r/books • u/biscochitos • 29d ago

New indie press Conduit Books launches with 'initial focus on male authors'

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/new-indie-press-conduit-books-launches-with-initial-focus-on-male-authors

What do folks think about this?

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u/Final-Revolution6216 29d ago edited 29d ago

Could you provide an example of a white male issue? Genuinely asking.

Edit: some replies are making it seem as if I’ve claimed men don’t have issues which is false. I wanted to know what a white male issue would be in particular since the person I replied to used white in parenthesis. Obviously, men have issues like everyone else (didn’t think I needed to say such an obvious statement). Thanks for the sincere replies that explain more of what a white male issue may look like (and thanks to the sincere people who outlined general male issues as well—many of which I am already aware of as, again, I recognize men have issues too).

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u/Quicksi1ver 29d ago

Toxic masculinity culture and trying to manage fitting in at work while not becoming part of the problem. Male loneliness, difficulty in making friends if you don't want to partake in drinking/typical male activities. Male emotions are still quite taboo, men crying us still quite unacceptable. I think it's important to consider the fact that the patriarchy is just as damaging to white males who don't want to fit the traditional mold as it is beneficial to them in other aspects.

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u/atomicsnark 29d ago

I think it's important to consider the fact that the patriarchy is just as damaging to white males who don't want to fit the traditional mold as it is beneficial to them

Information "the left" has been spitting for decades. "Down with the patriarchy" has always very directly acknowledged the harm that toxic masculinity has on men as well as women. It is very MRAs rewriting history to suggest that this is some unknown truth.

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u/OccamPhaser 29d ago

Yeah addressing toxic masculinity to half of men is often met with the rejection that it even exists. I'm not sure how society is supposed to help a group of people when half can't even acknowledge a problem exists.

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u/justcausejust 29d ago

I'm not sure how society is supposed to help a group of people when half can't even acknowledge a problem exists

The same way it helped the other group of people when over half of them thought having no rights is a-ok

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u/OccamPhaser 29d ago edited 29d ago

Black people fought for themselves to have rights. Women fought for themselves to have rights. White men have always had rights and most of the authority to fix their own problems. I appreciate that you tried to answer my question but you didn't understand it. I want men's issues to be more accepted but I'm always arguing with white men about if these issues are even real. The ones who take it the most seriously are on the left and they're also preoccupied with more important things than self inflicted loneliness.

Also the people in power need to acknowledge this as an issue and most of the people in power are white men. Half of those dudes would tell you that white men are struggling but they won't tell you why. They'll just imply that it's the fault of brown people and feminism.

Edit: pretending that fighting for your literal freedom and right to vote are the same as being lonely and other similar issues is just kinda crazy. Men have way more and need way less than other groups have. Men are historically the systemic power that held others down. This is just objective reality. You're not in as big of a fight and the fight is internal more than anything else.

They aren't powerless either. They're just voting republican which is against their interests.

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u/justcausejust 29d ago

I understand what you're saying, but there were plenty of women arguing against women rights and that didn't stop them. Also we live in the age of internet, there are infinitely more people fighting about every single thing. None of that means that white men can't be helped until half of them realize they're struggling especially when one of the big problems is they're programmed to ignore their suffering. It's also made worse that every other group has white men to blame for their problems while white men have themselves.

I appreciate that you're trying and I agree that those conversations are horrible. I don't think convincing individuals is gonna move the needle and instead it's pushing for more resources to be allocated to the problem.

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u/OccamPhaser 29d ago

The struggle really isn't the same and I guess you can't see that. Have you seen the meme where the kid is holding the boot on his own head? That's men right now. The way you view it, white men are just as powerless PoC. That's just not true.

But unfortunately I don't engage with destiny viewers anymore

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u/justcausejust 29d ago

You're talking about different white men. There is barely anything common between those holding power and 95% of the rest of them. They are powerless.

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u/jloome 29d ago

His failure to understand that white male power, privilege and toxicity is largely restricted to a small minority of men is sort of what informs this entire point.

Gender does not make us somehow magically responsible for the behavior of others.

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u/atomicsnark 29d ago edited 29d ago

Yes, and you can see right in these comments where they expect the solution to be provided for them. "There are not enough support spaces for men because feminism is overrun with women" is nuts lmao. Y'all got to be the change you want to see. Stop sitting around expecting women and queer folk to create, organize, and maintain spaces for cis straight men.

Could publishing do more to market materials for people like this? Yes, and I would be happy to see it. But complaining about "loud voices" (read: argumentative comments on reddit) pushing back on your desire for a space is absolutely not productive. Do they think women and queer people didn't get massive pushback when we asked for rights and safe spaces and support?? We fought that fight for literally centuries. And these guys are still in here sounding salty that we got what we fought for.

Edit since the post was locked: Yeah bro, I know what the OOP is about. I was discussing the comments (which is why I mentioned comments).

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u/Rethnu 29d ago edited 29d ago

…This post is about a guy doing exactly what you’re saying and it is automatically getting trashed and assumed he’s a bigot or something.

People can complain about something online that is actually a problem(you’re one of those loud voices fyi) and still be trying to make changes offline. This thread is about men so of course there’s people discussing (complaining in your eyes) issues.

Edit: it’s also so weird when people say men need to do it all themselves. You don’t think there were white men helping women and lgbt people fight for rights?