Men need liberation

Author: Fang Gang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Should There Be a Men's Day? — Selected Recordings from TV Debates / Hu Xiaohong (Shandong TV's "Qilu Kailiang" program, live broadcast on the evening of June 5, 2005. Director: Xu Xia; Host: Wu Dahai)
Host: As everyone knows, women have the "March 8th Women's Day," and there are organizations dedicated to protecting women's rights. However, for men, there are no such organizations or holidays. In modern society, many people believe that men's survival pressures are increasing, so they argue that men also need protection and care and deserve a holiday. This viewpoint has been supported by over 50 companies, who have all stated that they will give their male employees a day off on August 3 this year. Today, the topic of "Should There Be a Men's Day?" will be discussed on "Qilu Kailiang."
Introduction of Guests: On my right is Fang Gang, Editor-in-Chief of the magazine Men's Style, a sex sociologist, and a teacher at Beijing Forestry University, who supports the idea of a Men's Day. On my left are those who oppose it: Lü Pin from the Beijing Women's Media Monitoring Network, Professor Wang Aiyi from the Shandong Branch of the China Women's College, and Huang Ming, Secretary-General of the Jinan Literary Association.
Fang Gang was the first to propose the idea of a Men's Day, and his basic argument is about caring for men. This reminds me of a song: Andy Lau's Men Should Cry, It's Not a Sin. It seems to contrast sharply with the traditional notion that "real men don't cry easily." What do you think?
Fang Gang: The fact that Andy Lau, a pop singer, is chosen to sing Men Should Cry, It's Not a Sin suggests that the living environment for Chinese men is particularly harsh. The fact that a pop singer is needed to call for this shows that "men crying" is considered a sin—a very frightening reality. Traditional concepts demand that men be strong, the heads of households, and the primary financial providers. These portrayals of men are biased and deviate from their own needs. These are distortions of men's inherent attributes.
Host: What are the specific reasons for establishing such a holiday?
Fang Gang: The International Men's Day is a global initiative, but it is rooted in China's male ecological environment. Currently, the living environment for Chinese men is worsening, and it reminds me of Japan's "karoshi" (death from overwork) phase in the 1990s. Chinese men are exhibiting typical symptoms, with significant physical and psychological problems. Globally, men were among the first to adapt to technological revolutions, and they bear many of the burdens they bring. Socially, they bear primary responsibilities at all levels, and the pressure on men has never been greater. At this time, men deserve some care, of course, and this care should not be based on sacrificing women's rights.
Huang Ming: If men's living environments are harsh, aren't women's even worse? If we look around, we'll find that women's living environments are even more difficult than men's. We should give women more care, and men should take on more responsibility—that is what Chinese men should do.
Fang Gang: The establishment of Men's Day is not about comparing whose living environment is worse. We also agree that women's living environments are worse. However, men need more social support at this stage, and we need to correct past misunderstandings about men.
Host: It's not a horizontal comparison but a vertical one—men are more vulnerable now compared to the past.
Lü Pin: In modern society, men are still an advantaged group, yet they claim to be suffering. What does this mean? An advantaged group is now saying that their living environment is harsh. If you think about it carefully, they are not interested in being in a disadvantaged position; rather, being in a disadvantaged position is a reason for needing care. Now, being in a disadvantaged position is also something to compete for.
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