Throughout the semester, prompts based on class readings, screenings, lectures, and discussions will be posted on this blog. Responses will be graded on their level of critical thinking, pertinence, engagement with class texts, and grammar/spelling/proofing/
length. Be sure to read the prompt carefully and fully engage with the content of the class materials. At the bottom of your response, type your FIRST NAME and the FIRST INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME (e.g. Claudia Z.).
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Week Thirteen: Response 13.1
In Tough Guise 2, what are some of
the ways popular culture teaches boys how to be invulnerable and “act like a
man”? Then cite some popular
culture examples teaching boys it’s all right to be vulnerable.
In Tough Guise 2, one of the topics discussed was how boys are taught at a young age to be invulnerable, to have no emotions and to show a tough exterior or else be cast aside by mainstream and seen as something different or other. Some of the pop culture references that Jackson Katz sited were movies like "How To Train Your Dragon" about a young boy viking who doesn't want to kill dragons and is rejected by his own father because he can't just toughen up and be man. Another movie he sited was "Shark Tale" which once again showed a shark unwilling to step up and follow the family code and was rejected for it. These displays of manliness being shown in kid's films are even more damaging because this is setting the example for young children and telling them how they should act when they are at a very impressionable age. As far as good representation goes, in the new Power Ranger's movie, which was also geared towards kids, all the characters, male and female, bring a different dynamic to the table instead of being carbon copies of characters we have already seen. The blue ranger, Billy, is autistic and more quiet, he isn't incredibly social and is teased in school because of his awkwardness. Billy is never seen as weird for being different and when he eventually gets powers he doesn't end up going to school and getting the bully back by making a show of his dominance, he doesn't even engage with the bully at all but instead uses his powers to just avoid being bullied from now on. The black ranger, Zach, shows emotion and fear in one scene when he talks about how he takes care of his terminally ill mother. He admits that sometimes he doesn't want to go home for fear that she won't be alive when he walks in, and as he talks he even sheds a few tears. Again this isn't seen as different but rather encouraged by the rest of his friend group who want him to open up about his life, and then he is shown nothing but support as opposed to being ostracized for showing emotion. The last male character, Jason, the red ranger, ends up being the leader of the Power Rangers which some have criticized because he is the only white, male ranger. I agree with some of the criticism but feel that Jason brings something new to the table with his leadership. Never once does he lord his power over the others or force them to do anything just because he says so, he tells them from the beginning that he doesn't want this leadership and doesn't feel like he deserves it. He also never tells anyone what they should do but instead says "well this is what I am going to do, and if you want to join, you can." He doesn't try to make people's decisions for them, doesn't even try to persuade them it's the right choice, he just does what he feels is right and everyone else tends to agree. As far as superhero movies go, or even kid's movies in general, I thought that Power Rangers was a step in a positive direction when showing how men should be able to show emotion, not always have to know what to do, and not lord their privilege or power over others.
In popular culture, men are taught that in order to "act like a man", they need to be forceful, unemotional, strong, dominant, fearless, and independent. Music, movies, and other forms of media in our culture constantly reinforce this notion. An example used by Katz would be The Tree of Life where the father is teaching his son to be aggressive and Gran Turino where the man teaches the kid how 'men talk to one another'. In both examples, men are teaching younger boys how they are supposed to act and are reinforcing the notion the men are meant to be aggressive both verbally and physically in order to be considered masculine. There have been other messages appearing in the mainstream media to combat this message and to show men and boys that it's perfectly acceptable to be vulnerable or feminine in any shape or form. An example of this would be Big Hero 6, where Hero holds in anger after his brother is killed, but Baymax and his friends teach him that it's okay to cry and seek comfort from his friends. He also learns throughout the movie that revenge through violence isn't the answer that will help him cope. This movie sent a message that men and boys don't have to go through their battles alone and contain their emotions and that it's okay to express your feelings and your grief. Another example would be Parks and Recreation where every male character defies hegemonic masculinity. Chris Traeger is a character who is super open with his emotions and is very kind and nurturing. Throughout the show, he advocates for being in tune with your emotions, keeping in touch with your loved ones, and staying optimistic. All of which contradict the message that men are meant to be unfeeling, independent, and serious. Shira T.
In his Tough Guise 2, Jackson Katz looks at the societal obsession with hyper-masculinity and its role in the perpetuation of violent and aggressive male behavior. Despite the fact that men are responsible for approximately ninety-eight percent of violence in society, the issue of violence is rarely ever framed as a men’s issue. As Katz argues, the removal of gendered patterns from discussions surrounding issues of violence is in large part due to stereotype that men are innately violent beings, that overtly aggressive behavior is an inevitable biological factor. Katz is clear in refuting this notion and notes that such behavior is taught and society is doing the teaching. From ridiculously young ages, we are taught that “boys will be boys” and that excuses little boys ‘playing rough’ or being mean to other kids on the playground. And as these boys grow up, society continues to not only excuse but impose such behavior by requiring a lack of emotion, physical strength, and sexual aggression towards women as proof of the ‘natural’ components of manhood. Although the “man-up” persona is taught in personal relationships, popular culture plays a detrimental role in subconsciously reinforcing these stereotypes. Katz cites multiple examples in films such as Full Metal Jacket and any other film depicting military culture and the beratement of men in bootcamp, Gran Torino’s demonstrating the older man teaching the young boy how to “talk like a man” to other men by using feminine terms to insult one another, and even children’s cartoons like How to Train a Dragon that show the harsh consequences of a son disowned for refusing to follow in the violent and hyper-masculine footsteps of his father. With films and advertisements constantly reminding boys and men to stifle their natural feelings of fear, compassion, empathy, and any expression of emotions that make them vulnerable by labeling them as weak, feminine, and gay, they are left with pent up emotions and aggression and told that the only seemingly acceptable and excusable way to express such feelings is through violence. Breaking these stigmatizations placed on young boys and men requires widespread representation of masculinity beyond violent, repressed, aggression. Fortunately, the contemporary culture is beginning to break the cycle with celebrities like Steph Curry, Frank Ocean, and Obama who openly express their love and desires (even nonhetero sexuality), Joseph Gordon-Levitt and John Legend who publicly advocate for feminism, and fathers like Will Smith and Neil Patrick-Harris that lead by example to teach their own sons that there is more than one way to be a man.
The Film Tough Guise 2 by Jackson Katz gives a plethora of examples in which popular culture from the past and present is creating a sort of guy code, and teaching boys what it means to be a man. Being a man means you are invulnerable, nothing can hurt you, if someone poses a threat to you, you must fight him or her and assert yourself. Men are sexually aggressive and have to show women whose boss. Examples Katz uses range from popular movies like ‘Fight Club, ‘Scarface’, 300’, and just about every action movie to date. Even animation movies like ‘A Shark’s Tale’ is used to incorporate the tough guy act for younger viewers. TV shows now display men performing arduous jobs, like ‘Deadliest Catch’, and ‘Dirtiest Jobs’ affirming that one is only a man if he performs such tasks that require brute strength. Video games were another huge contributor to the tough guise put forth for young boys to follow. Modern video games are bloody and violent. Games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor are games utilized by the armed forces for recruitment but are also being distributed to young children everywhere. Sports today focus more on physical contact between players than actual game time. These fights become huge deals and are later put on replay by sport casters. UFC, a sport that glorifies men and women who go into the octagon to inflict pain on others has become the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Popular culture today is slowly starting to show boys it’s ok to be vulnerable, or at least providing the platforms for them to be vulnerable. Such as Glee and the Emmy award winning television show ‘Modern Family’ portrays a very diverse family. In that family we have the patriarch “jay” and his stepson “Manny”. Jay always tries to impose his 1950’s ideal of a tough guy on his son who is a bit of a momma’s boy. Jay eventually welcomes Manny’s interest such as baking and writing poetry. Today Instragram allows folks from all over the globe to voice their likes and interest. Instagramers like ‘Mannymua733’ and ‘hisvintagetouch’ are examples of successful men who aren’t necessarily following the average “manly” example. Their photos have brought hope too many young boys gay or straight who might have dreams of becoming makeup artist and/or working with models.
In Tough Guise 2, one of the topics discussed was how boys are taught at a young age to be invulnerable, to have no emotions and to show a tough exterior or else be cast aside by mainstream and seen as something different or other. Some of the pop culture references that Jackson Katz sited were movies like "How To Train Your Dragon" about a young boy viking who doesn't want to kill dragons and is rejected by his own father because he can't just toughen up and be man. Another movie he sited was "Shark Tale" which once again showed a shark unwilling to step up and follow the family code and was rejected for it. These displays of manliness being shown in kid's films are even more damaging because this is setting the example for young children and telling them how they should act when they are at a very impressionable age. As far as good representation goes, in the new Power Ranger's movie, which was also geared towards kids, all the characters, male and female, bring a different dynamic to the table instead of being carbon copies of characters we have already seen. The blue ranger, Billy, is autistic and more quiet, he isn't incredibly social and is teased in school because of his awkwardness. Billy is never seen as weird for being different and when he eventually gets powers he doesn't end up going to school and getting the bully back by making a show of his dominance, he doesn't even engage with the bully at all but instead uses his powers to just avoid being bullied from now on. The black ranger, Zach, shows emotion and fear in one scene when he talks about how he takes care of his terminally ill mother. He admits that sometimes he doesn't want to go home for fear that she won't be alive when he walks in, and as he talks he even sheds a few tears. Again this isn't seen as different but rather encouraged by the rest of his friend group who want him to open up about his life, and then he is shown nothing but support as opposed to being ostracized for showing emotion. The last male character, Jason, the red ranger, ends up being the leader of the Power Rangers which some have criticized because he is the only white, male ranger. I agree with some of the criticism but feel that Jason brings something new to the table with his leadership. Never once does he lord his power over the others or force them to do anything just because he says so, he tells them from the beginning that he doesn't want this leadership and doesn't feel like he deserves it. He also never tells anyone what they should do but instead says "well this is what I am going to do, and if you want to join, you can." He doesn't try to make people's decisions for them, doesn't even try to persuade them it's the right choice, he just does what he feels is right and everyone else tends to agree. As far as superhero movies go, or even kid's movies in general, I thought that Power Rangers was a step in a positive direction when showing how men should be able to show emotion, not always have to know what to do, and not lord their privilege or power over others.
ReplyDelete- Sammi L.
In popular culture, men are taught that in order to "act like a man", they need to be forceful, unemotional, strong, dominant, fearless, and independent. Music, movies, and other forms of media in our culture constantly reinforce this notion. An example used by Katz would be The Tree of Life where the father is teaching his son to be aggressive and Gran Turino where the man teaches the kid how 'men talk to one another'. In both examples, men are teaching younger boys how they are supposed to act and are reinforcing the notion the men are meant to be aggressive both verbally and physically in order to be considered masculine. There have been other messages appearing in the mainstream media to combat this message and to show men and boys that it's perfectly acceptable to be vulnerable or feminine in any shape or form. An example of this would be Big Hero 6, where Hero holds in anger after his brother is killed, but Baymax and his friends teach him that it's okay to cry and seek comfort from his friends. He also learns throughout the movie that revenge through violence isn't the answer that will help him cope. This movie sent a message that men and boys don't have to go through their battles alone and contain their emotions and that it's okay to express your feelings and your grief. Another example would be Parks and Recreation where every male character defies hegemonic masculinity. Chris Traeger is a character who is super open with his emotions and is very kind and nurturing. Throughout the show, he advocates for being in tune with your emotions, keeping in touch with your loved ones, and staying optimistic. All of which contradict the message that men are meant to be unfeeling, independent, and serious.
ReplyDeleteShira T.
In his Tough Guise 2, Jackson Katz looks at the societal obsession with hyper-masculinity and its role in the perpetuation of violent and aggressive male behavior. Despite the fact that men are responsible for approximately ninety-eight percent of violence in society, the issue of violence is rarely ever framed as a men’s issue. As Katz argues, the removal of gendered patterns from discussions surrounding issues of violence is in large part due to stereotype that men are innately violent beings, that overtly aggressive behavior is an inevitable biological factor. Katz is clear in refuting this notion and notes that such behavior is taught and society is doing the teaching. From ridiculously young ages, we are taught that “boys will be boys” and that excuses little boys ‘playing rough’ or being mean to other kids on the playground. And as these boys grow up, society continues to not only excuse but impose such behavior by requiring a lack of emotion, physical strength, and sexual aggression towards women as proof of the ‘natural’ components of manhood. Although the “man-up” persona is taught in personal relationships, popular culture plays a detrimental role in subconsciously reinforcing these stereotypes. Katz cites multiple examples in films such as Full Metal Jacket and any other film depicting military culture and the beratement of men in bootcamp, Gran Torino’s demonstrating the older man teaching the young boy how to “talk like a man” to other men by using feminine terms to insult one another, and even children’s cartoons like How to Train a Dragon that show the harsh consequences of a son disowned for refusing to follow in the violent and hyper-masculine footsteps of his father. With films and advertisements constantly reminding boys and men to stifle their natural feelings of fear, compassion, empathy, and any expression of emotions that make them vulnerable by labeling them as weak, feminine, and gay, they are left with pent up emotions and aggression and told that the only seemingly acceptable and excusable way to express such feelings is through violence. Breaking these stigmatizations placed on young boys and men requires widespread representation of masculinity beyond violent, repressed, aggression. Fortunately, the contemporary culture is beginning to break the cycle with celebrities like Steph Curry, Frank Ocean, and Obama who openly express their love and desires (even nonhetero sexuality), Joseph Gordon-Levitt and John Legend who publicly advocate for feminism, and fathers like Will Smith and Neil Patrick-Harris that lead by example to teach their own sons that there is more than one way to be a man.
ReplyDeleteKodie A.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Film Tough Guise 2 by Jackson Katz gives a plethora of examples in which popular culture from the past and present is creating a sort of guy code, and teaching boys what it means to be a man. Being a man means you are invulnerable, nothing can hurt you, if someone poses a threat to you, you must fight him or her and assert yourself. Men are sexually aggressive and have to show women whose boss. Examples Katz uses range from popular movies like ‘Fight Club, ‘Scarface’, 300’, and just about every action movie to date. Even animation movies like ‘A Shark’s Tale’ is used to incorporate the tough guy act for younger viewers. TV shows now display men performing arduous jobs, like ‘Deadliest Catch’, and ‘Dirtiest Jobs’ affirming that one is only a man if he performs such tasks that require brute strength. Video games were another huge contributor to the tough guise put forth for young boys to follow. Modern video games are bloody and violent. Games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor are games utilized by the armed forces for recruitment but are also being distributed to young children everywhere. Sports today focus more on physical contact between players than actual game time. These fights become huge deals and are later put on replay by sport casters. UFC, a sport that glorifies men and women who go into the octagon to inflict pain on others has become the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
ReplyDeletePopular culture today is slowly starting to show boys it’s ok to be vulnerable, or at least providing the platforms for them to be vulnerable. Such as Glee and the Emmy award winning television show ‘Modern Family’ portrays a very diverse family. In that family we have the patriarch “jay” and his stepson “Manny”. Jay always tries to impose his 1950’s ideal of a tough guy on his son who is a bit of a momma’s boy. Jay eventually welcomes Manny’s interest such as baking and writing poetry. Today Instragram allows folks from all over the globe to voice their likes and interest. Instagramers like ‘Mannymua733’ and ‘hisvintagetouch’ are examples of successful men who aren’t necessarily following the average “manly” example. Their photos have brought hope too many young boys gay or straight who might have dreams of becoming makeup artist and/or working with models.
Susana H.