Dave Barry's Essay 'Guys Vs. Men'

Have you ever wondered why all men act the same? In the reading “Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code”, Michael Kimmel critics what it means to be a man and the “Guy Code” they are expected to follow. According to Kimmel, masculinity is a problematic social construct that invokes behaviors that men tend to follow unconsciously. The unconscious behaviors that men tend to follow is know as the “Guy Code” that is passed down to them when they were young. Kimmel informs the audience, mainly women about the negative effects inflicted upon men due to following the “Guy Code”. Kimmel uses pathos and logos very effectively to paint an image of why men act the way they do and how it hurts them.

Hanna Rose’s The End of Men is an article with a strong and controversial message: Women are taking over. I find it provocative and controversial because of the fact that men have always been the leading force in the world, until now – according to Hanna Rose. In the article, Hanna Rose argues in favour of the women’s dominance at school and on the labour market, which numbers and statistics have shown recently.

What is it that drives commercials towards their target audience? Commercials can be aimed toward certain age, race, along with certain gender groups. Pop culture has influenced minority groups and shed light on women 's rights or so it may seem. Lisa Shaffer a fellow student feels otherwise and believes that Pop culture has only defended traditional values and does little to challenge those who already have power . Commercials bring in gender norms and in Steve Craig’s article, “Men’s Men and Women’s Women” he speaks on four particular TV ads directed towards male and female audiences. Interestingly enough these tv ads deliver a false image of the opposite sex to the audience catering to their preferences. It is the image of what the audience wants to see that appeals to them. This is all in an attempt to sell products and take advantage of our desires and anxieties. Craig shows how commercials bring gender norms that produce the stigmas of a man’s man and a woman’s woman, which makes it apparent that he would agree with Shaffer because it promotes an old way of thinking.

In the article “Bros before Hos: The Guy Code”, by Michael Kimmel he writes about many different standards and ideals that young men must live up to, to be accepted in today’s society. The article talks about genders, at different ages sixteen to twenty six and how it is directed towards anyone that wants to know more about genders and how it can relate to masculinity and men. It was also based off of a book that he had written in the late two- thousands. According to (Kimmel) young men must live and abide, by a set of rules known as the spectacular “Guy Code”. The “Guy Code” was created to help understand why young men feel and act the way they do, and how masculinity may be perceived in their cultures. The code has been instilled into many young men around the world by their peers, family, and media at the age of four, or maybe even when a child has developed somewhat of a understanding. Being taught how to be masculine at a very young age is important to teach your child, it helps them discover who they are as a person, and who they are supposed to be perceived as, and how to find their inner virility as a young male. Kimmel also uses exemplification to help explain how the “Guy Code” is a collection of attitudes, values, and many traits that are together to help compose what it really means to be a man. The code lets us know how men are not suppose to cry, and how they are not suppose to be or act like sissies. But how men must be very

Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist whose syndicated column appears in more than 500 newspapers. Barry’s published works, totaling more than 25, include ‘Stay Fit and Healthy until You’re Dead’ (1985), ‘Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway’ (2001), and ‘Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys: A Fairly Short Book’ (1995). The preface to Barry’s book ‘Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys: A Fairly Short Book’, ‘Guys vs. Men’, is his perspective on the difference between “Guys” and “Men.” While both words no doubt bring to mind an image of a human male, they are very different in there description of that male. First, guys like to buy “neat” things that they don’t really need. Also, guys like a really pointless challenge. Last, but not

A short essay “ Guys vs. “Men” written by Dave Barry, presents Dave’s perception on the difference between “Guys” and “Men”. Dave presents his essay in a comical way that generalizes the “men” vs. “guys” and also gender biased generalization. Dave argues that men hold too much of responsibilities and many expectations in which guys do not and they live happier life. One of the methods he uses to support his argument is a comparison. Other method he uses is the description of how he views “men” vs. “guys” and gives his perspective. And the last method he uses to further his argument is the use of hyperbole, exaggeration through out the essay.

In the very first line of his essay, Barry uses a metaphor to convince his audience of the truth behind men’s stereotypical role in the kitchen. When addressing controversial topics such as gender roles, there are two approaches that can be taken: beat around the issue until the stance is implied or to just outright state the position; Barry opts for the second approach, choosing to address his topic head on. Right off the bat, Barry breaks the ice around gender stereotypes by blatantly stating that “men are still basically scum when it comes to helping out in the kitchen.” The shocking honesty of Barry’s introduction establishes the humorous tone to be built upon throughout the rest of his essay. Not only does this approach establish his humorous tone, but it also grabs his female audience’s attention and lightens the mood around men’s role in the kitchen. Barry’s female audience feels a sense of pride about their superiority in the kitchen because he implies their leadership in this domain by bashing the usefulness making fun of the uselessness of men. Consequently, his audience is more willing to listen and accept his positions throughout the rest of his essay because he chose to directly approach them from the beginning instead of talking around the issue.

The article “How Boys Become Men” written by Jon Katz, gives a positive statement on how boys still haven’t change and are still growing up the same. Jon Katz, shares with us while walking his dog one day, he saw a boy get beaten by a group of older boys. While walking towards him, Katz asked if he was okay; the boy said yes and begun to swing like nothing happened. I believe that what Jon Katz states is true, because the fact is; boys are always going to think they’re the Alpha Male in every situation. For example: who can climb the highest Rock, who can make a bigger splash in the pool or who can maybe get a girlfriend first.

In Guyland, Michael Kimmel chronicles the journey of young males and the issues they face while trying to exert their masculinity and prove themselves to their peers. Based on interactions among North American males between the ages of 16 and 26, Kimmel has found that at an age where young men had previously prepped for a life of work and committed relationships, they are now living in “Guyland” where they spend their time drinking, playing video games, and having immature relations with women. Kimmel explains that these young men are “frighteningly dependent on peer culture” and “desperate to prove their masculinity in the eyes of other boys.” (30) These young men live in constant fear that they will not measure up to the ideals of

Christopher R. Browning’s “Ordinary Men” chronicles the rise and fall of the Reserve Police Battalion 101. The battalion was one of several units that took part in the Final Solution to the Jewish Question while in Poland. The men of Reserve Police Battalion 101, and other units were comprised of ordinary men, from ordinary backgrounds living under the Third Reich. Browning’s premise for the book is very unique, instead of focusing on number of victims, it examines the mindset of how ordinary men, became cold-hearted killers under Nazi Germany during World War II. Christopher Browning’s “Ordinary Men” presents a very strong case that the men who made up the Reserve Police Battalion 101 were indeed ordinary men from ordinary background, and

Christopher Browning describes how the Reserve Police Battalion 101, like the rest of German society, was immersed in a flood of racist and anti-Semitic propaganda. Browning describes how the Order Police provided indoctrination both in basic training and as an ongoing practice within each unit. Many of the members were not prepared for the killing of Jews. The author examines the reasons some of the police members did not shoot. The physiological effect of isolation, rejection, and ostracism is examined in the context of being assigned to a foreign land with a hostile population. The contradictions imposed by the demands of conscience on the one hand and the norms of the battalion on the other are discussed. Ordinary Men

Within his piece, Guys Vs. Men, Dave Barry articulates the different perspectives available on viewing males. Throughout his piece he utilizes a satirical tone to showcase this idea. The audience that Dave Barry is attempting to convey his message to is the general public. I believe this to be an appropriate assessment as the level of language employed by Dave Barry, throughout his piece, lacks complexity. His use of satire also helps to identify the audience. This is because the use of humour can be seen as a way to capture the attention of a reader quickly in hopes that the reader continues, and ultimately finishes the article. Using these as evidence I can conclude the audience being targeted is the general public. Dave Barry’s thesis, which can be located in paragraph one, stating “that there’s another way to look at males: not as aggressive macho dominators; not as sensitive, liberated, hugging drummers; but as guys.” Within his thesis, Dave Barry expresses how the stereotypes that define a male are not the only points of view of a male. He conveys that there are other perspectives available on how males can be viewed, and one of them is simply to view males as guys. In his body paragraphs, Dave Barry proceeds to explain the various characteristics that make up, and are exhibited by, guys. The Characteristics he mainly emphasises are how “Guys Like Neat Stuff”, how “Guys Like a Really Pointless Challenge”, and finally how “Guys Do Not Have a Ridged and Well-Defined

“Friend stopped, stood still, and braed himself.. see I’m no chicken” (Katz 221). Male maturation is a very complex sophisticated process. In “How Boys Become Men” Jon Katz takes on the challenge and head ache of analyzing this process. He explains how learning one of the central ethics of the gender is experiencing pain rather than showing fear and emotion. We do so by taken on challenges because we feel obligated to in front of our friends in order to not look cowardly. How we demonstrate machismo and lack commitment, how we do whatever we can to fit into the society around us and are willing to do anything just to resemble coolness and absolutely no tolerability of getting pushed around. It called Guy Code, a set of

In forms of writing, there are different types of conflicts that happen to the main character within a story. This conflict could be an internal conflict when a character struggles within their self, man vs. self, or an external conflict, when a character must deal with a problem from an external source, for example, Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, or Man vs. Technology. Without these conflicts, stories like Harry Potter or  The Hunger Games would be uninteresting and dull. Therefore the work will have no substance and no real purpose for people to read it. On the other hand, in Max Barry Machine Man the main character, Charlie Neuman, experiences many different conflicts during his journey.

Hisham Matar’s narrative solely revolves around the perspective of a nine year-old boy Sulieman El Dewani, experiencing first hand an important time of Libya’s history. This crucial time in history was in Gidafi’s oppressive regime in 1979. In the text, In the Country of Men, family bonds within the Libyan society are somewhat the strongest though other relationships between the oppressed citizens of Libya and their totalitarian country and the relationship friends have with each other do prevail to be just as solid. The family bonds within this patriarchy society heavily display a sense of intimate love and compassion for one another. This relationship is deeply