Bigs Boys Do Cry

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. ~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1860

A blogger friend recently sent an article that appeared in The Telegraph regarding the resignation of Michael Vaughan who was the England Test cricket captain (Many thanks, Krishna).Well, to be honest, I’m not a fan of The Telegraph nor am I a fan of cricket. But I was glad my friend sent me the article. It really captured my interest. Not because of the witticism of the journalist but because of the absence of it.
The article basically talks about Vaughan who weeped (there’s a marked difference between weeping and wiping a tear, right?); following a succession of other sportsmen like Beckham and Federer, to name a few, who have all cried in public. Despite arguments that it is indeed normal for men to cry (publicly or otherwise), the writer seems adamant that:

Crying is for sissies.

It is not cool for men to cry unless it is done in the throes of a loving relationship, behind closed door and done once throughout their entire life.
Crying is not empowering (but empowering for women who witness it).
Crying is a weakness.
Crying lessens one’s masculinity.

Now, to counter-argue (for the sake of humanity), since when did crying – for men - become unacceptable? Why do people cry, anyway? Not for fun, surely. My dad surely did not cry because he was happy my grandpa was dead. The old adage “Big boys don’t cry” is certainly not applicable in this century. Not after a lot of hype regarding equal rights of men and women, metrosexuals and being human, for that matter. Sissies or not, men are human. They are susceptible to some melt-down moments. At the funeral. At the field. Anywhere. It isn’t a crime. It is a crime only to the opinionated, bigoted writer who thinks crying is a game. In movies, maybe, but not in real life.
How can witnessing a man breaking down empowering? For me, learning to drive was empowering. Getting a divorce was empowering. But, witnessing a man crying? Get a life, Woods! And while you’re at it, why don’t you write about those male Olympic athletes who have hairless armpits. Funny that those who are hairless are from the West whereas those who aren’t are from Asia. Are Asian athletes more masculine than their Western counterparts?