I like writing strong characters, both men and women. I created Gabby Wells, a young adult sleuth fighting evil forces in her small town, and Damien Hill, a rookie cop who loses everything and must fight the damage of that loss while trying to bring those responsible to justice.

But, over the last 10 years, I’ve noticed an unfortunate trend in Hollywood. In an effort to be inclusive, Hollywood is actually promoting the equivalent of a fatherless culture. The impulse to focus on those normally disenfranchised, in conjunction with the misguided concept of toxic masculinity, has left a wide-ranging number of stories and characters, few of which that are actually geared toward men.

To be clear, I encourage the diversity of content and characters, but not at the exclusion of authentic masculinity, because men like to watch examples of proper manliness. Not the abuser, not the misogynist, but the man who protects, provides, uses their wits and strength to overcome, charms, woos, and wins.

That’s why making a female James Bond would be a failure. Not because a female spy can’t kick ass. Just watch Agent Carter or Black Widow.

But, because men watch Bond films, or Mission: Impossible films, for a reason – to see a handsome man with elite skills get the bad guys and impress the women.

Change the dynamic, you remove the attraction.

By avoiding all things masculine and, even more specifically, white masculinity, Hollywood now shows such men as weak or slimy, a person to be avoided, a role model to be rejected.

In this way, Hollywood is leaving a void in masculinity much like the one left in a fatherless home.

This shift has been happening for a while. There are many reasons. One such influence is cultural and another is, surprisingly, biological.

The truth is, America doesn’t make real men anymore. And, if they do, they are shunned by the media and cultural leaders.

Just look at what constitutes real men in film since the 90s? Hugh Jackman. Russel Crowe. Guy Pierce. Chris Hemsworth. Liam Hemsworth. Simon Baker. Eric Bana. Sam Worthington. Eka Darville.

What do these men all have in common? They’re Australian.

Australia is a harsh place to live and it proudly creates and exports their real men to the rest of the world. They have the feel of the strong western heroes of America’s film past.

Another reason is actually the western adoption of birth control. Studies have shown that women who aren’t on birth control, when ovulating, are naturally drawn to the most masculine of men. Women on birth control are shown to prefer men that are more similar to women, prettier, softer. Combine that over sixty years and you find a country with less masculinity, which has been deemed toxic by some, and avoided by cultural influencers.

The void left by Hollywood will be filled elsewhere. The most obvious today is facial hair, of all things! Men are allowed to be manly with their beards, which is why you see so many expressing their masculinity in this socially acceptable way.

Why am I writing about this? Because, I look for trends and opportunity. Just as I’ve written about the redundancy and fatigue from superhero movies, as well as the check box mentality of social justice in Hollywood, what the entertainment media is also missing is authenticity.

In depth of story, in real world issues and, in this case, proper masculinity.

How does this apply to fatherless homes? Psychological studies have shown that, in general, the mother in a family teaches the children how to behave properly in the home, while the father teaches the children how to live properly in the world.

This is why boys without fathers seek guidance on how to navigate the world by other men living in it, like gangs. It’s why, when it comes to religion, if everyone but the father attends church, few of the children will attend it when they leave the home.

Healthy, strong masculinity has it’s place in the home and in the culture.

The void being left by Hollywood when it comes to authentic masculine characters is a well waiting to be tapped.

It’ll be interesting to see who connects with that starving audience successfully and what product, film, novel, music or television series, will reopen the door to healthy masculinity in entertainment once again.