You know how each time International Women’s Day rolls around a whole bunch of people will wonder ‘but when is International MEN’S Day?’ Well, it’s today. And many people are taking the time to look at issues that disproportionately affect men, such as the high rates of suicide and homelessness, and the pressure to ‘man-up’ all of the time.
For the first time ever, there’s been a debate about men’s issues in parliament.
There’s also this video, called Don’t Be A Statistic (the statistic being that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in this country). The video, and the song, Rollercoaster, tell the story of a guy whose potential fiancé leaves him, before his friends ditch him and he loses his job.
And then a ‘friend’ tells him his ‘wifey’ is off with his ‘bro’ and he responds by overdosing and killing himself. But there’s a twist…
We’re still not 100% sure what the twist means, but the video has good intentions. Featuring music by Rapman and production by SB.TV’s Jamal Edwards in conjunction with CALM and UniLAD, it’s designed to show men how important it is for them to reach out when they need help. And to be supportive to their friends who need help.
We’re living in a society where men crying or talking about their feelings is shouted down and it’s about time they’re encouraged to be something other than feelingless concrete bunkers of lad.
Jamal, who’s lost two of his own friends to suicide, said: ‘It’s not seen as cool to ask for help. Many men, especially young men, don’t ask for help.
‘Too many will play football with their friends, play PlayStation, never feeling like they can say, “I’m feeling like this.” There’s nowhere near enough awareness of the dangers.’
Hopefully, this video will help raise that awareness.
Like this? You might also be interested in:
Things You Only Know If Your Boyfriend Tried To Kill Himself
You’re Not Meant To Be Depressed At Uni But It’s A Breeding Ground For Sadness
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.