Not am Mann. Die Erfindung toxischer Männlichkeit

“Not am Mann” is the title of Eva Ladipo’s new book, and the title itself makes it clear what it’s about: the invention of toxic masculinity and the void left behind by the stereotype. When society remains silent about men and their struggles, others fill the void—often with fantasies of power and misogyny. On the “Lanz und Precht” podcast, philosopher Richard David Precht praised her book as “crystal clear and intelligent.” Now the author is coming to VHS Essen as a guest speaker.

Va Ladipo, who lives in London, writes about Germany for major cultural sections—the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Welt, and Die Zeit—and previously for the Financial Times and Vanity Fair. Young men, she argues, need narratives in which they feature. Otherwise, hurt feelings can quickly turn into ideology. She illustrates this with examples from the comments sections. She dissects this dynamic with sharp insight without losing her compassion. Behind the hatred, she often sees something simpler: the loss of status and security in a working world that no longer keeps its old promises. She owes her economic perspective to her education. Born in 1974, the political scientist studied at Cambridge and earned her doctorate with a dissertation on the Russian tax system.

In the “Reden von morgen” (Talks of Tomorrow) series, Nikolaos Georgakis of VHS Essen welcomes the author and interviews her about her theses. How can an open society reach young men before authoritarian role models do? What would that mean for schools, for families, and for the language of politics? A Sunday morning for everyone in Essen who wants to reflect on and join the conversation about masculinity beyond gender stereotypes.
 

Free admission.

Please register for the event here .