Sommers rejects the "males-are-toxic ideology" expressed in the trailer and suggests 5 ways in which the final documentary, due out later this year, could be improved to more accurately reflect "masculinity" and "how boys' nature can be distinctly good." Here are her suggestions (although we urge readers to read her full Time article or watch her 3-minute video below):
- Recognize that masculinity is more than a "mask" — much of the typical boy behavior, such as rough-and-tumble play, risk taking and fascination with gadgets rather than dolls, appears to have a basis in biology.
- Appreciate the difference between healthy and pathological masculinity — healthy masculinity is enjoying the mayhem in games and sports, protecting and defending vulnerable people, and to build; pathological masculinity is bent on destroying, bullying, and preying on the weak.
- Acknowledge the virtue of male reserve — contrary to the film's emphasis on freeing boys to become emotionally expressive, acknowledge 2012 research that reveal the different ways boys and girls view "problem talk" (it made girls feel cared for and understood, but boys found it a tedious waste of time that serves no practical purpose in solving problems); respect male stoicism that can be adaptive and protective.
- Make clear that most boys are psychologically sound and resilient — the film give the impression that the average boy is severely depressed, when, in fact, clinical depression is rare among boys (only 4.3% based on National Institute of Mental Health data)
- Include specific ideas on how to help boys with depression or thoughts of suicide — Sommers highlights recent Australian research that spawned the development of innovative male-specific mental health protocols. There's even an App for that: The Australians recently launched a mental-fitness app for guys that focuses on acquiring skills, developing strengths and achieving self-mastery.
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