When Strength Becomes a Performance: The Radicalisation of Modern Masculinity
There are moments in culture where silence becomes complicity. This is one of them. Headlines regularly flare like signal fires—whispers of scandal, courtroom dramas, public figures undone by their own mythology. But this post isn't about trials. It's about what fuels the fire. A new form of masculinity is being peddled, broadcast, and monetised online. It's not forged in hardship or tempered by virtue. It's a costume—an algorithmic illusion. A theatre of strength. Masculinity, once cultivated over time through discipline, honour, and mentorship, is now performed for clout. The louder the bravado, the higher the engagement. The more extreme the behaviour, the more magnetic the influence. The Algorithmic Mirage Scroll through any social feed aimed at young men, and the narrative is unmistakable: If you don't earn six figures by 25, you're a failure. If you don't drive the car, wear the suit, own the girl, you're not a man. They preach: Speak l...