Yahoo News 'What a load of flannel': Piers Morgan rubbishes advice on male mental health
Piers Morgan has gone on an epic rant about “radical feminists” trying to “extinguish masculinity” in a response to guidelines on supporting male mental health.
The American Psychological Association has issued its first ever guidelines for mental health professionals working with men and boys, in which it’s advised that traditionally masculine traits such as competitiveness and stoicism can be psychologically harmful to boys who feel the pressure to live up to them.
But on Good Morning Britain Morgan wasted no time in flaming the recommendations, calling them “flannel”. And he contrasted the traits with Andy Murray’s recent retirement statements.
He ranted: “Andy Murray perfectly personifies traditional masculinity.
“Here’s why – throughout his career, he’s been stoic, competitive, dominant and aggressive. All of those four things have now been identified by the American Psychological Association as harmful.
“So every single characteristic that Andy Murray has ever shown, to become the greatest tennis player we’ve ever had in this country, arguably our greatest ever sportsman, everything that drove him to be this successful is harmful and must be stopped.”
It's OK to cry, and it's also OK not to cry and to be conventionally 'masculine' without hysterical radical feminists screaming that's 'toxic'.
Despite their best efforts, it's still not a crime to be a man, with male characteristics. https://t.co/Or7CsvTYAl— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 13, 2019
Morgan concluded: “Instead, take your boys to a little corner, and teach them how to cry all day.
“What a load of flannel.
“A bunch of radical feminists are trying to extinguish masculinity and being male.”
But his co-host Susanna Reid was appalled by his comments, and argued back with him.
She said: “It’s the American Psychological Association, they’re not a bunch of radical feminists.”
As usual, @piersmorgan doesn’t understand the point being raised. Is it remotely sensible to encourage boys to be expressionless robots? https://t.co/MzGcd5a79C
— Ben Berwick (@darth_timon) January 14, 2019
Morgan refused to back down, insisting: “They are. The whole agenda is being driven by radical feminists who want to expunge masculinity and people being male, men behaving like men.”
He then offered his own advice to young men on how they should encourage their masculinity.
“Don’t let these people tell you you can’t be strong,” he instructed.
“Being stoic is wrong? How would Churchill have survived? How would he have won the war, tell me that, radicals? These are great characteristics, they are male.”
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