As a modern woman, I don’t adhere to the patriarchal system that positions men as the dominant gender just because of their testosterone-fueled aggression. Humans have evolved past the need for physical strength to be of higher value and any man that chooses to address me by flashing his aggressive masculinity like a neon sign will receive no reaction from me. But if he’s got a guttural scream and an instrument in his hands? Uh oh. Mama likey!
If you find this contradictory, I assure you this does not come without a personal internal conflict. How can I hate emotional displays of unhinged maleness while simultaneously celebrating them? Well, it’s kind of like what makes me love hardcore. A man screaming in my face for taking the Trader Joe’s parking spot he wanted is a display of self-centeredness and a lack of emotional empathy. A man screaming in my face from a stage telling me to get this fucking pit started? That’s passion. Also, it leads to sweaty skin-to-skin contact. Chances are he also has lots of tattoos which makes it extremely sexy and I’m willing to do whatever he says.
It’s all about context. One context makes me want to wipe an entire gender off the planet and the other makes me want to hold him and tell him it’s okay and that he had a great set.
Accessorize any man with a musical tool and it turns his anger into theater. What I would normally view as aggressive red flags become high-volume expressions of isolation, vulnerability, and righteous anguish. Turn a Reddit rant into a hardcore song and you’ve got yourself a bop.
If you’re a woman who feels these things, know that you’re not alone. And if you’re a dude who fits these criteria, oh hey what’s up?