Why are males graduating at a lower rate from high school? Why are fewer males attending university? Why are homicide and suicide rates for males, ecspecially African American males, between 15- 27 so high and seemingly increasing?

Is there a crop of males who are effectively 'throw aways', like the young males of the Mormon fundamentalist compounds forced out because they are potential competition to the ruling male elite?

Is it because young males are potential threats to the established powers of a society and if they are not totally compliant, they are worthless and meaningless, as in the philosophy of the cult classic Fight Club?

Why is it when a young male goes missing with mysterious and possible criminal nefario us underpinnings, its no big thing. But when a young female goes missing, its often a region wide news alert for days, even for years as in the case in Aruba, and the missing intern in Washington DC in 2001.

What is this? A pattern reminiscent of a societal ailment? Or just coincidences?

Here's another significant tie to modern pop culture and the downward spiral of the American male:

the booming popularity of Mixed Martial Arts.

2 opponents locked in a ring fight until one surrenders or is knocked unconscious.

Many fighters come from lower class backgrounds with few opportunities, resorting to beating the brains of others of like circumstances for a few moments of fame and a few dollars. Make no mistake, their brains are getting beaten, sometimes even their brain stems are even injuried, resulting in breathing loss, sporadic heart rates, near death concussions and unconsciousness. It is the brutish of competition and it is gaining popularity across America. And it is a male dominated sport despite the presence of female competitors.

But the individual who looses consciousness is suffering a major concussion. Were this to happen in a car accident or a fall, all doctors would require a patient to go to a hospital for a battery of brain scans. But this is not glorified.

And millions is certainly maded behind the scenes. The most recent CBS saturday night broadcast of an MMA Elite MXC match reveals that this matter is growing.

But is this an indication of the downward spiral of the American male?

Since it's primarily men who finance, advertise and watch these "events" who is it that's responsible? To carry it one step further, who's lower on the totem pole, the idiot in the ring or the idiot beside it?

The problem is that women are trying to do it all. Why go to college and get a good job when your honor-grad girlfriend will support you?

Along with that goes the problem that the images of manhood these days are overwhelmingly negative. Boys don't have anything to live up to anymore.

Hi MessyOne,

I do not not not disagree with you.

That's why I put forth the FLDS compound example of elite older men casting out younger men as expendible, I believe they were named "throw away boys".

I'm not saying women are the cause. In fact I love women, really I do.

Just curious, why is MessyOne your name again?

And crookcube has a point:

I still snicker at the scene of young men lounging in the passenger seat as young woman grips the steering wheel with both hands, leaning forward intensely. The young women are being played and they think they're 'liberated'?

I think to myself: does he even own a car? How about a bank account?

I know a place where young man can buy a nice car for 2 grand, but why should he when he can borrow her car and she'll drive them around. God only knows what they do behind closed doors. Mature women need to speak up to their younger sisters before those young ladies waste their youth and beauty on sponges who will step at the first wringle or roll of fat. I often think about a terrible description that a famous movie actress used to describe her youth in Hollywood: Young, dumb, and full of ......... you get the meaning.

Anyways, Kimba slice rules...lol.

I was dubbed Messy after a particularly active landscaping day that involved manure, compost, mulch and the planting of many shrubs. It was a hottish day, so by mid-afternoon, I was looking a long way from glamorous. I freely admit to smelling - um - not so hot.

One of our local religious types knocked on our front door, then spied me using a wheelbarrow to move the dead shrubs to the curb. She asked me very slowly and in loud ringing tones if the "lady of the house" was in.

I gave her the fish-eye and pretended I didn't speak any English. The Boy was still laughing several weeks later when we were seated a couple of tables down from her and her husband in a restaurant. She said nothing, but blushed furiously. It was fun....

It seems to me that all of the issues you bring up have less to do with sex than race and poverty - males aren't doing worse in school, black and hispanic males are. And yes, these minority young men are treated as "throw-away" by our culture. Having trouble in school? No need to focus on helping those kids when there are so many nice middle class white boys we could be pushing into college, let 'em drop out. Getting into crime as a desperate attempt to improve their lifestyles? No reason to try and rehabilitate them, throw them in jail, for as long as possible.

Similar issue with disappearances. Have you not noticed that all those women featured in the news fall into the blond princess category? There are no such news stories on the many poor (or even not poor) black and hispanic women who disappear, who'd I'd guess probably outnumber the abducted men of all types.

I remeber "debating" a female roomate over who was the more debased: a male boxer or a female porn "actress." Brain damage doesn't rate in her book, I guess.