Anthony Mackie’s recent comments on the “death of the American male” are striking, not just because they’re true, but because he dared to say them out loud in an industry that has spent decades undermining traditional masculinity. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mackie spoke about raising his sons to be men—a concept that, in modern culture, has become either controversial or outright condemned.
“So, it is just that thing of in the past 20 years, we’ve been living through the death of the American male. They have literally killed masculinity in our homes, in our communities for one reason or another. But I raise my boys to be young men.”
Mackie’s words resonate because they highlight a reality many have felt but few in Hollywood are willing to acknowledge. And the real question is: who is responsible for this cultural shift? Mackie leaves that part ambiguous, but the answer is clear to anyone paying attention.
Hollywood, along with corporate America (particularly Madison Avenue), has spent years not just diminishing men but actively reshaping their portrayal in culture. This isn’t simply about creating strong female characters—something that, when done well, is great—it’s about how men are depicted in contrast to them. In movies, TV, and advertising, men are often either clueless buffoons, incompetent sidekicks, or outright villains. Fatherhood, once portrayed as a position of wisdom and guidance, is now a punchline. Masculinity is treated as an obstacle to progress, rather than an essential and complementary force in society.
“Girls rule, boys drool” is a funny joke in elementary school. As a cultural standard, it’s degrading to everyone.
Mackie, to his credit, isn’t just talking about what’s wrong—he’s actively working to instill real values in his sons. He emphasizes teaching them humility, responsibility, and what can only be described as chivalry:
“Every time I left for a job, I tell my 15-year-old, ‘You’re the man of the house. You make sure these doors are locked. Every night this alarm is on. You text me or you call me every night before you go to bed and you wake up.’ I love that because we’re men.”
What Mackie is talking about isn’t toxic masculinity—it’s servant leadership. It’s the idea that men are called to protect and serve their families, not through domination or control, but through sacrifice. This is the kind of masculinity that Paul describes in Ephesians: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” True masculinity isn’t about superiority—it’s about responsibility.
Unfortunately, modern culture has largely discarded that idea. Instead, we’ve been sold the notion that men are either useless or oppressive, and that traditional masculinity is something to be dismantled rather than directed toward good. This is a loss for everyone. It leaves men without purpose and women without the kind of partnership that healthy masculinity fosters.
Comedian Damon Wayans made a similar point years ago about raising his own sons. He joked that they were nerdy, bookish, and far from the “cool” crowd—but that he’d rather them be nerdy and alive than cool and dead. In other words, he rejected the empty cultural messages about masculinity and instead focused on raising responsible, intelligent young men. The results? His son, Damon Wayans Jr., is now a successful actor and comedian in his own right, working alongside his father.
