Recently, Saturday Night Live aired a hilarious yet painfully accurate sketch about man parks. Yes, you read that right—man parks. But it’s not what you are thinking, or maybe it is? While the sketch may be satire, it does bring up a solid point: where can men of a certain age who are in long-term relationships go to make friends?
In the highly-circulated sketch, which has nearly 2.5 million views on YouTube, wives and girlfriends of men take their partners to a park to have them meet and befriend other men. You know, like a dog park. As one male commenter on YouTube put it, “I feel personally attacked, but also kind of disappointed this isn’t a thing. How do you make new friends as an adult?”
Even though the sketch is a great piece of satire, it has stuck a chord for many couples where the girlfriend or wife has become the primary emotional outlet for their male partners. The overall reaction to it is that there really should be a park similar to the one in the video—a reaction that both men and women share.
It is amazing how brilliant the idea of a man park is, and if there is a demand for it why not have a man park in your city? A place for guys to go to simply hang out, socialize and make friends free of judgement? Sure, a beer tap might not be feasible, but a decent-sized green space where men can meet other men in the community might not be a bad idea. As a member of your local parks and recreation department, you can even just designate specific dates and times for a meetup at the park of your choice.
If a man park is not something your city can do, then perhaps a recurring series of workshops, classes, panels and events can be a great way for men in the community to meet and befriend one another. Host game nights (tabletop and video games), comic book and movie panels, beer-centric events, DIY classes and more. Get creative! The attached men in your community need an outlet and a place to make friends, too!
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