Boys Don’t Cry, written and directed by Kimberly Peirce, is a film adapted from the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgendered individual who was brutally raped and murdered because of his gender identity. In the film, Brandon Teena is a female to male transgender person who is in a constant struggle with his identity, and the restrictions of the standard gender binary and sexuality put in place by society. As a result of this struggle, and Brandon’s unwillingness to submit, he was raped and murdered. The film illustrates the implications of gender roles, and the violence that occurs against people who do not fit in the norm. Gendered violence, like the violence agaisnt Brandon Teena, is fueled by hegemonic masculinity. Brandon Teena’s murder served as a catalyst to the transgendered
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In general, people rely on categorizing people based on physical charatoristics or social behaviors as a way to predict how they will act in the future, and how we should treat them. A persons sex, race, socioeconomic status, apperance and behavior all determine what category they are placed within. When a person does not fit the mold for their category, things get messy. Brandon Teena did not fit the ideals for being a women, nor did he fit in to the category of male. Because of this ambiguidity, the others people in the film could not label Brandon, and thus felt threatened and reacted accordingly. Organizing people based on attributes is an essential compenent to the structure of power, gender roles and hegomonic masculinity.
Hegemonic masculinity, as defined by Connell (1987) is “the culturally idealized form of [the] masculine character” (p. 83). In our culture, this ideal is embedded with power, control, and violence. If a man does not meet societies expectations of masculintiy, he is deemed as “wimp,” “sissy”,
In general, people rely on categorizing people based on physical charatoristics or social behaviors as a way to predict how they will act in the future, and how we should treat them. A persons sex, race, socioeconomic status, apperance and behavior all determine what category they are placed within. When a person does not fit the mold for their category, things get messy. Brandon Teena did not fit the ideals for being a women, nor did he fit in to the category of male. Because of this ambiguidity, the others people in the film could not label Brandon, and thus felt threatened and reacted accordingly. Organizing people based on attributes is an essential compenent to the structure of power, gender roles and hegomonic masculinity.
Hegemonic masculinity, as defined by Connell (1987) is “the culturally idealized form of [the] masculine character” (p. 83). In our culture, this ideal is embedded with power, control, and violence. If a man does not meet societies expectations of masculintiy, he is deemed as “wimp,” “sissy”,