Benedict Cumberbatch calls on men to 'shut up and listen' to conservations about toxic masculinity
Benedict Cumberbatch believes men need to "shut up and listen" during discussions about toxic masculinity.
In his new film, The Power of the Dog, Cumberbatch plays domineering rancher Phil Burbank, who inspires fear in all those around him and is cruel to his sister-in-law when his brother returns to the ranch with his new wife.
The British actor addressed the issue of toxic masculinity as he discussed his character's evil actions in an interview with Sky News, and insisted that men's behaviour needs to come into question.
"We need to fix the behaviour of men. You have to kind of lift the lid on the engine a little bit," he said. "I think it's ever-relevant, and in a world that's questioning and ripping into and finally pointing out the inadequacies of the status quo and the patriarchy, it's even more important."
The Doctor Strange star continued, hitting back at the phrase "not all men" as a defensive response to criticism, saying, "You get this sort of rebellion aspect, this denial, this sort of childish defensive position of 'not all men are bad.' No, we just have to shut up and listen."
In closing, the 45-year-old noted that there isn't "enough recognition" of abuse, disadvantages, and the reason behind oppressive behaviour. Ultimately, he hoped that "somewhere along the line" society will do what the film tries to do, which is "examine the reason behind the oppressive behaviour to fix the men."
