Put Your Soul On The Line

I began (in earnest) work today on casting a planned upcoming feature film. (My short film, by the way, is completed and submitted; I'll hear whether it's made the cut in late September.) There are still some issues that have to be sorted before I can start contacting people, but it never hurts to evaluate ones options. One of the things that immediately jumped out at me, so to speak, was the fact that for the female lead part I had about seven names down, and for the male lead only I could only find three. That wasn't because the guys role was more complex or because I know a lot of girls - the simple (sad) fact is that there aren't as many blokes out there who are willing and able to give a dramatic performance. Somehow it has become 'not cool' or even 'queer' for those of the male sex to involve themselves in the arts. Now I can understand (though not sympathise with) this to a certain extent: artistic endeavours require you to put yourself (as opposed to your body) on the line, admit that things are not straightforward and easy, and lower the defensive shield that's usually been fastidiously built over the years. And guys really don't like to do that. This isn't an isolated area either - it's just a symptom of a much larger problem. Men have immense difficulty opening up, being real and exposing themselves to emotional flak; naturally this creates numerous dilemmas. We won't communicate properly because we're afraid to reveal what we truly think, we won't give freely because we're scared of not having enough, and we won't love unconditionally because we fear rejection. The 'New Age Sensitive Guy' isn't the answer - that's just men trying to act like women. Men must be brave enough to put their souls in the line of fire and take the shots when that's what's required to do right. If they will not do that, then I say - no matter how many fights they've won, or people they've dominated - that they are cowards, and worthy only of a cowards respect.