Has deindustrialization led to toxic masculinity? Sting's controversial comments
What's the story
Iconic musician Sting has suggested that the decline of manual labor jobs may be contributing to toxic masculinity. In an interview with The Guardian, he said that many men no longer use their hands and physicality in their daily lives. This, he believes, is a part of deindustrialization which has led to a loss of physical productivity for men.
Masculinity views
'We've lost something there'
Sting said, "I work with my hands every day as a musician, and I'm lucky." "It's a rare thing for modern men to actually use their hands and use their strengths to do anything." He said, "We've lost something there...maybe the toxicity in society at the moment is [a result of the fact] that we've lost that direction for our energy, that male strength." "It's rare we have to use it."
Musical insights
Sting's musical explores male identity during deindustrialization
Sting's musical The Last Ship, which is coming to the West End this autumn, explores the lives of men working at a shipyard during deindustrialization in the 1970s and '80s. The show focuses on their identity crisis as they lose their jobs and sense of purpose. "Britain's wealth was created in the coalfields and the steel towns and the mill towns and the shipyards," Sting said. "All of those skill sets were thrown on the scrapheap...for...dream of a service economy."
Community reflection
'That environment was so rich with symbolism'
Sting also spoke about the sense of community he grew up in, despite its challenges. He said, "That environment was so rich with symbolism." "The work was awful and dangerous and hard, but those guys could look back and say...'Well, I built that.' The civic pride was massive." The Last Ship had mixed reviews when it opened on Broadway but has since toured worldwide and been revised with some characters being cut and a new book, written by Barney Norris.
Career challenges
'It's been incredibly difficult and challenging'
Reflecting on the Broadway run of The Last Ship, Sting admitted he made things tougher for himself by creating an original production instead of a jukebox musical built around his own hits. He said, "It's been incredibly difficult and challenging, but also the most rewarding exploit of my life." Meanwhile, Sting is also involved in a high court dispute with his former The Police bandmates over alleged unpaid royalties.