Staff Reports
At a recent University of Nebraska football news conference, a rather emotional moment unfolded. Archie Wilson, a freshman punter who is far away from his family in Australia, found himself overcome with tears. Missing his family, he openly admitted the tough part about being at the university. Predictably, this emotional display sparked conversations, especially among those who love finding hidden meanings in everything. Many chimed in on social media, applauding his tears and claiming that men expressing emotions is attractive—a revelation, apparently.
Enter the ongoing saga of liberal ideologies, which seem to conveniently flip-flop based on any given Tuesday. The term “mankeping” has recently entered the lexicon. Now, this term is nothing short of hilarious. It’s what some call the burden that women say they bear by providing emotional support to men. However, it seems the same voices who are exhausted by this so-called unpaid emotional labor also loudly champion the cause of men shedding tears. They say it’s appealing when men aren’t acting like “sociopathic brick walls.” It’s almost as if they wish to witness men’s vulnerability solely for their entertainment. Which is it, folks? What do they really want?
This cognitive dissonance embodies much of the confusion surrounding modern feminist expectations. On one hand, they long for men who are comfortable sharing their feelings; on the other, these same emotional displays become a chore they’re too exhausted to tolerate. How is a young man supposed to act when faced with such contradictory desires? Does he steel himself against emotion, thereby being labeled cold, or does he open up and risk being another burden to the fairer sex tired of providing comfort?
The truth is, men are being given mixed signals. In an era where clear communication is celebrated as a virtue, these messages are as clear as mud. Our punter, simply sharing how much he misses his family, is held up as a beacon of progress by one side of the cultural divide and yet represents a dreaded burden by the very same crowd. Without laughing or crying as dictated by some arbitrary new standard of behavior, this dance around expectations is exhausting.
So, perhaps it’s time to acknowledge what true emotional strength looks like: it’s men being supported by their families and peers without needing social media validation. In the real world—not the virtual one—balanced emotions and emotional exchanges are not a spectacle nor a burden. They are simply part of life. Men, just like women, deserve the space to express this naturally, rather than being shoved in the middle of a contentious social experiment.
