Stereotypes Of Men In Society

“Be a man!” A phrase which is very prominent in popular culture can be seen anywhere from movies to a household. In fact, there is a documentary entitled, The Mask You Live In, about how young boys are molded into men by the things they see and hear every day. Today, most American boys grow up with a predetermined definition of masculinity based on certain things that they see every day.

As a result of this feminism became a widely talked about topic and there are millions of feminists that talk about all of the issues that they are put through. But with all of this going on it is easily overlooked that men are also put into these stereotypes. For example, some people even go to the extreme of immediately categorizing men with high voices and a smaller build as gay. Being someone who is about to go off into the world and create the person that I am going to be for the rest of my life, this whole topic of “being a man” is something that I think about often. What if I go into this world on my own and don’t fit the social norm for being a man? What will I do then? What society tells you is to “fake it ‘till you make it”, act like you’re something that you aren’t so people will think that you’re

When someone is thinking of a man, what do they think? Strong? Brave? That’s what most people think; in reality that is a very false image. In “Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code,” Michael Kimmel, talks about what it means to be a man and what it takes to be a man in today’s world. Men are pressured into what they “should” be. If they don’t follow certain unwritten rules, which include: not asking for directions, not giving up, not showing fear, or any signs of emotional weakness, such as tears; they are considered less than a man, a wimp. A real man must be aggressive and brave, he must defend his territory: status, family, possessions. Men blindly follow the Guy Code, they must comply in order to be part of the pack, to fit in.

My best opinion of a man can only be defined by another Spongebob reference. In the Spongebob movie, Spongebob and Patrick take on a deathly journey for two reasons: to save Bikini Bottom, and to prove that they are men. These two animated characters perfectly describe the mentality of a man who is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. By standing up for what they believe in, I mean risking their lives. I do not mean standing outside a political rally holding a sign fighting for “safe

However, putting people into categories kind of blinds us from seeing the true person. But the mass media are overall consistently good at exaggerating stereotype features as less real, more perfect, and more predictable than their real-life counterparts that appear so many times on mediums of communications that it becomes convention. For examples, because we often see most television programs to be sixty to thirty minutes or less, the individuality of a character's role must be revealed and established as quickly as possible. A typical male stereotype might be: strong, ambitious, masterful, and intelligent.

Men are not more criminal than women, but societies and gender norms have placed onto men. While many believe that masculinity promotes toughness and strength, it is damaging to men because it puts a stigma on to men to commit violent acts and crime. According to James Hamblin in “Toxic Masculinity and Murder”: “Manhood geared towards dominance and control. When men seek that control--when we feel it’s our due--and don’t achieve it, we can resent and hate” (20). Masculinity has set up developing boys and men up for disappointment when control cannot be obtained. Thus, leading to hatred and violence by men. There is an immense pressure put onto young boys to constantly prove themselves to each other and to society. When men feel inadequate, there won’t be a sense of sadness, but anger and hatred, then leading to violence. Young boys and men who feel incompetent, are more likely to commit violent acts and crimes.

We often see women affected by social norms and negatively represented but it's always good to look at the other side of the spectrum. Masculinity can deeply affect and cause issues in boys and young men. These issues are mainly emotional damages and the definition of what being a man is. On of the ways to fix this would be to better represent masculinity and widen the spectrum of what a man really is. First of all, the definition of what being a man is a central issue for young males.

In ancient society, women were caregivers. They were to marry at the age of 14, and care for their husband and children. Women were told to act a certain way, watch what they eat, never talk back to men, and be a lady. You would think that opinions would change and people of the modern society would look at women as equally as men. However, it is almost a nature of all living things to look to men for leadership and women for dinner and clean laundry. I think it’s unfair how gender specific stereotypes play such a massive part in our lives. Boys are always raised to be leaders and business owners, while girls are raised to be proper ladies; only for the purpose of marriage.

What is a man? my definition of a man is one who makes real decisions. A man understands and respects the power of choice, and puts relationships second. My father often told me; men who value individuals above their own will are liars and are not free thinkers. A man is willing to fail. Men are willing to make mistakes, willing to be wrong, and rather try to fail than do nothing. A man should always be confident. A man speaks and acts with confidence, and owns his opinion. Men express love actively. My father often told me that men should be active givers of love, not a passive receiver. Men even face fears. When a man hides from his fears, he knows he’s fallen out of alignment with his true self.

A great percentage of people in today's society would agree with the consensus that manhood is and should be based on masculine features and ambitions in order to be accepted as a manly male; Paul Theroux begs to differ in his formal essay, “Being a Man”, as he contests this norm by avidly stating that forcefully adopting manly attributes while growing up is “emotionally damaging and socially harmful” (Theroux). He strongly exemplifies his understanding to the reader through personal experiences and ridiculing the silly gestures that both men and women make, and remain faithful to, in order to substantiate their purported gender roles in society.

“This version of masculinity is a little like having to wear an ill-fitting coat for one's entire life. Even the expression ‘Be a man!’ Strikes me... Man means ‘manly’... yet it is part of every man’s life.”

Previously I understood that pressures existed on men to be hyper masculine. However, the video, “The Mask You Live In”, displayed how deeply rooted in our society these socially constructed roles of male and female truly are. As a female, it is view to understand the constraints due to experience. However, I never realized the complexity and impact of these strict gender roles on males. The pressure to be: wealthy, in control, tough and lacking in emotion is an immense pressure for males.

What is it to be a man? Masculinity is defined and characterized differently across cultures and time – there is no “global” standard. In some cultures, being a man may mean being comfortable with both your masculine and feminine sides or it could suggest being “tough” and not letting your feelings show at all. Manliness can be demonstrated in some cultures by providing for a family through work, and in others, it might mean scoring the winning goal in a championship game. It is not an easy thing to define an entire gender based on the arbitrary set of ever-changing social and cultural norms, but somehow- it still happens. Trying to define one’s own masculinity and live up to its standards is a tough and grueling task that many men

To be a man means to be constantly criticized based on how the world views that sex. Men must be prepared to be the center of many stereotypes. Almost all stereotypes being very negative. A man is thought of as a self centered prick whose testosterone has gone to their head, and has a competitive love for things that don’t matter, like sports. In Being a Man by Paul Theroux, he says to be a man means, ¨to be stupid, be unfeeling, obedient, soldierly and stop thinking¨(Theroux). Men are seen to not think about the consequences for the actions they take part in. An image of a man can be pictured as a large male with big biceps, lots of chest hair, and when he talks, his voice is deep, making the hair on your skin rise. This ¨man¨ is also more than likely part of a competitive group. Rebecca Walker states the stereotype that women only like masculine, competitive men.

'Quit acting like a girl '. 'My grandma can run faster than you '. 'Grow some balls '. Even the manliest of men have heard every single one of these phrases before, and their collective message is clear: just be a man. The very idea is so ingrained in the bedrock of our society that corporations capitalize on the nearly universal male desire to reach true masculinity, illustrating (even sometimes unrealistically) what a real man looks like or does. Sadly, the average 21st century man is given no detailed instructions on how to become this ideal, all the while being spurring forward to chase this ambiguous goal. Just take a look at Disney Studios 's