Indiewire‘s Eric Kohn has tut-tutted his way through an essay about the rank aroma of toxic masculinity in such award-season contenders as The Irishman, Marriage Story, Parisite, Honey Boy, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

Such ugliness, and so upsetting to wokesters who need their safe spaces, of course, and who may need to take breaks from these films in the lobby with, you know, neckrubs and counselling.

My favorite part is Kohn’s kicker paragraph, to wit: “If these movies all probe toxic masculinity from a male perspective, the season is poised to balance out with some of its most anticipated titles around the corner. Greta Gerwig’s Little Women adaptation and Jay Roach‘s Bombshell are both poised to address the other side of the equation.

“As moviegoers navigate a sea of toxic masculinity, these late-season entrants may deliver a lifeline — or at least the opportunity to widen the cultural frame. They can’t come soon enough.” Thank God…a lifeline!

I don’t want to speak out of turn or sound like a contrarian, but there might be a strain or two of toxic masculinity in William Shakespeare‘s Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, A Winter’s Tale, etc. I think it also appeared in the works of other playwrights, novelists, screenwriters and directors. Certainly over the last couple of centuries. Or am I mistaken?