Manly Man Nick Offerman Reveals His Surprising Criteria For Being A Real Man, And It’s Incredible

Just as rum is to coke and lamb is to tuna fish, Nick Offerman is to manliness. The man who made Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec the quintessential model American is widely perceived to be the goal for modern masculinity. In addition to being an actor, writer, and comedian, the dude is also a professional boat builder and has a side business as a wood craftsman for Christ’s sake. While most of us are doing our morning yoga stretches, Offerman is likely sipping whiskey in a flannel shirt while whittling a goddamn canoe.

But, in a recent interview with Men’s Health, the 47-year-old revealed a softer side that flies in the face of the public persona he’s carved out for himself.

You’re synonymous with being a man’s man. What was the last thing that made you cry?

I went to theatre school. I took two semesters of ballet. I’m the sissy in my family. I cry with pretty great regularity. It’s not entirely accurate to equate me with manliness. I stand for my principals and I work hard and I have good manners but machismo is a double-sided coin. A lot of people think it requires behavior that can quickly veer into misogyny and things I consider indecent. We’ve been sold this weird John Wayne mentality that fistfights and violence are vital to being a man. I’d rather hug than punch. Crying at something that moves you to joy or sadness is just as manly as chopping down a tree or punching out a bad guy. To answer your question, I recently saw Alicia Keys perform live. I’d never seen her before and the sheer golden, heavenly talent issuing from her and her singing instrument had both my wife and me in tears. What a gorgeous gift she has. Her voice is so great. And I had no shame [about crying.] If you live your life openly with your emotions, that’s a more manly stance than burying them.

Yes, the same dude who said that also said this:

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And this:

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And this:

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Moral of the story: If you don’t cry to an Alicia Keys song, you’re a baby back bitch.

[h/t Men’s Health]

Matt Keohan Avatar
Matt’s love of writing was born during a sixth grade assembly when it was announced that his essay titled “Why Drugs Are Bad” had taken first prize in D.A.R.E.’s grade-wide contest. The anti-drug people gave him a $50 savings bond for his brave contribution to crime-fighting, and upon the bond’s maturity 10 years later, he used it to buy his very first bag of marijuana.