Style entirely inspired by Beckett's Vladimir and Estragon
Toxic masculinity
‘We should talk to him about the manosphere.’
‘Of course.’
‘Before it radicalises him.’
‘Has it radicalised him?’
‘He watched three videos.’
‘Three videos is not a movement.’
‘It depends on the fourth.’
Silence. From inside the room, a video stops.
‘Did you hear that?’
‘He paused it.’
‘That means he’s thinking.’
‘Or the Wi-Fi dropped.’
They listen.
‘What is the manosphere exactly?’
‘Men talking about being men.’
‘That sounds legal.’
‘Not always.’
‘Talking?’
‘Being men.’
Silence.
‘Some of it is mental health.’
‘Some of it is misogyny.’
‘Some of it is identity.’
‘Some of it is anger.’
‘That is the problem.’
‘Which part?’
‘All of it together.’
A long pause.
‘Why does he watch it?’
‘Because he is lost.’
‘At fifteen everyone is lost.’
‘Yes, but now the lost have playlists.’
From inside the room: ‘Still here.’
They freeze. ‘He heard us.’
‘Teenage boys have ears.’
‘That’s a positive sign.’
‘It’s biology.’
Silence.
‘We need to give him a healthy version of masculinity.’
‘What is that?’
‘Strength.’
‘What kind?’
‘Compassionate strength.’
‘Good.’
‘Honest strength.’
‘Good.’
‘Emotionally literate strength.’
‘Now it sounds like a council poster.’
They think.
‘Maybe that’s why he watches the other ones.’
‘Because they sound certain.’
‘Certainty is attractive.’
‘So is anger.’
‘So is someone saying, “I know why you feel useless.”’
Silence.
‘Do we know why he feels useless?’
‘Does he feel useless?’
‘We haven’t asked.’
‘We were preparing.’
Inside the room: ‘For two years.’
Silence.
‘The algorithm is dangerous.’
‘Yes.’
‘It gives him more of what he clicks.’
‘Yes.’
‘So if he clicks anger…’
‘It gives him anger.’
‘If he clicks contempt…’
‘It gives him contempt.’
‘If he clicks one man shouting in a car…’
‘It gives him nine men shouting in rented cars.’
Silence.
‘But he still chooses.’
‘Yes.’
‘So he drives this.’
‘Yes.’
‘And our role?’
‘To make sure anger is not the only voice that sounds awake.’
A floorboard creaks.
‘That was good.’
‘Was it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Say it again when he opens the door.’
‘It won’t sound natural.’
‘Nothing we say sounds natural.’
From inside the room: ‘Correct.’
They stand closer to the door.
‘We don’t want you to hate women.’
‘Excellent opening.’
‘You try.’
‘We don’t want you to be ashamed of being male.’
Silence.
‘Better.’
‘We don’t want masculinity to be handed to you by strangers who profit from keeping you angry.’
Long silence. Inside the room, the chair moves.
‘That one was better.’
‘Too long.’
‘True though.’
‘Truth often needs editing.’
A knock at the door. ‘Can we come in?’
‘Depends.’
‘On what?’
‘On whether this is a lecture.’
‘It’s a conversation.’
‘About masculinity?’
‘Yes.’
‘Algorithms?’
‘Yes.’
‘Misogyny?’
‘Yes.’
‘Talk to each other about it, I've already had this chat too many times.’