Bro Code: A Celebration of Toxic Masculinity

I want to start this article with a shoutout to all the men reading this who have cried in public and dared to express emotion and vulnerability. You are not weak. Emotion and the ability to communicate rationally are among humankind’s most fundamental traits regardless of whatever toxic masculine culture tells you. I can assure you; you are no less of a man. It does not strip you of your identity. For those who haven’t, a mere displaying your strength does not make you a man.

To all those who have not, this article is for you where I attempt to tackle the microscopic aspect of what encapsulates hyper-masculine trends of the “Bro Code.” To get a deeper understanding of the constructs of the “Bro Code,” I will be using the Urban Dictionary, keeping in mind that they operate under the motto “Define Your World,” indicative of the fact that people have used this platform as a forum to establish their perception of slang words and phrases. The indulgence with the term “Bro Code” on the platform rattles the depth of toxic masculinity and hyper-masculine behavior, which transcends my capacity for shame.

Here are some ways Urban Dictionary defines bro code:

• “The sacred code held between Bros. To break code with one of your Bros is blasphemous, sacrilegious, and high Bro treason. To break the code of Bro is to break the Brolific bond you might have with your Bros.”
• “A set of rules meant to be a guideline to live by between Bros. The rules began as unwritten rules to follow, but because the Pussification of America hasn’t been followed properly and for some men, they needed to be spelled out in bold print.”

“Bros before Ho’s.”

“Bros before hoes” is the golden rule of the “Bro Code,” which can be held disgusting to so many counts of contempt. Based on initial thoughts, any self-respecting person should never conform to an idea that involves referring to a woman as a hoe; it is degrading and disgusting on unfathomable levels. However, this phrase makes me uncomfortable for a much more rooted reason: I am all for prioritising friendships if that is what the phrase means.

Also Read: Why Woke Men Need To Break The Bro Code Culture

However, suppose the phrase’s connotations extend to the interpretation that when a fellow “bro” engages in an act that would potentially negatively affect a woman involved, a “bro” will turn a blind eye to it. In that case, I have to say that this makes me extremely uneasy, and sadly, this is how most men perceive it. Therefore, even if you know that your “bro” is abusive or a serial cheater, you should make no attempts to warn the women involved because your loyalty lies with your “bro,” and as we know, “bros before hoes.”

The “Bro Code” represents an ideology that profoundly influences a men’s interpretation of women, sex, and appropriate behavior, and it starts early in pre-adolescent years.

Distinguished author Thoman Keith talks about how the “bro culture” embeds normative sets of rules of manhood among young boys and men. He elaborates that the influence of TV, games, films, music, advertising, internet content, and pornography shapes boys’ views of girls and women while also shaping men’s opinions of themselves. He says that the “bro code” is a code of manhood that leaves a path of destruction in its wake, contributing to failed relationships, suicide ideation and completion in men, lives of solitude and desperation, sexual misconduct, and violence against women.

Lastly, I think it is commendable on behalf of men that we as a community have institutionalised toxic masculinity to keep our emotions repressed and channel the toxicity as mentioned above towards other men and women (not). It’s one thing to fight your emotions and a whole other to acknowledge and use them for your good.

Maybe it’s time to use this bro-code to assist other men in dissolving the emotions that have accumulated within them due to never being taught to be weak and vulnerable. Maybe someday we jam to feelings instead of locker room talk.

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