What is the silliest thing that you’ve seen someone do to prove their masculinity?

Nothing in recent years, thankfully.

Only examples I can think of off the top of my head is from childhood, but they're hilarious so I'll bring them up anyway. My former grade school bully was all about proving his "masculinity". I could see from a mile away that he was ultimately a good person who just wanted to be seen as a "tough bad boy" because of his raging insecurities and low self-esteem.

He'd ask me a simple question like "what do you wanna be when you grow up" or "what's your favorite show on [insert popular kids channel] right now", but just to make himself look "hardcore", he'd hold my shirt collar and hold his fist up to my face to make it look like he'd punch me if I didn't answer his question. And he'd ask me the question through his gritted teeth.

Or he'd randomly bring up how he could beat up [insert whichever friends were nearby, usually me] when literally no one asked for it. He'd also make fun of kids who didn't watch R-rated movies, listen to music with profanity in it, or play violent video games when most people really didn't give a shit about it.

Thing is that he hated school because everyone treated him like shit. Whenever I saw him outside of school, he was a lot nicer. He would start to do all this "masculine" stuff when we'd see each other outside of school, but then stop himself once he knew I was even slightly ticked off by it. He'd even show signs of a softer and more sensitive side with little shame. But when we were on school grounds he'd go out of his way to prove his "masculinity" at all times, shaming any male student who he didn't perceive as being as "masculine" as he was.

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