views on current events. While this has fostered a more politically aware environment, it has also introduced challenges in maintaining respectful and inclusive dialogues.
Overall, the reactions among teenage girls in the Hudson Valley are mixed, reflecting a complex interplay of increased political awareness and evolving social dynamics in the wake of the election.
My all male Jesuit high school taught us to be men.
For different perspectives on male-female issues, see The Free Press - two interesting pieces published yesterday (11/15): "Meet the Women with AI Boyfriends" by Julia Steinberg, a senior at Stanford University, so probably 21 or 22 years old, and "Stop Saying Dating Is Terrible." Kat Rosenfield, age 42, uses several references to the 1989 rom-com "When Harry Met Sally" to make her points in the latter piece.
https://www.thefp.com/
The pathetic state of 'journalism' today. Publish a crap article then bolster it with a plea for a contribution. The once high and mighty "power of the pen" profession has been reduced to mere street buskers.
Maybe Taylor Swift could pen a song, along the lines of that oldie: "Just One Kiss." Just one vote, that's all it took.
How dare you challenge the authenticity of the Guardian! All women (well, good ones) feel this way when confronted with the hideous strength of the patriarchy. I checked with Alexa.
Trump’s YMCA dance is far more effective than I ever suspected.
"this piece needs better evidence and reason" LOL. Funny. But love the fisking. Not sure of the HS authenticity, but sounds like true Graudian.
"But now all that seemed as if it was just the beginning of a new wave of male conservatism that was infiltrating our school. "
Infiltrations! Oh no! Call the mind crime police.
Lincoln emancipated the slaves. Trump emancipated the bros. And he didn't need any amendments to the Constitution to do it.
"How do we ensure that young boys practice critical thinking..."(?)
Lately, 'critical thinking' has become a cover phrase for Critical Theory.
Would it were true. Men are back again and toxic as ever. Time to buy stock in York Bar Bell Company.
I blame Peterson and Rogan for the restoration of the Human Race’s self esteem.
To add to what Michaële said at 6:30…” suffocating presence of girl power”— this x 100. Take a look at the t shirts and tops that say, Target markets to young girls — “it’s a girl’s world,” “play like a girl”, “girl power”, etc etc…and women in public spaces seem to talk endlessly about themselves and their own experiences …because self regard has somehow come to be seen as “empowering”. There was bound to be a backlash. I often wondered, what would it look like if men were as “out there” ? What if they went around touting all their accomplishments on t shorts and bumper stickers? “if you have indoor plumbing, thank a man” …”men: problem solvers since day one”…
There seems to be this ginormous mass sigh of relief since the election— like, we can come out now! We don’t have to pretend anymore to be awestruck by the latest histrionic “historic first” announced by a prominent female. Though I shouldn’t limit that last observation to women— I really think what we’re seeing is a stake in the heart of identity politics, and the townsfolk are pouring into the town square in spontaneous exhuberation.
Of all the things that never happened in New York's Hudson Valley, this never happened the most.
Filed under Fantasy. Just like Whoopie's bakery story this didn't happen.
If I hadn't been told, I would've assumed this "Student" was a college student from a fairly elite university, and not a HS student. But who knows, maybe she's going to rich preppie elite HS and she's the daughter of a Guardian Editor. Assuming the whole isn't fake - which is what it sounds like.
Because in my HS, and daughters HS, nobody gave a damn about "the election". And boys and girls were more interested in dating each other, than in fighting each other.
So, what is the "Guardians" game here? What are they trying to? Obviously galvanize Feminists to oppose Trump by making him the "The Bro President". All those awful macho boys, with their swagger and shirts stained with sweat and automotive grease, are Trumpers. These cave men want to put "the girls" back in the kitchen. Better send more money to the Democrat party girls, and get ready to join the resistance. Do you have pussy hat ready?
And if HS girls are attracted to flabby bodies and a meek persona, I would've quit the football team, and started eating ice cream for breakfast. If only I'd knew!
Hand her a cat and tell her to calm down.
What the? Do the corrupt left have anything better to do?
Here's a top X response to what is going on in toxic-Radical Left Briton
https://x.com/IoWBobSeely/status/1857492503156416735
"My gut feeling is the British people (real people, not the twittersphere or the Guardian reading classes or BBC journos) are fed-up & angry that taxpayer cash is being spend on woke, hard-left, ideologically-driven garbage. They want police to police criminals, not opinions."
Wait…. You’re saying those weren’t real letters?
Being a retired teacher, I remain active on teacher forums. The day after the election, these "Just so" stories started getting posted. They read like fan-fiction. Teacher forums lean liberal, so it was interesting that most commenters called bull shit on the anecdotes or said something like, "That's weird, most of my students didn't mention or even seem to know that there was an election."
The fraught language gives it away. There are quick glances, dread, and whispering. Always lots of whispering. What does a subtle high-five look like?
What are the Hudson Valley school girls worried about? It's New York, they can still get abortions, but they won't have to face penises in the girls locker room or getting beaten by a mid boy who decided to compete in a sport against girls.
To sum it up, boys are eating clean, going to the gym, trying to be helpful lab partners and aren't spending as much time with dreadful girls who are always glancing around.
I can’t help but think there are girls/women whose reaction is “about damn time.” Not in the Guardian, of course.
It sounds to me that this high school has an excellent creative writing program.
Althouse write, "What were all the songs and stories about female empowerment for if it doesn't work when confronted with a challenge..."
The key is empowerment. It means that girls have no power within, it must be given to them by some external agency (one may read that as government and popular culture working in lockstep) and that power consists of the elements of manliness. That can only be done by suppressing manliness in boys through intimidation and punishment, and encouraging manly behavior in girls by example, primarily via superhero fantasy movies, and reward.
...ostensibly written by a girl who is a senior in a high school in New York's Hudson Valley —
"...Boys in our school as young as eight "
Since when do 8 year olds attend High School?
If they want to self-identify, I say let them, so we know to avoid them.
I'd put my money on this being written by a middle-aged cat lady who's biggest regret is never having had an abortion.
They tossed out Tim Walz as their example of masculinity. What did you expect the feminazi's to think??
The racist toxic View Hags need to be fired.
Perfect Take-down by Tyrus
And yet, the Guardian hasn't even noticed that their own country is now Fascist, locking people up for thought and speech crimes. Odd how they notice some things and miss others.
High school seniors who can write are stressing over early admissions for college right now. This essay was nowhere near a high school girl.
Suddenly the boys were happier than usual.
Oh the horrors.
okay, i finished my Drachinifel 5 min guide (414) to HMS Lightning, and was able to (finally!) do the morning's reading..
Key thing from this girl's story (ASSUMING, for the sake of argument, that it was true)
Because we are applying to colleges all around the country..
Access to abortion and contraception, protection of the environment, and the growing hate and violence toward marginalized groups..
so (ASSUMING, for the sake of argument, that it was true), then this girl is a HS senior, that is DESPERATE to get into A GOOD COLLEGE. If we take this letter (ASSUMING, for the sake of argument, that it was true), as a College entrance essay (to Vassar, or Bryn Mar, or Oberlin), then (ASSUMING, for the sake of argument, that it was true) the article makes MUCH MORE SENSE.
of course, IF we try shaving its armpits with Occam's Razor, it is MUCH MORE Likely that it was written by an Teacher. One way, or the other; it was clearly the work of an El Ed major.
"looks filled with uncertainty and dread about the future." Oh good grief. What a bunch of whining karens to be. How about this, pull your collective heads out of your asses, take a deep breath, and join the real world. First, since this is authored by "anonymous" and in the guardian, the veracity of the article is immediately suspect. Barring that, your parents have failed you in having indoctrinated you with liberal pablum. As well, your "school", such as it is has also failed you abysmally so, for the same reason. Because of this you have an immense task before you and the recent political winds have nothing to do with it. So, suck it up buttercups you are all on the cusp of an education in reality and your liberal tropes are about to be obliterate by that same reality. I hope you're up to the task. You will be better people and citizens in the end.
Is it time to paint it ?
The Guardian creates a template for feminist agitprop, 2024-2028. The hive minds of the media will get the message. The theme of the Guardian as a whole is that the morally transcendent hamster wheel of endless progress requires the strong to relinquish strength and surrender to the State.
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