G.A.B.B.I.E: Grown Adult Boys Breaking Into Their Emotions

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“From commonly uttered and popularized policing of masculinity (POM) phrases, such as “Big boys don’t cry” and “Suck it up,” boys receive messages from an early age that the expression of vulnerable emotions can be a tenuous undertaking. Over the past few decades, masculinity researchers have documented this gendered reality through the identification of dominant masculine norms, such as restrictive emotionality and emotional control (e.g., Conformity to Masculinity Norms Inventory (CMNI) and Male Role Norms Inventory-Adolescent-revised (MRNI-A-r). These norms can place significant pressure on boys and men to repress vulnerable emotions while embodying power and invincibility.” - Dr. Christopher Reigeluth

In this show I want to address how men manage their emotions and what it’s like to have fears, stressors, triggers and traumas and how we cope we those things.

For so long we’ve been programmed to think that any expression of our emotions is a weakness or somehow effeminate but I’ve come to realize how inhumane that is. It is inhumane, insensitive and inconsiderate to ask a man to not be in healthy alignment with his emotions.

I am not looking to define manhood but give little boys, young men and mature men to evaluate and re-assess their own definition of manhood. This is an opportunity to reflect on what tools we’ve used to manifest our manhood and if they’ve worked for or against us.

• Boys don’t cry
• Man up
• Be tough
• Don’t be weak