Meryl Streep: ‘We hurt our boys by calling something toxic masculinity’

Actress Meryl Streep this week took issue with the term “toxic masculinity,” saying in an interview with Vanity Fair that the label can sometimes be harmful.

“Sometimes I think we’re hurt — we hurt our boys by calling something toxic masculinity. I do,” the Academy Award winner said on Wednesday. “And I don’t find putting those two words together … because women can be pretty f—ing toxic.”

{mosads}Streep made the comment while talking about HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” where she co-stars with actress Nicole Kidman. The series deals with domestic violence and sexual assault, among other issues.

“I think the labels are less helpful than what we’re trying to get to, which is a communication, direct, between human beings,” Streep added. “We’re all in the boat together and you gotta make it work.”

Toxic masculinity refers to traits associated with masculinity that can be harmful to both men and women, such as aggression and repression of emotion.