Warden’s Thoughts On …. Inside the Manosphere & I Swear

I watched two films over the St. Patrick’s weekend, both brilliant and thought-provoking in very different ways. I am probably behind the times because the second one has been out for a while.

The first was the new Louis Theroux documentary, ‘Inside the Manosphere’, which was full of shocking interviews and outrageous comments from the influencers in a truly awful subculture, which many of our boys are probably following, whether we like it or not. If pressed, I would suggest that boys would say that they don’t take it seriously, that it’s a bit of a laugh, that, of course, they don’t agree with its more extreme manifestations…but they follow it anyway. It is actually quite hard to do it justice in writing, so I suggest you watch it yourself to get a full dose of what I am talking about.

The second film was ‘I Swear,’ about a young man with Tourette’s Syndrome and his battles to overcome and live with his disability, as well as the misunderstanding and stigma that come with it. Again, if you don’t really understand Tourette’s it is probably best to watch the film. I found it incredibly moving and absolutely relevant to all those who work with young people, whatever their challenges.

Both films were excellent in their own way, but the first one left me depressed, while the second was very uplifting. And both have a lot to say about the society we live in.

In regard to the documentary, young men nowadays are being fed the lie that there is only one way to be a real man and that is to build muscle, to drive a fast car, to trash-talk, to treat women as objects and to make money as fast as possible. It is important to project an image of invincibility and a façade of outrageous contempt for weakness. That is what it means to be a man. Unfortunately, there are some world leaders these days who seem to reinforce that view and have thrown out many of the accepted norms of common decency.

2000 years ago Jesus showed the world a different way to be a man. It was revolutionary then and, let’s face it, it still is. The Bible says that he made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant; he washed the feet of his disciples, something only slaves would do; he touched lepers, who were outcasts who would not have known a human touch for years; he hung around with women and accepted them as close friends, which definitely raised a few eyebrows. I could go on…suffice to say, it upset a lot of people. Humility has always been out of fashion.

The real heroine of ‘I Swear’ is the main character’s adopted mother. She looked at the young man and rather than see him as a problem she saw his heart, his goodness, his inherent value…and she never judged him for his behaviour, which, by any standards was fairly extraordinary. Bit by bit, through many setbacks, she and her family restored his dignity and ultimately gave him a purpose, which culminated in him receiving an award from the Queen for service to other people who live with the same condition as he does. It is a powerful story.

Two very different films, two very different views of how to see weakness. One sees weakness as something to be mocked and scorned and derided. The other sees weakness as something to be overcome and transformed, but without a hint of sentimentality. Jesus said, ‘my power is made perfect in weakness.’ That is never going to be popular or mainstream, but it is needed more than ever before.

Image courtesy of Netflix.