Eliot Page; a positive example of masculinity?

[juoist]

I shared this news story in a group whatsapp and my year 8 daughter just told me that the same thing happened in her assembly recently.

I mean, this is batshit insanity and totally goes against what the Cass review states.

It’s out and out grooming. Clearly Page is an example of something other than positivity, whenever I see them being interviewed , they seem deeply depressed and miserable.

Are any of the boys in her school going to see Page as a man? Are any of the girls going to see it and wonder if their clothes choices and hairstyle mean they’re also a man? Why are schools still pumping out this unhealthy rhetoric for young teens? It’s insane.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14924669/Primary-school-trans-actor-Elliot-Page-lesson-masculinity.html

Yes, or a pageboy... I'll get my coat

That was the title of her autobiography

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TDDVVcTPL.SY425.jpg

As if Page is ever going to be cast as a male lead opposite a woman in a romcom, or as a male hero in a big budget action thriller. Hollywood knows exactly which sex she is.

It's bonkers, and basically sends the exact opposite message to what they say they're trying to do. Nobody's fooled by "Elliott" - so what they're really saying is "Yes, it IS possible to be a non-stereotypical (or worse, non-"toxic") man - by being born a woman! Yay!". Which, of course, is completely impossible for any actual boy, and therefore hardly likely to make them aspire to try, or to reassure them that they aren't locked into "toxic masculinity".

And I also agree with the previous comments - I wouldn't say Page has displayed ANY particular 'qualities' since deciding she was a man, beyond being extremely quiet and always looking deeply unhappy, which also aren't much to aspire to. It really does read like "boys, be more like a woman [is assumed to be], but look, you can still CALL yourself a man!".

If they wanted to demonstrate that men can be caring and have other non-stereotypical positive qualities, what about actual MEN who obviously DO do this, like Marcus Rashford, Joe Wicks, and loads more?

Conversion therapy? As in giving a homosexual individual cross-sex hormones and surgery?

There's a reason why Iran carries out the second highest amount of sex-change surgeries in the world, it may have something to do with homosexuality being illegal.

But Iran is applauded by TRAs are one of the best places in the world.

I have a theory that part of the reason Page looks miserable and ill is that one of the reasons she wanted to opt out of being a woman was the constant requirement to be made up to the nines and smile for cameras. Another example of the kind of giving in to stereotypes that says I'm an exception rather than nah, let's fight that stupid rule. I think she might be happier than she looks, although that is currently a low bar.

Kevin Sinfield should be promoted as a postive role model for masculinity. He is a very masculine man but was not afraid to show his love for Rob Burrow, especially that moment towards the end of one of his marathons when he kissed Burrow. What a display of love that was.

Besides anything else how high profile is Page among primary school aged boys? Gareth Southgate I’d get. Harry Styles I get. Jeez, whisper it, but I’d even understand David Tennant*, but isn’t Elliot Page more likely to elicit a “who”.

*although honestly, men they know would be better than celebrities.

That is a great example. The Hairy Bikers spring to mind as well.

Loving the suggestions for positive (actual) male role models!

Harry Kane?

Keith Brymer Jones. Big burly chap, physically could be quite intimidating and does a physical and practical job, calls everyone 'lovey' regardless of sex/age, utterly relaxed about crying when somebody has made a nice plate, shows deep respect and love for his partner.

"Gender Critical"

How about just ordinary men, ie, men who happen to be biologically male and aren't excessively 'manly'? Who aren't particularly anything other than the fact that they've achieved something that is instructive for other men?

I only saw Page in The Umbrella Academy and it wasn't that sort of role. The odd thing is that the drama was made to fit around the changed identity of the actor: her female character - sister to her other siblings - went into a barber and came out as a male character to be greeted as a brother by her siblings. Who were all delighted (even the undelightable ones) but recriminating with themselves at some length that they hadn't realised before. All completely outside any plot thread.

It was all really odd. An inversion of the expectation that actors fit around their characters.

I saw a bit of that - not all of it. Was she credited as Elliot throughout, or did it change?

I feel very sorry for Page. I'm sure she didn't want people to draw this conclusion, but IMHO it's impossible to read her autobiography and not think that her trans identity is a maladaptive trauma response.

But she was never going to convince in a male persona. Not just because she's physically tiny, but she's always been very feminine - not girly girl, but her bearing and mannerisms can't be mistaken for anything but female.

The acting profession is notoriously unkind to women pushing 40. I don't know whether political dogma will be enough to sustain a career for a woman pushing 40 who claims to be a man. Which is a shame, because she's got real talent.

But the idea of pushing Page to boys as an example of positive masculinity is just baffling.

My DD in her last year of school was impressed by a police officer (male) who came in to talk to them all, especially boys, about consent and legality etc. She felt it was particularly impactful to the boys because he was quite a "blokey" bloke telling them in no uncertain terms about respect and consent and basically modelling healthy attitudes.

She'd have had to be credited as Ellen for the first two series as that's who she was till then. She played key character Vanya, who only became Victor when Ellen became Elliot at the start of season 3.

I haven't read the comic books on which the series is based, but I gather that the original character was and remained female.

No way! Either it's a huge coincidence or I remembered that subliminally.

No, I think Egg means religion-backed conversion courses and trying to pray the gay away. There's a good NF documentary on it called Pray Away.

The solution to toxic masculinity is quite simple - be born and raised a girl, id as a man. Problem solved! Is there any societal ill GI can't solve?

Any teen trend is over once earnest teachers endorse it.

Society could probably benefit from more positive portrayals of short, skinny, soft-faced young men. Unfortunately a short, skinny, soft-faced middle-aged woman doesn't fit the bill.

(Harry Styles doesn't either. He can get away with wearing a dress precisely because he's a conventionally attractive guy with muscles and tattoos, who was already famous before he started getting in touch with his feminine side.)

Good. We need role models for boys that boys can relate to. That doesn't include Eliot Page, who is not male!

Harry Styles? He recently had a very public affair with a married woman, which subsequently broke up their marriage. (Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis.) He flys through relationships. Are they teaching them that committed relationships are to be shunned?

Eliot Page does not seem stable at all and is not a man!

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but they couldn’t find a firefighter who is a family man and volunteers at an animal shelter? Young boys are just not going to relate to two rich movie stars, especially Eliot Page and Harry Styles.