They Say Men Are Falling Behind, But Try Running The Country Without Them
April 16, 2026
The decline of the American man is everywhere. One can’t scroll online or turn on a TV today without escaping the narrative that men are falling behind, opting out, and failing to launch. There are some underlying truths and selective data to back this up. But as someone who always challenges what he sees online by stepping out into the real world and applying some common sense, I’m not buying it. Men today certainly face modern challenges, but that’s not the most important part of the story. The headlines focus on their absence, but it is where they continue to show up that society still depends on them most.
The other morning in my driveway, I had a brief chat with the garbage collectors on our street. As one man drove the truck and two others hung off the back, loading the bags, it dawned on me. I’ve never seen a female trash collector. (It turns out that only 13% of garbage collectors are women.) This is a dirty and dangerous job. It is a man’s job. And it turns out, men are still carrying the load — literally and physically.
