Real Men Extol Humanity

Admiral William McRaven

Some of us remember the phrase “Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche” that was the title of a book that had started out as a facetious piece published by Bruce Feirstein in Playboy magazine. The title, and the content, was satirical. The ‘real men’ in the book sat around eating steak, wore flannel shirts, and never shared their feelings. The “Quiche-eaters” or wimps, otherwise known as Sensitive New Age Guys, not only made and ate quiche, but also did the dishes, and of course, supported the feminist movements. The book was simply a satirical examination of masculine stereotypes. The subtitle was A Guidebook to All that is Truly Masculine, however, proving the stereotypes, many men failed to see the satire, and the popularity of quiche plummeted.

In an opinion essay by David French in the NYT dated July 28, 2024, French contrasts the pseudo masculinity antics of Hulk Hogan and other Trump sycophants at the RNC with the principles outlined in a speech by Admiral William McRaven, a Navy Seal, a former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, and one of the key architects of the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. French’s essay prompted me to read and watch a 2014 commencement address at the University of Texas by McRaven. It provides principles from his SEAL training that can be used as advice on how to change the world.

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David French writes:

Each new principle is rooted in his experience, including “If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not by the size of their flippers.” Here’s one that’s particularly salient in the face of Trumpist bullying: “If you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.”

The address builds to a conclusion that is alien to Trumpist masculinity: “Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when the times are the toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never ever give up — if you do these things, the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today.”

I don’t know if the men pictured below eat quiche, but I do know that they are Real Men.