Ideal masculinity is depicted everywhere in our society from movies to books to comics. It is a socially constructed set of attributes for boys and men to achieve. Some common characteristics include: strength, heroism, audacity, control, unemotional, superior, fearless, honorable, and heterosexual. In a 1950’s issue of the Vault of Horror, the horror comic, “Split Personality,” aspires to primarily critique the notion of ideal masculinity. The comic delineates the male protagonist, Ed King, as a character of great strength and audacity, who commits the act of polygamy and deception. Similar to other male characters in comics who portray ideal masculinity, Ed King exhibits similar qualities to those characters in terms of his outward appearance.
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The notions for ideal masculinity originated way before the 1900’s, even before mid-7th century BC with the rise of Greek art and literature. Looking at many of the statues from the Greek era, many commonalities of the ideal masculinity are drawn. Most sculptures that embody the male physique accent athleticism, heroism, and strength. For example, one of the most acknowledged statues famous for its depiction of the ideal masculinity is the Greek statue of Discobolus, created by Myron in 450 B.C. The subject of the statue is seen partaking in the sport of discus throwing. His stance just before the release of the disc is dynamic and full of poise. His body is crafted in such a way to emphasize his athleticism. The quintessentially crafted chiseled muscles of his arm, abdominals, glutes, and legs accentuate his masculinity and his strength. Furthermore, his emotionless facial expression contrasts the tension seen in his body. This emotionless expression is suggestive of the ideal masculinity for it indicates fearlessness in a state of great stress, composure, invincibility, and focus. Furthermore, emotions are usually associated with women, therefore, the lack of emotions, besides anger, is an associative masculine …show more content…
In the panel where Ed’s persona Edwin is observed lying shirtless on the bed with his bathrobe stash draped across his back, one can clearly notice the emphasis of the chiseled muscles of his back and arms. Subsequent to that panel, Ed’s other persona, Alfonso, is seen taking of his shirt and his spouse, Susan, emphatically tells her sister, Amy, about his “broad back, tan and rippling with muscles.” His chiseled body is suggestive of his strength and implicates that he is involved in either sports or other forms of exercises. However, the comic critiques the physical qualities affiliated with ideal masculinity. The comic denotes that just by having a body type that resembles that of a Greek statue does not entails ideal masculinity. There is more to being a man than just by the way he presents himself to the world. This criticism is well represented in the denouement of the comic, which illustrates the two female twins, Amy and Susan, whom Ed King beguiled for their wealth, spilt him with an ax right through the midline of his body. This representation of the “split” body criticizes the ideals of masculinity as to say that it is flawed. It transforms his ideal masculinity into something repulsive and
The notions for ideal masculinity originated way before the 1900’s, even before mid-7th century BC with the rise of Greek art and literature. Looking at many of the statues from the Greek era, many commonalities of the ideal masculinity are drawn. Most sculptures that embody the male physique accent athleticism, heroism, and strength. For example, one of the most acknowledged statues famous for its depiction of the ideal masculinity is the Greek statue of Discobolus, created by Myron in 450 B.C. The subject of the statue is seen partaking in the sport of discus throwing. His stance just before the release of the disc is dynamic and full of poise. His body is crafted in such a way to emphasize his athleticism. The quintessentially crafted chiseled muscles of his arm, abdominals, glutes, and legs accentuate his masculinity and his strength. Furthermore, his emotionless facial expression contrasts the tension seen in his body. This emotionless expression is suggestive of the ideal masculinity for it indicates fearlessness in a state of great stress, composure, invincibility, and focus. Furthermore, emotions are usually associated with women, therefore, the lack of emotions, besides anger, is an associative masculine …show more content…
In the panel where Ed’s persona Edwin is observed lying shirtless on the bed with his bathrobe stash draped across his back, one can clearly notice the emphasis of the chiseled muscles of his back and arms. Subsequent to that panel, Ed’s other persona, Alfonso, is seen taking of his shirt and his spouse, Susan, emphatically tells her sister, Amy, about his “broad back, tan and rippling with muscles.” His chiseled body is suggestive of his strength and implicates that he is involved in either sports or other forms of exercises. However, the comic critiques the physical qualities affiliated with ideal masculinity. The comic denotes that just by having a body type that resembles that of a Greek statue does not entails ideal masculinity. There is more to being a man than just by the way he presents himself to the world. This criticism is well represented in the denouement of the comic, which illustrates the two female twins, Amy and Susan, whom Ed King beguiled for their wealth, spilt him with an ax right through the midline of his body. This representation of the “split” body criticizes the ideals of masculinity as to say that it is flawed. It transforms his ideal masculinity into something repulsive and