22-04-2025
Men stand at the pinnacle of politics, business and culture. Why are they so angry?
Businessweek
The Man Meltdown
Won't somebody please think of the men? Actually, it turns out that men, their needs and insecurities are getting an awful lot of attention these days. From the 'manosphere' of bro podcasters partially credited with reelecting Donald Trump to the worrying decline in male enrollment rates at colleges to all the buzz about Netflix's powerful four-part youth crime drama Adolescence, men and their problems are (again) at the white-hot center of cultural discourse.
But while masculinity is back in fashion and remains at the pinnacle of global finance, politics and culture, men are still deeply troubled about their place in the world. Data shows that boys and young men are struggling in school and are not well positioned for jobs in growing industries. They're also desperately searching for new role models and fashion icons. And in the most undignified blow, men are having to make room on a perch they once throughly dominated: the bench press at the local gym.
Who's thinking of the men? With this special section of Bloomberg Businessweek, someone finally is.
Building a Better Manosphere
From the Oval Office to online spaces, hyperaggressive manhood is ascendant. But the impulses drawing young men to the manosphere suggest they're after something else.
— Rachel Giese
'16 percentage points'
The average US boy at age 5 is 16 percentage points less likely to be school-ready than the average girl
Eight Charts Show Men Are Falling Behind, From Classrooms to Careers
The data on how men and boys have fallen behind and on the work opportunities they're missing.
— Klara Auerbach
Why Adolescence Struck a Nerve
Co-creator Jack Thorne talks about social media's role in real—and imagined—teenage angst.
— Brad Stone and Reyhan Harmanci
EVOLUTION OF THE ALPHA MALE AESTHETIC
IF YOU'VE NOTICED A CERTAIN LOOK COMMON TO THE MANOSPHERE, YOU'RE NOT MISTAKEN. A VISUAL IDENTITY HAS TAKEN HOLD, WITH ROOTS THAT TRACE BACK DECADES
— Derek Guy
Why US Men Think College Isn't Worth It Anymore
Rising tuition, the spread of more traditional ideas of masculinity on social media and a desire for an immediate income are working together to set boys on a different path.
— Francesca Maglione
The Guy Who Connected Donald Trump to the Manosphere
John Shahidi is a big part of why young men turned out to vote for Trump.
— Sarah Frier
As More Women Lift Weights, Gyms Might Never Be the Same
Crunch, Planet Fitness and other chains struggle to add strength training fast enough for new cohort of patrons.
— Redd Brown
