Guyland...

I've noticed in recent times that it takes boys a long long time to become men. I don't believe it was always like this, because the process usually involved a job and a wife, but now the latter and sometimes the former are being put off for years and years. There is now what we call, "Guys" all over the place. Not boys, not men, but a whole lot of ridiculousness. I found this article that goes into the details of this phenomenon. It makes mention of a number of reasons, but here's one:

Once the preserve of whacked-out teens and college slackers, this testosterone-filled landscape is the new normal for American males until what used to be considered creeping middle age, according to the sociologist Michael Kimmel. In his new book, "Guyland," the State University of New York at Stony Brook professor notes that the traditional markers of manhood—leaving home, getting an education, finding a partner, starting work and becoming a father—have moved downfield as the passage from adolescence to adulthood has evolved from "a transitional moment to a whole new stage of life." In 1960, almost 70 percent of men had reached these milestones by the age of 30. Today, less than a third of males that age can say the same.

It also doesn't help that society is perpetuating the idea that it's okay to take your time to grow up. Go to college, get laid, have a few brewskies, don't worry about growing up, have fun first. This whole concept really bothers me.

Hollywood has not helped this either. They are constantly portraying men in this way. Here are a few examples.







When they have Matthew McConaughey behaving like a 12 year old, things have got to change.