Gender Identity In Bros Before Hos By Michael Kimmel

Gender Identity As young children people are told to “sit like a lady”, “you run like a girl” and other remarks that attempt to make sure one acts appropriately according to one’s gender, male or female. Although children listen intently to what they are told, what kind of toll does it take on that young person to constantly be reminded of the of how a boy or girl should act? In this age where gender roles are changing the cultural myth of gender roles are changing also. The gender myth of old where men work and do the hard labor and women stay at home and raise children is becoming a thing of the past. Even if the myth is going out of style, it does still have a strong hold on American society today. The realization is, that this myth has …show more content…
What once was thought of as gender specific roles in the past do not hold true today. Men for instance, are being asked to be more emotionally present in relationships today. That is the total opposite of what “being a man” is all about. Men are not supposed to cry or be openly affectionate. When they do they are going against what it truly means to be a guy. Michael Kimmel in “Bros Before Hos” explains part of the “Guy Code” when it comes to fear of what other men think, “It’s a fear that others will see you as weak, unmanly, frightened” (Kimmel 467). That fear leads men to deny their feelings and take huge risks. For some men the only forms of expression that they are allowed to show would be anger and violence, which makes them looks even worse in society. Kimmel remarks on what this does to boys, “No wonder boys are more prone to depression, suicidal behavior, and various other forms of out-of-control or out-of-touch behaviors than girls are” (Kimmel 470). In today’s society men are constantly asked to be both emotionally connected and not be a sissy at the same