INTERVIEW WITH JOHN SHANNAN, AUTHOR OF MODERN MAN IS A WIMP

Are you a wimp? According to author John Shannan, there’s a good chance you are. In his new book, Modern Man Is A Wimp, Shannan argues that the modern world has turned today’s man into a “browbeaten apology”. Everywhere you look, he claims, men are under threat

Your book’s full title is Modern Man Is A Wimp… Long Live Real Men! So what’s your definition of the word ‘wimp’?
It’s hard to put it down to one simple phrase but over the last 10-15 years we have seen the traditional characteristics of men increasingly come under attack in the western world. Whether it’s political correctness overcompensating for past wrongs or metrosexuals telling us its okay to wear make-up, how we identify ourselves as men has become a minefield. My definition of a wimp would be a man who has either meekly accepted this attack on our identity or actually become part of it.

And ‘real man’?
Ask your Dad or your Grandfather. They’ll know.

Are you a crazy 60-year-old guy who sits on his porch comparing the world to yesteryear and contemplating bombing the power grid?
(Laughs). No I am only 32 but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel the frustration that many of our old timers feel today. People have become so self-involved, and in western society our sense of community and family has all but been eroded. Our focus on one person’s individual rights has meant legislation has ended up being tailored to legislate for the weirdos and freaks at the edges of the bell curve. The majority, that is often silent, just have to accept it. I’m a passionate guy and I got tired of being silent so I decided to write down my thoughts. Plus my girlfriend got tired of hearing it!

Your book covers a variety of themes: political correctness, metrosexuality, advertising and media, drug abuse, celebrity faddism and so on. How can you reconcile all these ideas to an attack on men in general?
Each one of them has an impact on being a man. With some, the impact is very minor, and with others the impact is easily felt. But either way, when you put them all together their collective impact is definitely having a major influence on what it is to be a man and what our role is today. You’ll find that even someone who disagrees completely with all my opinions does not disagree with my observation that being a man today is very different to being a man when my father was my age. It is my opinion that these are the major issues that are causing this.

Do you think you’re fighting a losing battle or are there other men out there who feel the same?
Oh I am definitely not alone. While researching the book and since it has been released I have had many men, and women, agree with my sentiments. If you look on any reputable blog or online forum, where these topics are being discussed, you will find many postings that express similar sentiment to my own. I believe that since the internet allows people to hide anonymously behind an alias and a screen, we are seeing far more honest opinion when it comes to sensitive topics. The internet has given the silent majority a way to voice their opinion, and the opinion is that these changes have gone too far.

Are you advocating a return to days of yore where patriarchs dominated families, men were the providers and the woman’s role was to raise the children properly?
Yes…(laughs)…I can practically hear the ‘I knew he was a chauvinist’ thoughts. No I am definitely not advocating a return to the old days, although I wouldn’t be too sad to see western society grasping the importance of family again. When it comes to relationships, we each have to find something that works for us. There’s no rule that says men do this and women do that. But the cornerstone in finding what works for you is mutual respect for your partner… wait a minute. Sorry. There it is again. I actually hate that word ‘partner’. I hate the neutrality of it. I hate that because some people were scared to admit their sexuality they felt more comfortable using that word and now I have to. If I ask a gay man, who I do not know is gay, a question about his girlfriend, is that so bad? We use these ‘gender neutral’ terms to avoid causing perceived offence. Why on earth would anyone take offence to being asked about their girlfriend if the person asking didn’t know they were gay?

Sorry I got sidetracked. Where was I? Oh yes… my brother and his wife have an arrangement that works. She cooks every night, but he does the DIY, the garden and of course the braaiing. (laughs) For them it works. But they live in America and she has been repeatedly lectured to by women in her workplace saying that she should not be doing all the cooking. I couldn’t believe that when I heard it. Because my sister-in-law cooks dinner every night it does not mean she is an abused woman who is walked all over. Far from it. But that’s how my brother is viewed by my sister-in-law’s female colleagues. His input to the relationship is completely ignored. The world is fucked up man.

Your chapter on the rise of political correctness is particularly thought-provoking. Can you give me some examples of political correctness that annoys you?
I don’t know where to start! It’s everywhere. Let’s see… ‘Baa baa black sheep’ being taught as ‘Baa baa woolly sheep’, despite the nursery rhyme having nothing to do with race, being frowned upon when asking for your coffee black, Christmas decorations being banned, having to ask permission to fly your own national flag, re-writing or ignoring history in order to avoid perceived offence, not being able to address dire situations like AIDS head on by directly tackling the cultural issues that further spread the disease… The list is endless.

According to you, men shouldn’t bother with fashion trends because it’s not manly – it distracts attention from other priorities. But women can spend their time and money on fashion because, well, they’re women and that’s their prerogative. Isn’t that patronising and hypocritical?
Not at all. I happen to think that women are far too caught up in fashion too, and I mention in the book many of the harmful effects it is having on women today. But this book was written for men from a male perspective and central to my theme in this book is that I don’t believe it is acceptable for me to tell women or any minority how to live their lives, as I can’t appreciate the world through their eyes. But with men I have no such constraint. I can tell you how this man sees the world and how I believe men should – or rather should not – be behaving because I am one. This book will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea and I really do not expect anyone to agree with everything I have had to say, but I know it will strike a chord with many men out there today.

Your take on metrosexuality is that it is a blight on maleness, effectively making men more vain – more feminine. But then you also concede that men have to take some pride in their appearance and ‘scrub up a little’. Where do you draw the line?
A long way before make-up and facials! No seriously, men have become too vain these days – far too concerned about how they look. The slippery slope of vanity has caught many men and it’s scary to see how our masculinity is being tossed away with gay abandon. When I say we need to scrub up a little I mean when it counts. You know, weddings, events, big dates, etc.

Why are you so offended by advertisements that generate humour at the expense of men? The Vodacom ad campaign with Lucky and George, for example, gets serious stick in your book. Fair enough, you don’t have to think it’s funny, but why be offended?
I don’t think that George is offensive. An idiot maybe, but not offensive. What I find offensive is that advertising firms today are too scared to portray any other demographic in the same light as they portray straight white men. Everyone is so damn worried about being seen as offensive to some minority that this fear has effectively limited their targets when it comes to making a joke. When did you last see an ad joking about a gay man or black man? All the advertising firms say it’s simply poking fun and it’s harmless when it’s straight white men. Well it’s amazing how much their balls shrink when it comes to portraying the women or the gay man in the same light. We should all be able to laugh at everyone. I don’t want to see the George ads go. I want to see more ads taking the micky out of others demographics, that’s all. Or has everyone become so sensitive, they can’t take a joke?

You also identify the many television programmes with less than exemplary male role models that encourage the stereotyping of modern men. So what’s your take on The Simpsons, for example? Should it not be shown on TV?

I love The Simpsons and of course it should be shown. But once again I think a balance is called for.

Are you homophobic?
No, definitely not.

Then please explain the need for a chapter entitled Homosexuals and Me? Are you trying to polarise your audience – offend certain people and get others on your side?
No I don’t believe that I am. Various groups of people readily identify themselves by some characteristic or trait. The homosexual community is no different. Gay pride, after all. I am not part of this group so me talking about a ‘them and me’ situation is completely understandable. It was a difficult chapter to write, but completely necessary when identifying how different life is for men today. I tried to give an honest view on what I believe is the feeling of many straight men.

Surely including it in the book is antagonistic? Surely you’re inviting criticism and compromising your argument?
Look, I’m facing criticism no matter what I say. It’s the way of the world. Anyone who stands up and expresses an opinion will invariably face criticism. And of course there will always be the knee-jerk reactions. Today’s politically correct brigade is all too ready to flag up another ‘dissenter’. But I don’t buy into all the PC crap and frankly I’m offended by the notion of my right to free speech being taken away.

Do you have kids?
No I don’t. But the areas where I discuss children in the book are observations that I believe are made without requiring a child to have an opinion on them.

Let’s not forget that in the adult-child relationship I have played one part already. I happen to think my parents did an amazing job of raising me! Without trying to sound totally angelic, I’m a law-abiding, honest, considerate person with manners and respect for others. So what is so wrong with using the same techniques on my children that my parents used on me?

When you do one day, will you smack them to discipline them?
Well, that all depends on the individual child, but I have no qualms about using it as a disciplinary technique. I certainly won’t use it willy-nilly, nor will I use it as the only form of discipline, but I do believe that part of the reason for the unruliness of children today is the lack of effective discipline at home. People moved away from spanking their children and started treating them like little adults, trying to be their friend instead of their parent. Is it any wonder that the youth of today are behaving like they are? And before you say, ‘I have a little angel at home’, anyone who has spent a day in London will know exactly what I am talking about here… and South Africa is going the same way.

John Shannan, thank you for your time.