This is really well said. I think that actually there's this kind of cultural discomfort and awkwardness around the intensity and depth of male love. Most of the men I know in real life, are deeply DEVOTED to the ones they love. My father for example, sacrificed so much, uncomplainingly, for the love of his family. He wrote love poems to my mother. He put himself last always when providing for his kids. My brother in seeking out a female partner, is one of the most romantic people I've ever seen. My partner literally WORSHIPS me as a manifestation of the Divine Feminine, and wrote a novel where I was one of the main characters, and our love story was in a fantasy setting.

Perhaps the jokes are a cover for a fear of rejection, because I remember when I first learned the depth of my partner's love, he was so afraid that I didn't feel the same way and was almost preemptively trying to shield himself by downplaying it, and when I showed I understood how he felt and reciprocated, he cried. It was beautiful. But sad that he felt such fear.

Male love is beautiful. Men want love, they want to be loved and they want to give love and have that love be recognised. They want their love to be EPIC, to be heroic, to be movie-worthy. They want to be Superman, saving Lois. To be Aragorn, tearing up as he says "for Frodo", charging into battle for the love of male friends, and winning the immortal love of an elf princess.

There's nothing wrong with that. I think it's beautiful.