Before anyone coined the term "toxic masculinity," there was "testosterone poisoning," and the shade of difference in their meanings says a lot about the way culture and behavioral science have shifted over the last 40 years.
The notion of toxic masculinity just had its big cultural moment when it was uttered in a voice over at the beginning of a Gillette ad, "The Best Men Can Be." The series of vignettes that followed seemed to be saying that nice men should stop bullies and harassers in their tracks, and bad men should try to be nice.
Less noticed at the same time was a new set of American Psychological Association guidelines, which declared harmful some traits the APA associated with traditional masculinity, including stoicism, dominance and aggression.
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