Note: This piece is fictional and is part of our satire section, A Reflective Laugh. Many of our pieces are inspired by real-life experiences and ideas submitted by our community, using satire to explore social and environmental issues. Through humour and wit, we aim to provoke thought, spark conversation and bring awareness to the complexities of the world around us.
Jason believes going to the doctor is as unnecessary as asking for directions. His idea of self-care? Flexing in the mirror and saying, “I’m fine.” But the truth is, toxic masculinity is turning our beloved bros into medical statistics.
Take Jason's best friend, Mike, for example. Mike thought a balanced diet meant holding a beer in each hand. When he started feeling chest pains, he shrugged it off as “just a muscle thing.” Spoiler alert: it was a heart attack.
Dr Cheero from Manly Health explains that men ignoring health issues is as common as their love for BBQs. He warns, “Ignoring chest pain won’t make you tougher. It’ll just make you deader.”
Meanwhile, Jason’s coworker Tom was battling anxiety and depression, but seeking help? No way. “Real men don’t talk about feelings,” he’d say. Dr Cheero points out, “Ignoring mental health is like ignoring a fire in your kitchen. Eventually, it’s going to burn everything down.”
Then there was Dave, a guy who thought 'prostate' was a fancy word for steak. He hadn’t seen a doctor in years because, “Who has time for that?” Turns out, prostate cancer doesn’t wait for your schedule to open up. Early detection could have saved him, but Dave was too busy being “manly.”
Let’s really think about this. How did we end up with this bizarre idea of masculinity? Society has been feeding us this macho nonsense since we were kids. From “boys don’t cry” to “man up,” it’s like we’ve been handed a script for a bad action movie where emotions are the villain.
Why is it that a guy can bench press a small car but can't lift the phone to make a doctor's or therapy appointment? It's as if society expects men to be superheroes, but without the emotional range. Note: even superheroes have therapy sessions. Batman has Alfred, and Superman has Lois. Heck, even the Hulk needs a good cry sometimes.
Dr Cheero, who’s basically the Batman of men’s health, says vulnerability is the real superpower. He’s seen everything from collapsed lungs to terminal cancer, all because guys refused to see a doctor. “Machismo cleverly disguises denial as strength and cowardice as courage,” he says.
According to Dr Cheero, real strength isn't about hiding your pain or pretending you're invincible. It's about recognising when you need help and having the courage to ask for it.
"These messages should be filtered across all generations from childhood to old age and further," Dr Cheero says. "We must teach our kids that addressing emotions and talking about them is a necessary step towards psychological wellbeing. We must ensure our partners, sons, fathers and grandfathers know that if there is some physical or emotional ailment no matter how small, seeking help early is courageous, not cowardly. That having honest conversations with our friends, colleagues or anyone we may see struggling is human, not wimpy."
Start small, like realising it’s okay to cry during The Lion King. Encourage the men in your life to see vulnerability as strength. Let's normalise conversations about mental health, and remind each other that it's okay to not be okay.
So, the next time you hear, “She’ll be right,” just remember: she probably won’t be. Let’s redefine what it means to be a human. Because at the end of the day, we’d rather have our loved ones alive and well than “manning up” to an early grave.
Let's not forget, it's the 21st century. It’s about time we start writing new scripts where everyone, regardless of gender, can express themselves freely and take care of their health without stigma.
After all, if we can accept butter chicken pizza, surely we can accept that men can cry, see doctors and still be strong. So here’s to a new era of humanity, where self-care is for everyone, and no one has to die young just to prove a point.
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