Feminism is only part of it. I think a big part of why men are softer these days is the shift from rural living to urban living. In 1950 the rural population was 40% and urban was 60%. Today it's 20% rural and 80% urban.
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Urban man is more worried about getting his suit from the cleaners and making the commute to his air-conditioned office. He gets fit in a gym, not by working hard.
I do think television and movies have done a big disservice to men. There's hardly a male role that isn't the butt of jokes, the weakling, the idiot. The female roles are strong and smart (okay, there's dumb and sexy too). The child roles are there to show just how stupid "dad" is and how clever the kid is. (The exception was television like Cosby, who was a strong male father figure and black to boot.)
I'm familiar with the water-cooler women's talk about the lack of great men. I didn't find a good one until I was 32. Where the hell are you guys?
Paslode, sir, I appreciate your post about having a strong male in the family. Absolutely! There are too many homes without real men in them. Boys learn to be men by example.
Susan