“The Man” by The Killers, Friday, July 22, 2022
In 2017, it had been five years since The Killers released new music, and even longer since they were a “household name.” Lead singer Brandon Flowers talks about starting with the song “Rut,” Wonderful, Wonderful’s third track, which defined the band’s new direction. While The Killers had been on hiatus had released his second solo record, The Desired Effect. Also before recording The Killers’ fifth record, Flowers moved out of his beloved hometown of “The Fabulous Las Vegas” which turned out to be a bad place to raise a family in the ‘10s. Still, digging out of the musical rut wasn’t easy. Flowers found on Wonderful, Wonderful it was ok to write about his family.
DON’T NEED NO ADVICE, I GOT A PLAN. The first single from Wonderful, Wonderful, though, "The Man," doesn't fall into the typical storytelling songs we come to expect from The Killers, rather "The Man" is a bragging song. The song was featured in the Netflix original film The Perfect Date during a montage when Brooks, played by Noah Centineo, dresses up as "the perfect date" for girls who pay him, the song seems completely serious. The "manly brag" song leaves listeners polarized. For every manly man singing along, there's a commensurate amount of males twiddling their thumbs, saying "Okay, we get it dude. You're a man." Some listeners have interpreted "The Man" as the Brandon Flowers of the past--a youthful arrogance and stubbornness prevalent in men in their late teenage to early 20s. This "piss and vinegar" masculine tenacity can prove useful when starting a band, but what happens when you grow into Tim the Toolman Taylor? While the song is delivered as completely serious, the video shows cracks in the song's philosophy.
THEM OTHER BOYS, I DON’T GIVE A DAMN. I haven't really talked about toxic masculinity in my blog. The issues surrounding gender identity are a very sensitive subject these days. Sexist opinions that "pink is for girls and blue is for boys" and that women belong in the kitchen and men belong in the boardroom are far more popular than they should be. Growing up in a strictly two-gendered Christian culture, masculinity, and femininity were modeled, and kids were expected to grow up to copy that model. Of course, there were always some exceptions, and not every man was super manly and not every woman super feminine, but there was an expectation of ideals. As I began exploring my sexuality, I also started to confront my presuppositions about gender. When we stop dividing the world into the masculine and the feminine, we can enjoy what we like and not have to worry about what other people think of us. Personally, I identify with a lot of masculine tendencies, but I will probably never be able to tell you how an engine works and I'd much rather go to the symphony than to a monster truck rally. My identity isn't wrapped up in physical strength, but strength of character. But to Tim the Toolman Taylor, I'm a beta male. How do you respond to that? Whatever dude. I'm just gonna live my life.
The Watch Podcast: talking to Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci in 2017
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