Unmasking Manly Men Analysis

Society faces an issue that is not usually addressed because it is seen as the norm in today’s American culture. It is the crisis of masculinity. The notion of how men should be portrayed is not usually identified as a problem; today’s society views men’s apathetic and exasperated exterior as the orthodox behavior of everyday life. Boys at a young age are taught by the popular culture that they need to be a “real man” - strong physically and emotionally. The mask many men put up is based on the extreme idea of masculinity that emphasizes toughness, physical strength and gaining the respect of others through violence or the explicit threat of it. This front is put up by men because they do not want to stray from what is accepted, for men who

In Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, sex is used as a tool to blind the narrator from his identity as he strives to find it, who he really is. Even though there are many obstacles, sex is one of the more prominent that the narrator must face, only to reveal that he is unable to find his identity, “ I had been invisible to Mary as I had been to the Brotherhood”(571). At the end of the book, the narrator is fully aware of his invisibility, but its how he got there, and the struggles he endured, that hold true significance.

In today’s society, masculinity has changed throughout time. Fast forward one hundred years ago, masculinity is defined as being strong and having a good paying job. But as the world is changing so is the representation of manliness. You don’t have to show your dominance over men or women today, but you should support your family nowadays and we have all been brainwashed by the thought of masculinity from our ancestors. As men our reputation is always being valued but now it isn’t so much about our reputation but about caring for one another and especially for our families. Perspective of manhood is also a significant factor in portraying what masculinity is in the eyes of other people. Masculinity has been shown through money, appearance, and providing protection for your family members but as we shift into the modern world, masculinity is not seen as displaying the most discipline but caring for one another by taking out some of your time to help one another. Throughout the paper, I will be writing about my interviews from a broad spectrum of ages from one of my younger sisters to my dad with not friends not at Seb’s in between so I can get what it really means to be a man from all ages.

Society has a way of creating standards and expectations for the roles of men and women. The two videos Killing Us Softly and Tough Guise showed how society truly portrays men and women. The overall media system defines men. It is where they learn it what it means to be a “man”. In the video, Tough Guise, dominance, power, and control were the most commonly used adjectives to describe men. (1) Media not only gives men a certain role but it stereotypes certain races of men. Latinos are seen as boxers or criminals, Asian’s are seen as martial artists of sneaky criminals, and African Americans are seen as thugs or murderers. (1) Media directly associates violence with men. Violence has become an acepted part of masculinity. Young boys learn that if they don't want be be a “wimp” then they have to act out in violent ways. On the contrary, in the

that labels these things unmanly, feminine, womanly, and gay, and teaches boys to avoid them at all costs.” If these characteristics are things that men have, and make them a better person, why is it so merely reinforced by society that men shouldn’t have the qualities? If a guy is blocking these out because they’re not manly, there could be some serious repercussions. These characteristics that are generally associated with women are made fun of in men and they often feel their masculinity is becoming threatened. Due to this men may suppress certain emotional issues, especially around other men. An example of this is shown in the book Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are by Brooke Kroeger. In chapter one, Not Some Social Agenda Struggle, Kroeger tells the story of David Matthews, a young man who is caught between two races as he struggles to find his identity. David was raised in a single parent household with his father raising him. He brings up how he and his dad rarely talked about his mother or anything emotional saying, “We were just tough guys and it just didn’t seem like the kind of touchy-feely stuff I needed to know”. Here David shows that he and his dad both feel they are too tough to talk about touchy issues that he

Jenifer Siebel Newsom’s documentary, The Mask You Live In, is about the struggles young men and boys face while they are figuring out their identity in a stereotyped America. The film highlights the negative psychological and sociological implications that stem from society’s expectations of “masculinity.” According to Dr. Caroline Heldman, masculinity is defined in the U.S. as a rejection of everything feminine. American culture has classified masculinity as a strong, hardened, domineering, powerful, and controlling state of being. There are typically three lies that boys learn at a young age that plant the idea that they have to be masculine. Those lies are 1) You must have superb athletic ability and be fast and buff, 2) in order to be a “true” man, you must have

Throughout the history of the world, and specifically in the United States, the pressure that has been forced onto men in society has not only had a significant impact on the people themselves but in society as well. This can be seen through America’s history, the evolution of men and masculinity and even reflected through the development and growth of women and women’s roles in history. The expectation placed on men to conform to what would be considered masculine in that era was an extremely important factor in a young man’s life. This pressure was enforced not only by society but by men themselves who held each other to a specific and high standard. In order to understand the role that men play in society and the ideology of masculinity,

Since the beginning female police officers have had to face controversies and in some way they still do till today. There are three talked about controversies for female police officers and they are the lack of physical strength, too much stress, and loss of respect and masculinity. With the lack of physical strength and masculinity being the most talked about. When criticizing policewomen and why they shouldn’t be in law enforcement they always mention that they are too weak to protect not only their partners but also civilians.

As Ehrmann states in the opening scene, “If you're going to be a man in this world, you better learn how to dominate and control people and circumstances.” This quote summarizes the never-ending goal men must meet in our society. This goal, of maintaining masculinity, has lead to the violence, depression, and confusion among males. In the film, they examine the cause and effect of male gender-policing in our society. Through personal anecdotes and expert testimony, the film sheds light on the painful cost of masculinity in America.

O’Brien narrative depicts the most traditional form of masculinity, a man characterized by physical strength. O’Brien emphasizes the physicality of a man and soldier by giving simple accounts of the items that the soldiers are carrying. This tangible burden becomes a symbol of male masculinity and a soldier’s requirement to physically survive. Militarized depictions of weaponry and battle-ready accessories become displays of virility and aggressive individuals. Consequently, the male figure can be viewed as a warrior and protector. Weaponry become a way of disconnecting from humanity. To each solider these items become a symbol of self-sufficiency. In male isolation, autonomy is vital. They cannot express themselves emotionally; therefore,

Men that carry out the “machismo way of life” feel that they have to constantly prove their manhood to the world. This is generally achieved

As an undergraduate, I minored in gender-studies, so when I saw this article I knew I had to read it. I love the way Plester broke down this study and made it simple for individuals to follow. It was very informative and shed light on sexism, homophobia, and hyper-masculinity that occurs in organizations by suppose “masculine” individuals. I also enjoyed the concept of masochistic reflexive organization and how it essentially affects the “minority” (femininity and homosexuality) because of harmful verbal environments, though it did not particularly reflect her study at Adare. I also appreciated the fact that she stated that masculinity does not belong to men only and can be found in many women trying to “fit in” at their organization. This is important because it iterates that women can also display these characteristics. After analyzing and reviewing this article, I would most certainly recommend

The nature of the self is what controls one's instincts like reacting violently and it is largely influenced by internal and external factors including destructive societal pressure. In the documentary The Mask You Live In, it provides the idea that masculinity in modern society is highly emphasized, causing several destructive effects. For example, males from a young age are often taught to behave like a "Real man" who is not allowed to shed tears publically. As a result of these masculinity "Rules", men always tend to hide away their emotions afraid that it will challenge societal beliefs. Over a long-term, boys who endure these external pressures experience longlasting toxic outcomes including becoming self-enclosed.

Despite her impactful personal statement in the frustrations she felt in a gender discriminated occupation, the article lacked context. Denise Scott Brown described her struggles with her lack of acknowledgement and the internal struggles she felt: her waning sense of self-worth and displeasure from her growing hostile personality. Also, she was extremely thorough with her description of how architecture critics used the star system to attribute all collaborated ideas to a single entity. Yet, she does not really mention how sexism is a larger cultural issue, as she is too busy emphasizing the sexism she faced in the workforce. I believe that adding cultural context would broaden the article by revealing the motivation behind sexist attitudes. For example, with the critique by Hideki Shimizu

Masculinity, a seemingly simple concept. Yet, when examined more closely, it is clear that masculinity is constantly changing in its definition as well as in its most basic essence. Throughout the years, one can see this evolution firsthand by looking back at the men who have been portrayed in popular media in the United States of America. From the suave Don Draper types of the 1950s to the more casual, educated, and easygoing men- with perfectly chiseled abs, of course- that are portrayed in media today, the difference is clear. This drastic, yet unsurprising, shift in ideals, as well as the exponential increase of media consumed every day, has led to a change in how “masculinity” is perceived, as well as how it is enforced by society in the modern day. Alarmingly, this trend has led to the birth of so-called “toxic masculinity”, a bastardization of the original ideas behind masculinity which has created an enormous, detrimental effect on society as a whole. As defined in the article The Difference Between Toxic Masculinity and Being a Man, toxic masculinity is “manhood as defined by violence, sex, status, and aggression. It’s the cultural ideal of manliness, where strength is everything… where sex and brutality are yardsticks by which men are measured,” (O’Malley) This is a clearly displayed truth, and it’s astounding to see how even from a young age boys are taught not to show emotions other than anger, conditioned to believe that being “like a girl” is the worst possible