Why are firefighters painting their nails to ‘redefine masculinity’?

Photo by Dan Cristian Pădureț on Unsplash

all me old-fashioned but if I ever have the misfortune to be stuck inside a burning building, I want a fireman to come to my rescue. As the temperature rises, I won’t give two hoots as to whether my particular fireman is black, white, gay, straight, male or female. I just want someone brave enough to ignore the flames and strong enough to carry me down flights of stairs. A bit of Stoicism might be good too; I don’t want to have to hand out tissues to my weeping saviour. But a firefighter with a decent manicure? I’ll be honest, that comes way down my wish list.

Not, it seems, in Nottingham. Firemen based at the Stapleford Fire Station on the outskirts of the city recently took part in a male manicure initiative as part of the ‘Hard as Nails’ campaign. Pictures of crew members showing off their newly-varnished, bright red nails were shared on social media. Surprisingly, few of those commenting on the posts appreciated the thought that went into co-ordinating nails and fire-engines. Indeed, the ferocity of the public response reassures me I am not alone in wanting a firefighter prepared to break down doors, even at risk of breaking a nail.

This nail-painting was not part of a routine pampering session. Any suggestion that eye-masks and foot-spas were involved is unsubstantiated. Instead, manicures were given in the interests of awareness raising. The aim, it seems, was to ‘break down barriers’ by ‘challenging stereotypes, building empathy and re-defining masculinity.’ Jeff Buck, from the Hard as Nails campaign, said, ‘It’s a nice antidote to all of that toxic masculinity, isn’t it?’. Isn’t it just!

Before getting swept up in the glamour, it’s worth asking what exactly needs ‘re-defining’ about masculinity. What is it about male behaviour that Nottinghamshire’s Fire and Rescue Service thinks needs challenging? Does it really think that the men it employs are ‘toxic’?

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It is becoming increasingly fashionable to see men as a problem in need of fixing. As the debate around the Netflix drama Adolescence makes clear, there’s a widespread assumption that, left to his own devices, even the most mild-mannered teenage boy is only one Andrew Tate video away from becoming a knife-wielding killer.

The toxic masculinity narrative suggests all men are emotionally-empty, aggressive, misogynists who, without help and support, are either a danger to women or a risk to themselves. In truth, as most women with fathers, brothers, husbands or sons can attest, the vast majority of men see Andrew Tate as an imbecile not a role model. They do not need to wear nail varnish to know it is wrong to hit women. The notion that men are poisonous is as insulting as it is inaccurate.

With this in mind, perhaps the best that can be said of the Nottinghamshire manicures is that they are a waste of time and money. According to Mr Buck, the purpose of the exercise was ‘to get people talking, to have those conversations about masculinity, gender identity, all those things that need to be discussed.’ But haven’t firefighters got better things to do than sit around discussing how they feel about being men?

The ‘let’s just have a chat’ line belies the seriousness of these intiatives. The toxic masculinity narrative problematises the very qualities that make men – and indeed some women – ideally suited to entering burning buildings and rescuing people. It sends a message that strength, Stoicism, courage, risk taking, competitiveness – and, yes, on occasion, even aggression – are negative attributes that need to be tempered.

We cannot repeatedly tell boys and men that their instincts are bad and in need of correction without social consequences. Replace strength training with nail painting and there’ll be no one willing to enter a burning building or strong enough to carry people out. To be clear, if that’s me or my children trapped inside, I will take toxic masculinity over sensitivity any day.

But perhaps I have misunderstood what a fire service is for nowadays. A spokesperson for the Nottinghamshire force said: ‘We are proud and passionate about making people safer right across the county, and that does look different now to how it did many years ago.’ So less about putting out fires and more about ‘making people safer’. It brings to mind the university ‘safe space’ complete with colouring books and cookies and bans on bad words.

The next time you find yourself in a burning building, perhaps think twice about calling a fire engine. But if someone misgenders you or you break a nail, you can be sure to rely on Nottinghamshire’s Fire and Rescue Service for emotional support.

Originally published at The Spectator: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-are-firefighters-painting-their-nails-to-redefine-masculinity/