The concept of ‘manliness’ is a beguiling, quixotic notion; you’ve got to exude a certain degree of it to succeed, but just a touch too much and you’re deemed a d-bag. And not only is your perceived level of machismo completely subjective, but what’s considered the norm’s constantly changing. We take a look at what a real guy’s guy has looked like at different stages of history.
Club animal. Make fire. Sexy, no?
Ancient Civilization
Pilaging’s the only way to anyone‘s heart.
If you manage to clock a 20hr day so as to feed your half-dozen kids occasionally, and avoid the black lung, you’re a total dude.
Grandpa’s Glory
It seems counterintuitive to show how manly you are by growing your hair long and hitchhiking to the Haight-Ashbury with randoms in a cloud of controlled substances, but that’s how dad did it.
Got a job? Don’t live with Mom and Dad? You’ve made it, bro. Welcome to modern-day macho — the benchmark of millennial success.
