Both Tough Guise 2 and The Mask You Live In are very informative in their discussions of masculinity. These films specifically cover socialized gender roles, and how they affect interpersonal male relationships as well as American society. Both films rely on the idea that gender is a performance and examine the ways that this performance can quickly become dangerous.
Tough Guise 2 is more related to how the media depicts idealized manhood and the effects of this exposure on men. Film, Television, and Video games consistently show hyper masculine men who are incredibly muscular and solve their problems through aggression. Some stereotypical depictions are of men who are emotionless, calculated, physically fit, and aggressive. These caricatures …show more content…
This can partially be linked to the media’s portrayal and bias towards these minorities, but what I found fascinating was the way that the movie discussed white men emulating these individuals. Rhetoric that phrases people of color as aggressive and animalistic has occurred for centuries to dehumanize these individuals and divide society. We still see this today with the description of many men of color, specifically African America men, as thugs. When Masculinity is a lofty goal where aggression equals dominance, it makes sense that White men would emulate the people they view as most aggressive. We can see this in media when white men, who were not raised in an urban setting, appropriate African American and Latino culture. These White men shift their performance of masculinity, and thereby redefine what masculinity means to them.
If I had to choose a favorite film, it would have to be The Mask You Live In. While I learned from Tough Guys 2, I found irony in critiquing the amount of violence in media while simultaneously compiling examples of violence in media to show to a new audience. The Mask You Live In explores the formation of relationships between men, how masculinity affects these men, and how these factors affect the men
Tough Guise 2 is more related to how the media depicts idealized manhood and the effects of this exposure on men. Film, Television, and Video games consistently show hyper masculine men who are incredibly muscular and solve their problems through aggression. Some stereotypical depictions are of men who are emotionless, calculated, physically fit, and aggressive. These caricatures …show more content…
This can partially be linked to the media’s portrayal and bias towards these minorities, but what I found fascinating was the way that the movie discussed white men emulating these individuals. Rhetoric that phrases people of color as aggressive and animalistic has occurred for centuries to dehumanize these individuals and divide society. We still see this today with the description of many men of color, specifically African America men, as thugs. When Masculinity is a lofty goal where aggression equals dominance, it makes sense that White men would emulate the people they view as most aggressive. We can see this in media when white men, who were not raised in an urban setting, appropriate African American and Latino culture. These White men shift their performance of masculinity, and thereby redefine what masculinity means to them.
If I had to choose a favorite film, it would have to be The Mask You Live In. While I learned from Tough Guys 2, I found irony in critiquing the amount of violence in media while simultaneously compiling examples of violence in media to show to a new audience. The Mask You Live In explores the formation of relationships between men, how masculinity affects these men, and how these factors affect the men