Toxic masculinity is alive and well in this season of Married At First Sight (MAFS) Australia.
Season nine of the hit reality show, where couples get married the moment they meet each other, is currently airing in the UK on Channel 4.
Yet, fans are accusing some of the women on the show of showing toxic masculinity towards their partners.
Toxic masculinity is when men are expected to conform to a set of attitudes and behaviours steroptypically associated with the male sex.
In the first episodes of this season, it quickly became clear that toxic masculinity was prevalent in Selin Mengu and Anthony Cincotta’s relationship.
Selin accused Anthony of being “too emotional” and said she wanted a “real man”. Other things she has said include “are you okay princess?” and “are you going to have another cry?”
Another cast member, Domenica Calarco, told her partner Jack Millar that he was being “too sensitive”.
Twitter users have been quick to point out the toxicity in Selin and Domenica’s statements, with one user stating: “Seriously this is no longer entertaining. Cuz [sic] if Selin was a man doing this to a woman producers would intervene. It’s not fair for Anthony to continue to suffer her.”
Another user said: “Selin from #MAFSA needs to realise that nobody, ABSOLUTELY nobody, has to stay through her toxic attitude and inability to move on from a bad situation that she, herself, contributed to. She does not deserve a gentleman with an attitude like that.”
A third user pointed out that being emotionally vulnerable isn’t easy, “let alone for men due to societal pressures of masculinity”. They added: “That Selin has flagrantly dismissed this and felt uplifted badmouthing her partner over issues so minor, only amplifies these pressures. No wonder some men don’t talk.”
“‘He’s not a man’ CONSTANTLY,” another Twitter user said. “Toxic women like that are the reason so many men suffer mentally in silence. Anthony is absolutely ‘a man’.”
One Twitter user pointed out that Selin’s behaviour is “regressive”. “How regressive is Selin?! Calling Anthony ‘Princess’ and ‘not a man’ for showing vulnerability - how toxic and small-minded is that?!” they wrote.
While MAFS Australia doesn’t paint a picture of the country as a whole, a 2018 survey of 1,000 young Australian men between the ages of 18 to 30 found that most men feel influenced by societal pressures to be “masculine”.
The survey found that 69 per cent of respondents agreed that society expects men to “act strong”, 60 per cent feel they are expected to fight back when pushed, and 56 per cent feel as if they can never say no to sex.
