Reason.tv: Joel Stein on His "Stupid Quest for Masculinity"

"I went into the book thinking that being a man, in reality, was about being loyal, and being present, and being honest," says Joel Stein, author of the new book, Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity. "And then I found out that's bullshit. Being a man is about being kneed in the face by [mixed-martial-arts fighter] Randy Couture."  

Stein sat down with Reason's Tim Cavanaugh to discuss Man Made, for which he embarked on a journey to become more manly so that he can properly raise his newborn son. In writing the book, Stein hunted for the first time, became a day trader, endured Army boot camp, and wrestled Randy Couture. 

"Each of these things I did actually made made me manlier," says Stein. "It gave me…more of a code to live by and it made me more confident, more capable."

About 6:30 minutes. Shot by Paul Detrick, Tracy Oppenheimer, and Zach Weissmueller. Edited by Weissmueller.

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Comments

[ronsfi]

Step One: Remove pink shirt.

[Paul.]

If you're not first on hr, you're last. Well played, sir, well played.

[Tejicano]

One of the benefits of going through Marine boot camp when you're 17 - after that you never have any doubts about the stuff this dude seems to obsess about.

[Brian Sorgatz]

So the industrial revolution is destroying our masculinity. Hooray for the industrial revolution! My Lord of the Flies experience in junior high gym class?as well as the macho asshole father who made me fend for myself against neighborhood bullies?taught me that masculinity sucks. Ich bin ein Metrosexual.

[Mencken Sense]

If Stein needs to get his ass kicked to feel like a man, let him know there is no shortage of volunteers.