What is masculinity? Is it refusing to wear make-up, keeping short, military-cropped hair, growing stubble? Is it chivalry? Putting women on a pedestal? Is it a lack of interest in feminine things? Is it fucking around? Beating your wife? Not letting her have a job? Being heterosexual? Drinking beer? Being into sports? Fighting?
Why are these good things? Why should they be preserved?
My man is quite manly. He's secure in himself and his ego, grounded, realistic in his goals, he doesn't allow his emotions to control him and strives to be better than he is. He is protective of his loved ones, polite, caring, generous to those around him and assumes the best in people. He has a dominant and engaging personality. He also hates sports, has hair longer than mine, occasionally wears make-up, feels comfortable in skirts and dresses, welcomes LGBTQ people into his life without feeling uncomfortable or "threatened", believes in progressive ideals regarding women's rights, race issues, etc, and happily does his share of the housework. And he's cried in my arms until he's fallen asleep, on more than one occasion. Oh, and he's a pacifist.
So is he masculine, or not? Why are the traits I mentioned for him in the first half of that paragraph seen as masculine? Surely those are positive traits for anyone to have. Are the best aspects of masculinity irrelevant unless he drinks brand-name lager and hoots at the TV when the footie is on? Do his long nails and hair cancel out his beard?
Which aspects of masculinity do you feel are being lost? And why does that mean that men, as a group, are dying out? Why are those aspects of masculinity the most important ones, and why do we define them as masculine traits?