1 00:00:14,794 --> 00:00:19,021 So what is the biggest challenge that men face today? 2 00:00:19,669 --> 00:00:22,182 Now, some people might think, 3 00:00:22,182 --> 00:00:24,071 "Men have challenges?" 4 00:00:24,971 --> 00:00:29,221 Others might think, "Men are actually a challenge." 5 00:00:29,221 --> 00:00:30,848 (Laughter) 6 00:00:31,138 --> 00:00:32,563 (Applause) 7 00:00:32,563 --> 00:00:34,065 Yeah, there we go. 8 00:00:34,065 --> 00:00:36,141 (Applause) (Laughter) 9 00:00:37,149 --> 00:00:40,462 But really, what are the biggest challenges that men face today? 10 00:00:40,462 --> 00:00:42,900 Some might say that it's being able to develop 11 00:00:42,900 --> 00:00:45,996 a deep sense of emotional intelligence, 12 00:00:45,996 --> 00:00:49,519 while others would say that it's being able to really understand 13 00:00:49,519 --> 00:00:52,392 racial and gender inequality. 14 00:00:52,847 --> 00:00:55,055 Now, while both of those are true, 15 00:00:55,055 --> 00:00:58,487 I see that the biggest challenge that they face in order to address those 16 00:00:58,487 --> 00:01:02,696 is being able to overcome and move through some of the negative stereotypes 17 00:01:02,696 --> 00:01:05,261 that surround masculinity. 18 00:01:05,713 --> 00:01:07,143 You see, at a very young age, 19 00:01:07,143 --> 00:01:13,336 most boys and young men are taught that their highest value as a man 20 00:01:13,336 --> 00:01:20,322 is their ability to dominate, to control and to succeed at all costs. 21 00:01:21,936 --> 00:01:23,795 You see, I've had a unique experience 22 00:01:23,795 --> 00:01:26,933 and I've been able to see masculinity in all different forms 23 00:01:26,933 --> 00:01:29,528 and all walks of life, 24 00:01:29,528 --> 00:01:32,872 from the frozen gravel pits of Northern Alberta 25 00:01:32,872 --> 00:01:36,582 to the opera houses of Europe and China, 26 00:01:36,582 --> 00:01:40,594 all the way back to the corporate boardrooms of North America. 27 00:01:41,236 --> 00:01:46,045 I've seen the dark, violent and aggressive side of masculinity, 28 00:01:46,515 --> 00:01:50,512 and I've seen the light, compassionate, caring side. 29 00:01:51,613 --> 00:01:53,467 I remember growing up in Alberta, 30 00:01:53,467 --> 00:01:56,056 and for those of you who don't know what that's like, 31 00:01:56,056 --> 00:01:58,613 it's kind of like the Texas of Canada. 32 00:01:58,613 --> 00:01:59,893 (Laughter) 33 00:02:00,173 --> 00:02:02,063 There's a lot of oil, 34 00:02:02,063 --> 00:02:03,873 there's a lot of big trucks, 35 00:02:03,873 --> 00:02:06,818 and there seems to be a plethora of cowboys. 36 00:02:07,748 --> 00:02:11,457 Now, I grew up going to a Catholic elementary school, 37 00:02:11,457 --> 00:02:13,953 and every Friday morning, we had this great tradition 38 00:02:13,953 --> 00:02:15,360 that I absolutely loved. 39 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,123 Every Friday morning, somebody would come over the intercom 40 00:02:18,123 --> 00:02:19,892 and they would read the Lord's prayer 41 00:02:19,892 --> 00:02:21,944 because it was a Catholic elementary school, 42 00:02:21,944 --> 00:02:23,062 but then, after that, 43 00:02:23,062 --> 00:02:26,163 somebody would come on, and they would sing the national anthem. 44 00:02:26,163 --> 00:02:27,308 Now, I loved this! 45 00:02:27,308 --> 00:02:29,503 I loved this because I loved music. 46 00:02:29,503 --> 00:02:32,135 And every week, the teacher would ask, 47 00:02:32,135 --> 00:02:36,113 "Is somebody willing to volunteer to go and sing the national anthem?" 48 00:02:36,113 --> 00:02:38,398 And every week, I would want to put my hand up, 49 00:02:38,398 --> 00:02:40,086 but I was too scared. 50 00:02:41,296 --> 00:02:45,960 Finally, after hearing somebody completely botch it one Friday morning, 51 00:02:46,852 --> 00:02:50,740 I decided, "I can do this, and I can probably even do it better than them." 52 00:02:51,179 --> 00:02:53,759 So I went home that day, and I practiced. 53 00:02:53,759 --> 00:02:56,032 I practiced and practiced and practiced. 54 00:02:56,032 --> 00:02:59,047 From morning to night, from bedroom to bathroom, 55 00:02:59,047 --> 00:03:03,436 I practiced singing the national anthem, and it must have driven my parents crazy! 56 00:03:04,176 --> 00:03:06,997 I actually remember I had one of those double cassette decks 57 00:03:06,997 --> 00:03:11,174 where you could put a cassette in one side and a cassette in the other, 58 00:03:11,174 --> 00:03:13,975 and so I could put Michael Jackson in on one side, 59 00:03:13,975 --> 00:03:18,794 and I would listen to him sing "Bad" and "Thriller" and "Heal the World," 60 00:03:18,794 --> 00:03:20,612 and I would practice my (Singing). 61 00:03:20,612 --> 00:03:22,035 And then on the other side - 62 00:03:22,035 --> 00:03:23,685 (Laughter) 63 00:03:23,685 --> 00:03:26,189 I would practice myself singing the national anthem. 64 00:03:26,469 --> 00:03:30,644 So finally, I got the courage up to go and do this. 65 00:03:30,644 --> 00:03:33,773 So one Friday morning, I march myself to school, 66 00:03:33,773 --> 00:03:37,795 I walk straight into the office, I go right up to the secretary and I say, 67 00:03:37,795 --> 00:03:41,342 "I am here to sing the national anthem." 68 00:03:41,342 --> 00:03:43,003 (Laughter) 69 00:03:43,003 --> 00:03:46,290 And she looks at me clearly confused about why I'm so excited. 70 00:03:46,641 --> 00:03:49,425 And she just says, "Okay ..." 71 00:03:49,425 --> 00:03:50,607 (Laughter) 72 00:03:50,607 --> 00:03:51,776 So my time comes, 73 00:03:51,776 --> 00:03:54,256 I get up and I sing that national anthem 74 00:03:54,256 --> 00:03:58,113 with all the jazz and pop tones that I can possibly muster. 75 00:03:58,113 --> 00:03:59,495 (Laughter) 76 00:03:59,737 --> 00:04:01,663 In my mind, it goes amazing. 77 00:04:01,663 --> 00:04:02,836 (Laughter) 78 00:04:02,836 --> 00:04:06,112 I walk out of the office with my head held high, 79 00:04:06,112 --> 00:04:09,986 with my pride in tow and a grin from ear to ear. 80 00:04:10,830 --> 00:04:15,048 As I'm going to class, I turn the corner and I bumped into the grade-six bully. 81 00:04:15,996 --> 00:04:18,127 He's a little bit bigger than me. 82 00:04:18,127 --> 00:04:19,642 He looks at me and he says, 83 00:04:19,642 --> 00:04:23,234 "Was that you that just sang the national anthem?" 84 00:04:23,234 --> 00:04:24,558 "Yes," 85 00:04:25,158 --> 00:04:27,489 I say, clearly proud of myself. 86 00:04:28,328 --> 00:04:29,821 And then, bam! 87 00:04:29,821 --> 00:04:32,478 He punches me right in the gut. 88 00:04:33,616 --> 00:04:36,114 And I drop to my knees because I can't breathe, 89 00:04:36,114 --> 00:04:40,264 and I look up at him and all I can manage to squeak out is, "Why?" 90 00:04:40,264 --> 00:04:43,430 Because I'm so confused as to what the heck just happened. 91 00:04:43,985 --> 00:04:47,031 And I'll never forget: he just looks at me, 92 00:04:47,031 --> 00:04:49,781 and he says, "Don't be such a bitch. 93 00:04:50,231 --> 00:04:51,881 Singing is for girls." 94 00:04:53,555 --> 00:04:54,815 And there it was, 95 00:04:54,815 --> 00:04:56,769 my first real experience 96 00:04:56,769 --> 00:05:00,867 with what one of the biggest challenges that young boys and young men face today, 97 00:05:00,867 --> 00:05:04,351 being taught that emotional and creative expression 98 00:05:04,351 --> 00:05:07,759 is not what a real man does. 99 00:05:07,759 --> 00:05:14,302 You see, the rise of the empowered woman is not a threat to masculinity. 100 00:05:14,664 --> 00:05:17,885 Feminism is not the death of men. 101 00:05:20,145 --> 00:05:21,409 Thank you. 102 00:05:21,409 --> 00:05:23,187 (Laughter) 103 00:05:23,187 --> 00:05:25,545 (Applause) 104 00:05:28,158 --> 00:05:30,104 Machoism and our idea 105 00:05:30,104 --> 00:05:33,112 that in order to be a successful man we need to dominate others, 106 00:05:33,112 --> 00:05:36,352 we need to be a lone wolf, we need to figure it out by ourselves, 107 00:05:36,352 --> 00:05:38,700 that's what's really crushing men today. 108 00:05:39,322 --> 00:05:40,663 But what is machoism? 109 00:05:40,663 --> 00:05:42,447 Is it really that bad? 110 00:05:42,447 --> 00:05:44,866 I mean, there was a wrestler named Macho Man. 111 00:05:44,866 --> 00:05:46,534 It can't be that horrible. 112 00:05:46,904 --> 00:05:48,421 Well, let's take a look. 113 00:05:50,941 --> 00:05:52,241 So machoism ... 114 00:05:53,281 --> 00:05:56,867 Machoism is a strong sense of masculine pride - 115 00:05:56,867 --> 00:05:58,489 okay, not so bad - 116 00:05:58,489 --> 00:06:00,844 with the supreme valuation of characteristics 117 00:06:00,844 --> 00:06:04,651 culturally associated with the masculine 118 00:06:05,331 --> 00:06:09,270 and the denigration and devaluation 119 00:06:09,270 --> 00:06:13,653 of characteristics culturally associated with the feminine. 120 00:06:14,422 --> 00:06:16,653 That means that young boys and young men 121 00:06:16,653 --> 00:06:20,205 that are trying to live into this very macho stereotype, 122 00:06:20,205 --> 00:06:23,593 this macho, you know, archetype, 123 00:06:24,513 --> 00:06:27,641 put masculine qualities and masculine traits on a pedestal 124 00:06:27,641 --> 00:06:30,690 and diminish anything that's associated with the feminine, 125 00:06:31,410 --> 00:06:33,245 things like community. 126 00:06:33,909 --> 00:06:36,815 They end up idolizing and worshiping and putting on a pedestal 127 00:06:36,815 --> 00:06:40,833 this idea that we need to be a lone wolf in order to figure everything out, 128 00:06:40,833 --> 00:06:43,392 in order to be "a real man." 129 00:06:45,111 --> 00:06:46,937 I found this photo a few years back, 130 00:06:46,937 --> 00:06:51,104 and it fundamentally shifted the way that I see men in our society, 131 00:06:51,104 --> 00:06:52,634 successful men. 132 00:06:53,034 --> 00:06:56,379 You see, at the front of the pack are three wolves, 133 00:06:56,379 --> 00:07:00,373 and these three wolves are actually the oldest and the sickest. 134 00:07:00,752 --> 00:07:04,095 They're there to kind of set the pace for the entire pack. 135 00:07:04,095 --> 00:07:07,710 Now, behind them are the five omega wolves. 136 00:07:07,710 --> 00:07:09,661 These are the tough guys. 137 00:07:09,661 --> 00:07:12,847 Now, these five omega wolves are there to protect the pack 138 00:07:12,847 --> 00:07:14,607 in case of an ambush, 139 00:07:14,607 --> 00:07:17,767 and every once in a while, you know, nip the older ones in the butt 140 00:07:17,767 --> 00:07:20,585 to make sure that they're moving on fast enough. 141 00:07:20,925 --> 00:07:24,466 Now, behind the five omega wolves is the rest of the pack, 142 00:07:24,466 --> 00:07:26,987 you know, the moms and the baby cubs, 143 00:07:26,987 --> 00:07:31,730 and at the very back, almost off of the picture entirely, 144 00:07:31,730 --> 00:07:33,441 is the alpha wolf. 145 00:07:34,084 --> 00:07:37,914 Now, you see, in nature, they have it right, 146 00:07:37,914 --> 00:07:39,417 they know what they're doing. 147 00:07:39,417 --> 00:07:44,493 In nature, the alpha wolf is an integral part of society, 148 00:07:44,493 --> 00:07:47,467 it's an integral part of the community. 149 00:07:47,467 --> 00:07:51,567 And in nature, the lone wolf is actually an outcast, 150 00:07:51,567 --> 00:07:54,985 and he is an outcast because he is too violent 151 00:07:54,985 --> 00:07:58,740 and he is too dangerous for the pack. 152 00:08:00,334 --> 00:08:01,557 But these archetypes, 153 00:08:01,557 --> 00:08:02,947 these sort of characteristics 154 00:08:02,947 --> 00:08:06,200 that a lot of young boys and a lot of men are trying to live into, 155 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:11,286 this macho idea and this idea that we need to be a lone wolf, 156 00:08:11,286 --> 00:08:14,513 is what's really having a negative impact on most men today. 157 00:08:14,513 --> 00:08:19,060 And this is what's created what I call the mask of masculinity. 158 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:22,628 The mask of masculinity sounds something like this. 159 00:08:22,628 --> 00:08:24,673 Rule number one: real men don't cry. 160 00:08:24,673 --> 00:08:27,059 It's kind of like the first rule of "Fight Club." 161 00:08:27,059 --> 00:08:29,178 Everybody knows it, nobody talks about it. 162 00:08:29,888 --> 00:08:32,523 Rule number two: real men don't express emotions openly, 163 00:08:32,523 --> 00:08:35,076 unless it's anger and aggression. 164 00:08:35,648 --> 00:08:37,497 Real men aren't empathetic. 165 00:08:37,497 --> 00:08:39,409 And there's strength in retaliation: 166 00:08:39,409 --> 00:08:43,282 if you get hit or you get hurt, you damn well better hit back 167 00:08:43,282 --> 00:08:45,929 and you better hurt back twice as hard. 168 00:08:47,229 --> 00:08:49,569 You need to be tough and strong. 169 00:08:50,009 --> 00:08:54,457 You need to avoid anything that resembles being a woman. 170 00:08:55,790 --> 00:08:59,677 Now, this mask, these archetypes have an impact. 171 00:09:00,677 --> 00:09:02,575 They have consequences. 172 00:09:02,575 --> 00:09:05,025 The consequences are very real. 173 00:09:05,585 --> 00:09:09,000 The World Health Organization last year released a study 174 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:14,395 showing that men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. 175 00:09:14,765 --> 00:09:16,404 Four times. 176 00:09:17,411 --> 00:09:24,079 That means that out of the 800,000 people who took their lives last year, 177 00:09:24,079 --> 00:09:26,327 three quarters of them were men. 178 00:09:26,718 --> 00:09:29,085 That's nearly 600,000 men. 179 00:09:30,044 --> 00:09:31,754 So why is this happening? 180 00:09:32,074 --> 00:09:34,752 Why is this on a borderline epidemic? 181 00:09:34,752 --> 00:09:38,933 Well, researchers in the UK did a study 182 00:09:38,933 --> 00:09:44,833 and found that half, 50 percent of men over the age of 25 183 00:09:44,833 --> 00:09:50,396 cannot identify what they would consider to be a best friend or a close friend. 184 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,469 Now, that means that if they lose their job, 185 00:09:53,469 --> 00:09:55,725 if they're struggling financially, 186 00:09:56,335 --> 00:09:59,905 if they lose a parent, if they lose a child, 187 00:09:59,905 --> 00:10:02,298 if they're diagnosed with cancer, 188 00:10:02,298 --> 00:10:04,226 if their business is struggling so bad 189 00:10:04,226 --> 00:10:06,888 that they don't know how they're going to pay themselves 190 00:10:06,888 --> 00:10:08,444 or their employees, 191 00:10:08,734 --> 00:10:10,895 they have no one to go talk to. 192 00:10:11,817 --> 00:10:16,488 Researchers have linked this to the 60-percent increase - 193 00:10:16,488 --> 00:10:18,541 60-percent increase - 194 00:10:18,541 --> 00:10:22,005 in male suicides over the last 45 years alone. 195 00:10:23,174 --> 00:10:27,818 That doesn't even take into account the millions of men who will die in wars, 196 00:10:27,818 --> 00:10:30,297 fathers and sons who'll be gunned down in the streets 197 00:10:30,297 --> 00:10:32,760 because emotional inaptitudes, 198 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,888 not to mention the millions of women 199 00:10:35,888 --> 00:10:41,559 who'll be abused, who'll be raped, who'll be mutilated and who'll be killed 200 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,036 because of this misplaced sense of superiority. 201 00:10:48,586 --> 00:10:54,531 Now, I'm not proud of it, but I lived into this archetype for a very long time. 202 00:10:54,531 --> 00:10:58,235 I was stuck behind this mask of what I thought it meant to be a man. 203 00:10:58,235 --> 00:11:03,205 And because of that, I found myself alone, I found myself isolated, depressed, 204 00:11:03,205 --> 00:11:08,430 and worst of all, I hurt the people that I loved the most in my life. 205 00:11:09,142 --> 00:11:10,512 Now, along that journey, 206 00:11:10,512 --> 00:11:14,645 because I refused to give in and I refused to live in this archetype, 207 00:11:14,645 --> 00:11:16,578 I learned how to do this - 208 00:11:19,388 --> 00:11:22,189 (Singing in Italian) 209 00:11:53,433 --> 00:11:56,306 (Applause) 210 00:12:08,434 --> 00:12:10,586 Because I refused to buy into this stereotype, 211 00:12:10,586 --> 00:12:12,229 I got a degree in music, 212 00:12:12,229 --> 00:12:14,426 I traveled the world singing opera, 213 00:12:14,426 --> 00:12:17,067 I ended up working for the biggest company in the world, 214 00:12:17,067 --> 00:12:20,582 and ultimately, I started an organization called Man Talks, 215 00:12:20,582 --> 00:12:23,128 which supports men in being better fathers, 216 00:12:23,128 --> 00:12:25,504 better husbands and better leaders 217 00:12:25,504 --> 00:12:28,664 through real connections, real conversations 218 00:12:28,664 --> 00:12:30,697 and a powerful community. 219 00:12:31,439 --> 00:12:32,882 So where do we start? 220 00:12:32,882 --> 00:12:36,782 Because this is a big question, and it's a real challenge. 221 00:12:37,362 --> 00:12:39,842 I say it starts with you, 222 00:12:39,842 --> 00:12:41,507 it starts with me, 223 00:12:41,507 --> 00:12:44,613 but most importantly, it starts with our sons. 224 00:12:45,773 --> 00:12:47,969 Now, a few years back when I was still singing, 225 00:12:47,969 --> 00:12:52,950 I had the opportunity to work with a group of underprivileged inner-city boys, 226 00:12:52,950 --> 00:12:57,676 and these kids were between the ages of 10 and 14, maybe 15. 227 00:12:58,442 --> 00:13:02,748 A lot of them came from families, you know, with single parents, 228 00:13:02,748 --> 00:13:04,914 definitely under the poverty line. 229 00:13:04,914 --> 00:13:08,569 A lot of them came from, you know, homes where their parents were addicts. 230 00:13:08,569 --> 00:13:11,530 And I was there to work with them about creativity, 231 00:13:11,530 --> 00:13:13,499 and passion, and expression, 232 00:13:13,499 --> 00:13:15,978 things that I clearly enjoy talking about. 233 00:13:16,778 --> 00:13:19,928 And I started off the day with singing the exact same lines 234 00:13:19,928 --> 00:13:21,799 that I just sang for you today, 235 00:13:21,799 --> 00:13:23,473 and then, when I was done, 236 00:13:23,473 --> 00:13:26,868 I explained and translated the first three words - 237 00:13:26,868 --> 00:13:30,313 That was from Macbeth, by the way. That's Macbeth's aria. 238 00:13:30,313 --> 00:13:34,471 And I said, "pietà," "rispetto, "amore." 239 00:13:34,901 --> 00:13:38,830 "Honor," "respect," and "love," 240 00:13:38,830 --> 00:13:44,475 three things that every man and every woman can live by in their life. 241 00:13:45,259 --> 00:13:48,590 Now, as soon as I was finished, one of the kids spoke up, and he said, 242 00:13:48,590 --> 00:13:50,904 "Love makes you weak. Love is for girls." 243 00:13:50,904 --> 00:13:53,811 And he just crosses his arms and looks away. 244 00:13:54,241 --> 00:13:55,550 I was a little taken aback. 245 00:13:55,550 --> 00:14:00,138 I was fully and mentally prepared to get made fun of for singing opera 246 00:14:00,138 --> 00:14:02,033 in front of these kids, 247 00:14:02,033 --> 00:14:04,248 but I wasn't expecting this. 248 00:14:05,862 --> 00:14:07,619 I said, "Why do you say that?" 249 00:14:07,619 --> 00:14:11,200 He didn't respond, he just nodded off and looked out the window. 250 00:14:11,707 --> 00:14:17,065 I said, "Love is one of the most powerful virtues and characteristics that we have." 251 00:14:17,065 --> 00:14:18,825 It's one of the most powerful virtues 252 00:14:18,825 --> 00:14:21,877 that we can hope to experience in our lifetime. 253 00:14:21,877 --> 00:14:24,499 Love is for men, and love is for women. 254 00:14:24,499 --> 00:14:28,702 Love creates an equal playing field where all of us get to show up. 255 00:14:29,802 --> 00:14:30,990 Now, I didn't press it 256 00:14:30,990 --> 00:14:34,609 because I didn't want to call this kid out in front of the rest of the class, 257 00:14:34,609 --> 00:14:35,611 and so I let it go. 258 00:14:35,611 --> 00:14:37,609 At the end of the class, he was up and out 259 00:14:37,609 --> 00:14:40,837 before I even had a chance to say anything. 260 00:14:41,898 --> 00:14:45,636 Thankfully I was back the next morning, and I was going to address it with him. 261 00:14:45,636 --> 00:14:49,165 That morning, I was sitting at my computer and getting ready for the class, 262 00:14:49,165 --> 00:14:53,231 and before anybody else showed up, in walks this same little boy. 263 00:14:54,014 --> 00:14:56,115 And he walks up to me, 264 00:14:56,115 --> 00:14:59,046 and kind of kicking his feet, he says, "Hi." 265 00:15:00,456 --> 00:15:01,823 I say, "Hi." 266 00:15:02,753 --> 00:15:06,210 He says, "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday." 267 00:15:06,921 --> 00:15:09,481 I said, "It's okay. Why did you say that?" 268 00:15:10,961 --> 00:15:12,539 He said, 269 00:15:12,539 --> 00:15:16,796 "Three months ago, my mom passed away of cancer. 270 00:15:16,796 --> 00:15:21,906 And I loved her more than anybody in the world, 271 00:15:22,805 --> 00:15:25,974 and it hurt, it hurt so bad." 272 00:15:26,741 --> 00:15:30,273 And he said, "Every time that I would cry, my dad would just yell at me, 273 00:15:30,273 --> 00:15:31,846 and yell at me. 274 00:15:31,846 --> 00:15:34,042 And he would say, "Stop crying! 275 00:15:34,042 --> 00:15:37,136 Don't be so emotional. Deal with this like a man!" 276 00:15:39,685 --> 00:15:42,211 Like, here is this twelve-year-old boy, 277 00:15:42,211 --> 00:15:43,834 clearly not a man. 278 00:15:44,448 --> 00:15:47,805 I knelt down because my heart was breaking for him, 279 00:15:47,805 --> 00:15:51,802 and I wrapped my arms around him, and he just broke down, crying. 280 00:15:52,562 --> 00:15:54,371 And I said, "It's okay. 281 00:15:55,005 --> 00:15:56,533 It's okay." 282 00:15:57,686 --> 00:16:00,596 Sometimes, all the time, 283 00:16:00,596 --> 00:16:02,565 "dealing with it like a man" 284 00:16:02,565 --> 00:16:06,190 means having the courage to see what's actually there 285 00:16:06,190 --> 00:16:07,876 instead of running away from it. 286 00:16:09,896 --> 00:16:11,688 And so, with that in mind, 287 00:16:12,076 --> 00:16:14,655 I want to leave you with three simple things. 288 00:16:14,961 --> 00:16:16,171 Guys, 289 00:16:16,581 --> 00:16:18,781 it is time to start building your brotherhoods, 290 00:16:18,781 --> 00:16:21,921 it's time to start reconnecting with the men in your life 291 00:16:21,921 --> 00:16:26,101 who are willing to have the real conversations, 292 00:16:26,101 --> 00:16:31,675 the ones that go beyond the booze, and the babes, and the blood sports. 293 00:16:31,675 --> 00:16:33,453 (Laughter) 294 00:16:33,453 --> 00:16:36,396 (Applause) 295 00:16:42,444 --> 00:16:44,899 Now, I'm not saying that you've got to get a guitar 296 00:16:44,899 --> 00:16:48,077 and get around the campfire and, you know, cry 297 00:16:48,077 --> 00:16:49,479 and sing Kumbaya. 298 00:16:49,479 --> 00:16:50,769 (Laughter) 299 00:16:50,769 --> 00:16:53,576 Well, what I am saying is: have the meaningful conversations 300 00:16:53,576 --> 00:16:57,185 about what is actually happening in your life. 301 00:16:59,165 --> 00:17:00,552 And ladies - 302 00:17:01,317 --> 00:17:02,447 (Sigh) 303 00:17:03,262 --> 00:17:05,168 We've been through a lot together. 304 00:17:05,168 --> 00:17:06,683 (Laughter) 305 00:17:06,683 --> 00:17:09,297 First off, ladies, I just want to say thank you. 306 00:17:09,297 --> 00:17:11,780 Thank you to every single one of you. 307 00:17:11,780 --> 00:17:16,573 Second off, I want to say that this talk is a formal invitation 308 00:17:16,573 --> 00:17:21,322 to each and every single one of you to join our conversation. 309 00:17:21,322 --> 00:17:25,887 Help us, support us in finding strength within our vulnerabilities, 310 00:17:25,887 --> 00:17:28,661 for it is there where we will truly meet you. 311 00:17:30,181 --> 00:17:32,259 And lastly, fathers, 312 00:17:34,528 --> 00:17:39,493 be the type of man that you would be proud to see your daughters marry 313 00:17:39,493 --> 00:17:44,137 and the type of man that your son deserves to be raised by 314 00:17:44,137 --> 00:17:47,454 so he can stop being part of the problem 315 00:17:47,454 --> 00:17:50,390 and he can start being part of the solution. 316 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:54,709 (Applause) (Cheering)