Diane Abbott warns about masculinity crisis in UK

The shadow health minister warns about the impact of unemployment, pornography, drink, and drugs on British men.

08:28 19 May 2013

Diane Abbott, the shadow health minister has implied that being a real man in today’s world has become a bit harder due to enormous pressure.

In her speech on Thursday, 16th May, she claimed that the concept of real men seen in films, magazines, and porn put pressure on British men. The bigger problem is, these men are unable to talk about their anxieties.

She explained, as referred to by the Daily Mail: “It's all become a bit like the film Fight Club – the first rule of being a man in modern Britain is that you're not allowed to talk about it. This generation no longer asks itself what it means to be a man.”

The minister also said that growing number of men of all ages are now turning to Viagra due to performance anxiety. Another factor, she said, is other men’s inability to find job forcing them to return home to live with parents.

“At its worst, it's a celebration of heartlessness; a lack of respect for women's autonomy; and the normalisation of homophobia. I fear it's often crude individualism dressed up as modern manhood,” she added.