Why is Goodes supposed to ‘man up’ while it’s OK for Fanning to show vulnerability?
Surfer Mick Fanning admitted on 60 Minutes last night he is going to seek psychological counselling to cope with the emotional aftermath of his terrifying recent shark encounter in South Africa.
Yet, after admitting he “needs help” and is experiencing horrific nightmares, today there has not been a single word written in the media calling him a wimp, complainer or urging him to ‘man up”.
Are surfing fans are more empathetic and well, sensible, than the AFL’s? Because when Adam Goodes says he is emotionally wounded, damaged and disturbed by the thousands of fans booing every time he handles a football, or the taunts of “Abo” and “Ape”, the proud Indigenous player constantly cops he is, according to many, a big wuss who should put up or shut up.
Which has led me to wonder why, is Goodes supposed to “man up” while it’s okay for Fanning to show vulnerability? Is it per chance that every Australian can relate to the terror of a shark but only a minority understands what it’s like to be hated for your colour, your looks and ethnicity?
Not that I am putting Fanning down – I am most definitely not. In fact, I applaud him for admitting he needs help because here is salient fact – Australian men need to acknowledge mental health issues more. What’s more, they need to seek help and tell others they are doing so.
Top Comments
The point of the article is not to thrash it out over which of these two scenarios is more mentally damaging. As an outsider, you don't get to decide what is and is not worthy of somebody else’s mental suffering.
Calling a man “a big sook” and bellowing for him to “man up” when he comes across as anything but a sheer, emotionless tough-nut is such an archaic mentality. Seriously, caveman shit. In doing so, you’re successfully making it more difficult for the next guy to stand up, which statistics say is clearly quite hard for men to do already.
We should support the men that admit that they are struggling emotionally, especially those in the public eye. Not only because I suspect the limelight makes it that much harder to do so, but because they're publicly challenging the attitude that seems to still exist that says real men don't have emotions, they sit around all day in caves and beating their fists on their big hairy man-chests.
I agree with where you're coming from, but as a comparison to prove a point, this doesn't work - sorry.