Masculinity In Lee Mun Wah's Color Of Fear
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5 Pages
Lee Mun Wah’s Color of Fear features a thoughtful and emotional discussion of the problems men face in society with focus into the race relations that shape lives. Hosting a variety of men from different race backgrounds and experiences, the discussion they have among each other opens up new questions and a deeper understanding of the ways racism has interwoven its way into society and masculinity. Working from explanations of white privilege to the sensitive topic of racism between men of color, the film is a sensitive but eye opening experience. There are times where white men, and even myself, struggled to connect or understand inner issues, but the progress reached by the end of the movie speaks volumes to how important healthy conversation
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As was discussed in Color of Fear and our own class time, Asian men, while ranked higher as a race for their stereotyped behaviors and values, are also feminized and stripped of their rights to identify with masculinity in our society. This puts up an interesting conundrum where, in the eyes of white culture, the highest valued man of color is the one who isn’t allowed to be a man. Their success, in fact, is a threat to white masculinity, and we see this same issue come up with Black, Latino, First Nations, and all other forms of racial identities. Despite aiming to assimilate to expectations of patriarchal society, following and being regarded at a higher degree than other men of color, they are still denied the equal, basic rights of white …show more content…
For another example of this phenomena in action you can look to heteronormative gay families, who work to get closer and closer to traditional family standards but, in the end, are still gay and therefore will never be truly traditional. Minority individuals are denied equality on the same levels of society’s dominators (white, cisgender, heterosexual men) but yet are promised and misguided to believe they have a chance if they act perfectly by patriarchal standards. They all, for all intents and purposes, lied
As was discussed in Color of Fear and our own class time, Asian men, while ranked higher as a race for their stereotyped behaviors and values, are also feminized and stripped of their rights to identify with masculinity in our society. This puts up an interesting conundrum where, in the eyes of white culture, the highest valued man of color is the one who isn’t allowed to be a man. Their success, in fact, is a threat to white masculinity, and we see this same issue come up with Black, Latino, First Nations, and all other forms of racial identities. Despite aiming to assimilate to expectations of patriarchal society, following and being regarded at a higher degree than other men of color, they are still denied the equal, basic rights of white …show more content…
For another example of this phenomena in action you can look to heteronormative gay families, who work to get closer and closer to traditional family standards but, in the end, are still gay and therefore will never be truly traditional. Minority individuals are denied equality on the same levels of society’s dominators (white, cisgender, heterosexual men) but yet are promised and misguided to believe they have a chance if they act perfectly by patriarchal standards. They all, for all intents and purposes, lied