Bring Back Manly Men
Fashion is more than just putting on a set of clothes. It is also a way for someone to express their artistry and sublime way of thinking. While these people are showing creativity, there are also those who may not be able to have the same perception. These people will do one of two things: they will either carry on with their lives being at peace with the fact that they do not have the same perception, or they will hate the fact that others cannot visualize and understand what they see and end up slandering someone because of the hatred. The second option is exactly what took place when singer/actor Harry Styles attempted to break boundaries in an historical photoshoot with Vogue magazine for their December cover.
In mid-November, Vogue, a high end fashion magazine secured Styles to become their first solo male to be the cover of American Vogue. Styles, who has had a stellar career from being with the British-Irish band One Direction, to having a solo career, to pursuing an acting career and featuring in films such as “Dunkirk,” took the opportunity to not only have a great photoshoot, but to also express himself. Throughout the photoshoot, Styles wore a variety of skirts and a dress made from Gucci. In the magazine, he explains that he finds, “playing with clothes” as a fun experience and a way to open the to countless ventures in the mind.
After the magazine, among the various people who absolutely loved it, there were a lot of negative views on it as well. One remark struck the most as author and activist Candace Owens thought the shoot was “disrespectful to manly men.” She went on and summarized how, to her, it is important to have men who show strong masculinity and that good societies should always have protective men.
Fans of Styles began to backfire and form a hatred towards Owens’ remarks. They showed their frustration by commenting under her social media posts different words to protect Styles. Styles had his own retaliation by posting a picture of his own with the caption, “Bring back manly men.”
This whole situation details what kind of society we live in. Often, when someone does something out of the norm, they are attacked for it. When someone expresses what they feel about something, they may be attacked for it. There seems to never be a mutual understanding of anything in this day and age, especially with the powerful grip social media has on our world.
In my eyes, Styles did nothing wrong. I don’t think Owens’ decision to express what she felt was wrong either, it was just in the matter of how she expressed it.
What society needs to understand is, some things are just out of our own individual control. If someone wants to show themselves in a certain way, it is ok to have an opinion on it, but do not go out of your way to make a comment known just because it is something that you are not used to. Sometimes, it just is what it is.
