The Art Of Manliness

I don't usually do site reviews but as this one seems like a subject I am fond of, I decided to look over artofmanliness.com and give you a look of their idea of what manliness is.

This site was born over the discussion of what happened to the men between The Greatest Generation and The Baby Boomers. The Greatest Generation, full of maturity at a young age, brimming with confidence, and a wisdom and self sacrifice that isn't in sync with their years. A rugged individualism that had spirit and craved freedom as a politician craves a tax dollar.

Contrast that with The Baby Boomers who took over congress and ruined the future for all of us Gen-Xers and beyond. The most self centered generation that borders on French entitlement arrogance. The generation that believes everything should be handed to them on a silver platter while neutering the younger men of our generation, saddling us with guilt for being men.

While I am not the dapper Frank Sinatra style of dresser I do appreciate an individualist lifestyle. Dependent upon your labor and living within your means. I'm handy around vehicles, I can cook, I'm prepared for the Zombie Holocaust of Doom, and I'd like to have a cabin in Montana that is off the grid. I have no idea who is on American Idol, I love John Wayne (as he was my first induction into my Man Hall of Fame) and feel that the creators of The Art of Manliness are right that generations since The Greatest fail to take the mantle adequately. Perhaps the previous generations failed to train young men adequately as well.

I quote, "as I looked around at the men my age, it seemed to me that many were shirking responsibility and refusing to grow up. They had lost the confidence, focus, skills, and virtues that men of the past had embodied and were a little lost. The feminism movement did some great things, but it also made men confused about their role and no longer proud of the virtues of manliness"

While I am sure that the generation before The Greatest thought the same thing as well as the generation of pioneers who braved the wilderness of the West to tame the rustic new country thought the same thing of the generation that followed them, all the way back to the Founding Fathers, the Pilgrims, and further back.

I do know that The Baby Boomers have done more damage to a great country and masculinity than all of the previous generations before it. It will take a few generations to recover from them but I do believe that my Gen-X generation is entrepreneurial, rugged, and chock full of individualists. The generation that follows us will be able to build upon that thanks to sites like The Art of Manliness.

Yes we also have our girly men, no dispute at all with that argument. We have too many single mothers, too many men who have not lived up to their responsibilities. Too many fatherless children who will not get the benefit of a male influence and the balance they need in life.

We also have our Proud and Fearless who have liberated two countries from Islamic Fascists. I have to believe that those of The Greatest Generation that have passed on are proudly looking down upon our members of the military now and the deeds they have accomplished.

I've browsed over The Art of Manliness and think it is a good if not great site, worthy of any of you who would like something beyond the six pack abs and sex articles that are rampant in today's world that caters to "men".

One gripe about the site it is that there is a lack of stuff that really caters to a lot of men such as cigars, drinks other than their "Five cocktails every man should know" which are kind of unmanlike (A sidecar? Really?!), and the lack of a Man Hall of Fame such as mine. They do have fine articles about manly men very often though and an email list of subscribers that is very manly in size.

I do appreciate their guide to Scotch as I do enjoy a good single malt as I've detailed in my blog many times.

Throw in some cigars and grilling/cooking how to's for men who don't know how to cook yet and you have a great site!