Junior theatre major

OK, this one’s for the fellas out there: Don’t you hate it when you hear another guy talking about how he took his car to a mechanic to get his oil changed? I hope they took away his man card when he paid. Am I right? Dudes?

When it comes to cars, men have historically been the ones in charge. They bought the cars; they drove the cars; they maintained the cars; they showed off the cars to other men who were busy showing off their own cars. And if you, as a man, broke from this norm, you were seen as unworthy of your “man card.” The role of women in this situation was one of expected complacency — relegated to simply riding along in the cars with men.

But in modern times, with increased use of public transportation, more independence for women, greater social awareness and decreased time and ability to maintain vehicles personally, why are cars still a prominent example of sharply defined gender roles? Why are men still expected to display their prowess with machines?

This whole train of thought was kicked off by a particularly annoying and infuriating radio ad for auto parts store AutoZone (the world’s last bastion of masculinity), which implied that while some men are driven to tears by their “check engine” lights, the man who goes to AutoZone is not. All I could think while driving my car — which has had a glowing “check engine” light for the better part of three years — was, “Am I not a man?”

First of all, I identify as male, which alone makes me man. But on top of that, even in terms of traditional masculinity, I think I’m pretty manly. I have a beard, I drink whiskey and I like getting my hands dirty from time to time. But what I can’t do is troubleshoot my engine light. I don’t even change my own oil. My dad does that. So am I really a man? Well, yes. I am. But this kind of unnecessary reinforcement of outdated machismo, calling people out based on their presumed lack of masculinity, does not have a place in this day and age.

For many, cars are tools to be used on a daily basis. For others, they are points of pride, testaments to the hard work and care their owners put into them. And that’s OK. What’s not OK is treating car maintenance as the end-all-be-all of what defines someone’s masculinity. Especially as an advertisement. Why would I want to buy from a retailer that thinks of me as a lesser man, a man whose engine light drives me to tears?

Cars are one of the most abundant machines on the planet. Machines that people of all genders use. Machines that do not define the validity of those genders. They are also machines that are often costly and complicated to care for. While I think it’s smart to be able to change a tire or jump-start a car, it’s OK if you can’t or don’t want to know. Sometimes drivers just want to leave it to people who are trained to complete those tasks. So, men: Take your car to AutoZone, take your car to a mechanic, ride your bike, ride the Metro or walk. You’ll get to keep your man card no matter what you choose.

Sean Forsythe is a junior theatre major. He can be reached at sforsythedbk@gmail.com.