The former star of a Hercules TV series wants to teach boys to be manly again with his first children’s book that encourages them to reclaim their societal role.
Actor, writer, and producer Kevin Sorbo told The Epoch Times that his new book, “The Test of Lionhood,” just released by conservative children’s book publisher Brave Books, rejects the “woke” culture’s attack on masculinity.
“There’s a confused generation of men out there because of what Hollywood’s doing with their movies, and TV shows, and magazines,” Mr. Sorbo said.
The cultural disdain for masculinity dominated recent Hollywood movies, he said.
Take the film about “Barbie,” the doll of choice for many young girls growing up in America. Barbie’s strong female lead emasculates Ken, her male co-lead, portraying him as window dressing in a female queendom.
Even Indiana Jones, once a swashbuckling archaeologist, is kicked to the curb as a bungling old white guy in the brand’s latest movie.
“I think Hollywood has done an amazing job to emasculate men. It has done an amazing job to make it look like women are the only ones you can trust to be the saviors of the universe,” Mr. Sorbo said.
But masculinity doesn’t detract from women’s equality, he said. Men and women have different but equally essential roles in the family.
Mr. Sorbo believes that Hollywood has been working on destroying the nuclear family and the patriarchal system for decades.
“And I say eliminate the patriarchy, you’re going to eliminate the human race,” he said. “The Bible teaches you to honor your father, right? Well, sitcoms teach us to dishonor the father.”
Mr. Sorbo, the star of the 1990s TV series “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,” believes in traditional values. He has appeared in faith-based films such as “God’s Not Dead” and “Let There Be Light.”
He directs and stars in his latest work, “Miracle in East Texas,” slated for release in October.
So when friends—Christian author and actors Kirk Cameron and Bethany Hamilton—approached him about writing a traditional children’s book, it was a natural fit, Mr. Sorbo said.
“They said, ‘Most of the movies that you played, you played guys that are strong male figures. We want to do [a book] with masculinity,’” he recalled.
“The Test of Lionhood” is about a lion cub playing with his two sisters out in the forest when a deadly flower accidentally cuts the youngest one, Mr. Sorbo said.
With his father and mother too far away to help, the young male cub must rely on all he learned from his father to face fear and danger and save his sister by finding the antidote.
Mr. Sorbo said the story is also a lesson on overcoming adversity everyone faces in life. He recalled learning that at a young age.
His dad supported five kids on a school teacher’s salary so his family didn’t have much money when he was growing up, he said.
He earned money working as a caddie at a local country club, Mr. Sorbo said, adding he would ask wealthy golfers how they became successful.
“They all said, ‘Oh, I failed, Kevin, and I failed for about 10 more years before I had success.’ And I took that as a positive,” he said.
Mr. Sorbo said he is concerned that children are now being “brainwashed” in the public school systems of America to question their very identity.
Teachers graduating from colleges that indoctrinated them on race and gender are now doing the same thing to their students, telling children they can change genders, he said.
“Don’t be chopping up kids when they’re 9 and 10-years old,” Mr. Sorbo said. “Let boys be boys, and let girls be girls.”
Mr. Sorbo said he will be reading his children’s book to students at a public elementary school in New Jersey next month, following in the footsteps of other Brave Book authors.
On Aug. 5, Mr. Cameron and Brave Books staged a nationwide “See You at the Library” book-reading event.
Despite pushback, readings were scheduled at 265 libraries in 45 states, according to Mr. Cameron, who became famous for playing the role of Mike Seaver in the 1985–92 sitcom “Growing Pains.”
Mr. Cameron encouraged parents and conservatives to take back public spaces at libraries where leftwing groups presented Drag Queen story hours.
Mr. Sorbo encouraged parents to subscribe to the Book-of-the-Month program at Bravebooks, a Texas-based publisher focused on American values.
“Hollywood struggles with the truth, which is why they reject people like me, who stand up for my conservative and Christian beliefs,” he said.
