From cruise missiles and giving guns as going-home presents to hard-man German government reforms and dads showing their softer side in Munich, here’s what we’re talking about at The Local this week.
Toxic masculinity, or toxische Männlichkeit, is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot these days.
It’s used in much the same way in both languages: to describe ways of being a man in the world that typically involve emotional repression, domination, aggression and the persistent belief that every problem can be solved by being a bit tougher.
Arguably, Germany has seen rather a lot of it this week, with a number of newspapers leaning heavily on dramatic pictures of missiles blasting off from launch pads wreathed in flame and smoke. This follows the announcement that Germany will soon acquire Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US.
As Tagesspiegel pointed out, Germany will now spend huge sums of money on a system which Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, had intended to use to protect Germany free of charge.
Engraved gun diplomacy
The deal was agreed on the sidelines of the NATO summit. And while the purchase of cruise missiles arguably represents prudent security policy (the government describes their purchase as an important step in closing Germany’s strategic defence gap and strengthening deterrence against Russia) it’s hard to make the same claim for the going-home presents pressed on attendees by summit host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
What does a world leader do with a gun and six bullets? Photo by EITVYDAS KINAITIS / OFFICE OF THE LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT / AFP
Along with other world leaders, Chancellor Merz received a commemorative revolver complete with personalised engravings and live ammunition.
Canada’s Mark Carney joked that his own gift of maple syrup rather paled by comparison. Other leaders spent the following days explaining how the weapons would be safely stored, deactivated and handed to museums or surrendered to the relevant authorities.
Merz’s gun was sent at once to the German embassy, from where it will be properly imported and inventoried as an official gift.
But while the chancellor may not have handled the weapon himself, images of guns and missiles still arguably offer the perfect backdrop to days of frenetic, alpha-bureaucrat energy at home.
Hard decisions
Ahead of the summer recess, the coalition government spent much of the week defending a raft of proposed reforms, many of which felt like a seamless continuation of the hard-man vibe.
Among other measures, these include:
Pretty tough, eh? But whether or not the tough-guy aesthetic is your thing, it’s still important to note that alternatives are available.
Dads do hair in Munich
One of the most heart-warming stories to emerge from Germany this week came not from a summit, a military procurement programme or a parliamentary debate, but from a pub in Munich.
At Fux Gasthaus, fathers have been flocking to a workshop called Dads Do Hair, where they learn how to style their daughters’ hair.
Still from footage shot by OLIVIER FENIET / AFPTV / AFP
Using practice heads rather than their long-suffering children, participants are taught everything from simple ponytails to braids, bubble braids and space buns by hair and make-up artist Anita Erdmann. For an instant hit of happiness, click here to see a class in action on Instagram.
The concept was inspired by London’s hugely popular “Pints and Ponytails” events and has become an unexpected sensation in Bavaria. Demand has been so strong that courses quickly sold out, with future sessions already filling up.
One delighted dad explained that he’d been searching for an event like this for a long time.
“I have two girls at home, and my wife always has to do their hair by herself. Now I can help her out and my girls can go to preschool looking nice,” he said.
Erdmann herself said that the feedback she receives is often unexpectedly emotional. She revealed that one father became so enthusiastic he bought himself a toolbox and filled it with hair accessories, eventually taking over the morning hairstyling routine entirely.
It may not be as dramatic as a Tomahawk missile, a personalised revolver or a cut to benefits, but arguably there’s something far more impressive about men gathering to learn practical skills and find small ways to make life easier for their families – one bubble braid at a time.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
