A Writers' Call To Arms - Bring Back Real Men!

Today, I'm here to protest. No wishy-washy protesting today, no sir. However, I will nonetheless try to be as fair as possible. I have a problem - so do you - so does everyone in this world! The US especially has partaken in this horrid trend. What is it? Making men into monsters. The only reason so many horrific immoralities take place nowadays is because men aren't men. Women can do a lot, yes, but what about when we too have become debased? And even if we weren't, we're still only half the battle.
When jokingly speaking with my friend, Lucy Agnes, we got into a kind-of agreeing debate. She remarked that women had no high standards, but really ought to. And I said in agreement this: if Juliet has no balcony for Romeo to climb, then how does she know he loves her enough to climb it if she did? And at the time, I didn't think much about it. But now, as I ponder the subject more, I think how terribly true it is. We don't have any balconies. We don't even have any garden steps. Some of us have even sunk so low as to not even have a door in the way. And it's so sad. See, really, my protest here is about men, but I have to begin with someone else. The ones allowing it to happen - women. Everywhere I look in the world, women are debasing themselves for no reason. What happened to the days where a romance wen like this:
Lady is high above gentleman. He loves her and wants to make her know. So he tries. And fails. And tries again. And again. And again. And again. He does everything in his power to make her come down to him. But then he realizes that he must not let her stoop down - he must come up. So he climbs, and climbs, and climbs - up to her. And finally, he is admitted.

Now, some may think this sounds stuffy, but it's a whole lot better than this:

Lady is high above gentleman. He just says "Hey, get down here, I don't deserve having to climb all that way, and you don't deserve being up there". She comes down to him... only for him to then run away to a different girl's balcony.  
It's very sad. I hope in this comparison I have made my case concerning the part of women. Now to tackle the main subject.
Writers, ask yourself this: have I ever described men in a debasing way in my stories? Made a supposed to be sympathetic male character with no backbone, or who is effeminate? Made my leading man whiny, unintelligent, angry, or unsteady, while my villain was masculine and clever? Have I ever made my leading lady throw herself away in the hope of getting said leading man without ever regretting it? Have I viewed or described a childish leading man in my story as a good or ideal man?
If you answer yes to any of these questions without good reason, then I'm afraid you too may have fallen to the trend. What is it with us writers, then? Why is it that in the movies and books we get heroes like Harry Potter, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Iron Man? People who could care less about anyone other than themselves, even though they (with the exception of Captain Sparrow) make pretense of being heroic? They care about nothing  but their own acclaimed heroism, glory, and good name (and sometimes not even that). If somebody despises them, they don't just get over it. They despise the person back; insulting them and tricking them in whatever way possible (examples: Harry Potter always making fun of his unpleasant cousin Dudley; Captain Jack trying to double-cross Barbossa, Will, and Elizabeth constantly; Iron Man making crude jokes about whatever villain he's facing, not to mention Cap as well).

And not only that, but if they ever 'reform', it's only half way. And the writer sticks with them. Rowling often supports Harry in his poking fun at Dudley by agreeing that Dudley is fat, not so good-looking, and not incredibly clever. And what do we see in Jack's friends but people who not only deserve to be tricked, but also would backstab Jack as well on the turn of a dime? And how many Marvel fans and even Marvel makers out there are saying that Cap just needs to 'loosen up' about Iron Man? Loosen up on what? Loosen up on being a hero, on being a real man? The type that would give his life for even the random, villainous henchman who most heroes would say doesn't deserve to live? The type that would put his all into even the smallest acts, and never let go of what he believed if he knew it was good, true, or beautiful? The type that never disrespected boundaries that other people set unless said boundaries endangered someone? The type that could possibly want to remain true to the same girl for 70 years, and even afterwards, when she's dead, take her over anyone else were she still there?
And then there's Iron Man. The only heroism in him is the instinct to take glory and save lives because it makes him look like a hero. The only manhood in him is the cold definition of manhood - simply being an adult male. Iron Man doesn't even make pretense of giving up his life for people who have hurt him. He would be the one saying that the villain doesn't deserve to live. Iron Man even fights to save the world haphazardly, without plan and on whatever impulse or clever notion he thinks he has. And Iron Man only sticks to his beliefs (what beliefs he has) when they involve his oh-so precious ego. Not even to mention his habits of being a terribly unfaithful jerk.

So what is it with writers then? Why do we write these things? Well, it's a simple answer. It's because that's how things really are in real life. So we write what we see. It's another symptom of modern times - that realisticism in writing that is obsessed with making things out right down to the speck of dust realistic. No goodness, no beauty, just the singled-out dirtiest and most horrific facts. No art to writing anymore is there because of this. However, while I do have quite the bone to pick with realisticist writers (and I know 'realisticist' is not a real word, ironically enough), I shall deal with them another day. But they have helped cause this problem. The problem in society is caused by the fact that we don't want it to change. Obviously we don't, because we just write about what we see and think that's totally okay. We write these anti-heroes who never really change, these playboys who never really reform, and these male feminist wimps we would like to call men. We need to write not as things are - for that is a terrible, mottled thing in these days - but as things should be. A problem will never be solved if we are willing to just live with it.

So today, I have a challenge - a call to arms for all courageous writers out there. Today, just write one hero - a real hero. A man who knows himself, and - even despite struggles - can win over his dark side. A man who is true, good, and beautiful in the truest sense of those words. A man who is willing to climb those balconies and mount those obstacles. A man who is willing to stand strong like a mountain in the midst of a raging blizzard. A man who protects those he loves, and even those who don't love him, without credit or reward or glory. A man who does not give way to women in strength. A man who doesn't speak words of poison. A man who doesn't pitch temper-tantrums or whine or brood. A man who is not some macho braggart either. A man who takes full responsibility, uncomplaining, for all his actions, even when he knows he was wrong. A man who is just doing the right thing. Don't write the Duke of Mantua. Don't write Iron Man. Write instead Nemerino, or Captain America. A hero. Today, writers, write a man who is really a man.
What do you think? Will you respond to my call to arms? Please, take up your pen and respond to this call, much needed in these times! Every hero, no matter how small, will help in this quest. Just remember that, in artfully writing virtue - though the world is against you - you are never alone. Stand with me, writers.