Yes, It’s Real, and No, I Didn’t Make It Up Just to Get Out of Doing the Dishes.
International Men’s Day has actually been around longer than most people realize. It began in 1992, when a professor named Thomas Oaster first promoted the idea. But it really started gaining traction in 1999, thanks to Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh of Trinidad and Tobago. He chose November 19 to honor both his father’s birthday and a local youth event that inspired unity and positive male role models. Since then, it’s grown into a global observance in more than 80 countries.
The mission? Pretty simple:
• highlight positive male role models,
• address men’s mental and physical health,
• improve gender relations,
• and promote the idea that being a good man is something worth celebrating.
Now, full disclosure: this message is written by a man. So I’m obligated to walk the tightrope between sincerity and the kind of
humor society allows me to use about myself. Because let’s be honest — the middle-aged man has quietly become the last universally “safe” punchline. Any sitcom, commercial, or stand-up routine can depict him as clueless, snack-obsessed, emotionally illiterate, bewildered by modern life…and somehow, we’ve all just agreed that’s fine.
And look — we laugh because it’s often true. But behind the jokes, there’s a real story. Men carry burdens that don’t always get daylight: mental health struggles, expectations to always be stoic, pressures to provide, fear of vulnerability, and social narratives that can swing between “men are the problem” and “men are unnecessary.” None of that is true, but it does shape how a lot of men feel.
So International Men’s Day isn’t about chest-thumping, superiority declarations, or handing out trophies for opening jars. It’s about acknowledging that men—like women—are complex, valuable, and human. It’s about encouraging healthier masculinity, better communication, stronger families, and the simple idea that it’s okay to be a man. Not perfect. Not invincible. Not the butt of every joke. Just…a man, trying his best.
So to the dads, sons, brothers, uncles, mentors, grandpas, and yes, even the stereotypical “I can fix that” middle-aged guys — today’s for you.
And don’t worry. Tomorrow, we can go back to making fun of ourselves. We’re good sports like that.