The presence of toxic masculinity in the twenty-first century is persistent, advancing stigma around men who show emotion or behave in a way deemed "weak" . ” Undoubtedly, social expectations that men are strong and unshakable figures contribute to this prolonged practice of stifling natural emotional responses in any general circumstance in favor of satisfying these expectations. However, when that circumstance itself is deemed only a women's issue, a man's emotional health becomes more than simply ignored: it becomes a political weapon, crude propaganda, or even a nasty joke in the comments section of social media. When a woman undergoes an abortion, she is supported or shunned by politically motivated organizations that make her decision. Twenty-one percent of abortion patients will experience some type of emotional trauma following the procedure, and resources are already limited for women in this situation due to the perceived ulterior motives behind sharing their stories. However, when a man suffers an abortion, he is ignored by the world. The need therefore arises for contemporary materials to draw attention to these men whose emotions cannot be receptively brought to light due to the perceived exclusivity for women. The song "Ten", written and performed by the band Yellowcard, recognizes men who have been silenced after an emotional experience with abortion through appealing to a specific audience, critiquing clichés surrounding patients who they abort and personal influence in lyrical content and in general. tone. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay “Ten” takes a bold step toward raising awareness about men who have been silenced after an emotional experience with abortion. While the exact nature of the song is kept vague, it has been interpreted across platforms as the story of Yellowcard singer-songwriter Ryan Key's experience following his girlfriend's decision to have an abortion ten years ago. There is no explicit interpretation of "Ten" by Key or Yellowcard published online; the closest explanation is an interview with Key in which he reportedly said, "People are going to ask me a lot about 'Ten' when it comes out... it was hard enough to write, I don't really want to talk about it. Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the work , you can hardly blame Key for neglecting to elaborate on the very private story behind the work. “Ten” is a somber acoustic piece, focused on simple lyrical content with minimal use of elaborate literary devices, Yellowcard focuses on telling such a powerful story as it is: simple and raw. The delicate guitar work and Key's desolate voice make the tone melancholy, dreamlike and even a little regretful. This tone is particularly notable as Key does not express anger towards the woman he has chosen of having an abortion, nor does he place the blame on her. More than anything, Key seems to wish that he had been able to meet his son in a different environment of circumstances stands out for "Ten" as it comes from the perspective of a man rather than a woman or child. Given the release of “Ten” in 2012, its need potentially stems from the political climate of the time. With Planned Parenthood making election year headlines under a liberal-leaning administration, the story behind “Ten” has undoubtedly resonated with men and women nationwide as public discussionof abortion has become more acceptable. However, it is the demographics of Yellowcard's fan base that make the kairotic dimension of the audience behind this piece so effective in eliciting an emotionally charged response. As with most punk bands, Yellowcard's primary intended audience is young people between the ages of 15 and 30. This demographic is rarely, if ever, the intended audience for literature or abortion activism. Although their political views can be demonstrated through voting, men are not often involved in discussions about the emotional or social impacts of abortion. However, in a 2018 survey by Gallup Polls, startling statistics suggest that abortion should not be limited to women's issues alone. Men and women have remarkably similar views on abortion; Interestingly, 53% of men versus only 48% of women support legal abortion in cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother's life. This moderate position is critical to making or maintaining legal changes regarding reproductive health issues, but men remain isolated from activist movements or roundtables related to abortion. Yellowcard pushes this traditionally moderate demographic to consider both the political and emotional components of the topic, immersing themselves in the role of a young person in the painful situation Key describes in “Ten. One of the most critical rhetorical components to the success of “Ten” is its challenge to clichés surrounding expected figures involved in an abortion procedure. Traditionally, society considers the parties involved in an abortion procedure to be limited to the mother and child; in some environments the celebration may be limited to the mother only. This misconception, along with the interpretation of women's emotional repercussions as politically motivated, has led to already limited resources available to patients who abort following a negative experience with the procedure; these resources are almost non-existent for their partners. Yellowcard refutes the myth that only women are affected by abortion procedures and shares the voices of men who have no outlet to express their emotions. As part of the limited research that dares to tread on such thin political ice, psychologists at the University of Oxford conducted a study in 1999 on the emotional states of seventy-five men after their partner's abortion procedure. The study found that between 40% and 50% of men surveyed experienced emotions such as anxiety and grief following their partner's abortion procedure. Notably, more men reported feeling an emotion of guilt rather than relief, suggesting that Key's history of remorse over the abortion The past decision expressed in “Ten” may not be an isolated case. Regret is a complicated emotion, especially when the unpleasant incident is beyond your control. Key seeks to reach men who find themselves in situations similar to his by portraying the common feeling of regret and ignoring the precedent that men should not demonstrate these difficult emotions. Key’s personal experience with an abortion procedure serves to develop her appeal to the audience’s sense of ethics, most effectively through the use of a first-person perspective throughout “Ten. ” He describes his emotions and the sequence of events that led him to compose the song a decade after the surgery, and perhaps most powerful are the rhetorical questions he asks the child he will never get to meet. Questions like, “Would you have had my eyes?” and "Don't you think we would have been best friends?" suggest a paternal bond that Key and others.