Week 6 Blog Post
Starting off this new “blog chapter” of Race, Gender and the Media, we step into toxic masculinity.
The social construction of masculinity in American culture goes far past biological traits because it exists as a social creation. Boys receive their first lessons about masculinity through learning to become tough, suppressing emotions and learning they must dominate others and compete while maintaining a strong look. The Mask You Live In demonstrates how boys develop their "mask" to hide their emotions because society teaches them that showing feelings will damage the way they are perceived socially. Lind explains how our media upholds traditional masculinity standards through its description of male characters who link masculinity to independence, violence and sexual dominance.
In my opinion, toxic masculinity refers to a social definition of masculinity which should be criticized rather than all men being considered harmful. We have seen social media trends saying “Men or Bear?”, asking if a woman was in the woods would she choose to be with a man or a bear. This follows the saying “not all men, but all women have a story.”
The comedic films I Love You Man and Get Hard shown in Lind's "Honing Hegemonic Masculinity" demonstrate how male comedic characters use their humor to validate male pattern behavior, like violence and sexuality. Media teaches boys to shy way from any behavior which society sees as “feminine”, including showing emotions or being gentle. The way society defines masculinity through patriarchal systems leads to harming men because these definitions keep them tied to their assigned “male roles.” Young boys are constantly fed narratives that tell them to become men by following these three rules: show strength, avoid showing emotions and maintain control over others.
The media instructs boys to conceal their feelings because our society considers emotional display to be a weakness. Men face higher risks of developing depression, experiencing loneliness, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. This is quite literally a cause and effect of what I described above: inability to express their emotions. Men have learned to become leaders, but in the way this is taught, it denies them the ability to show nurturing behavior and prevents them from seeking help when they need it. Men have the most control under patriarchal systems, yet these systems prevent them from having emotional independence/autonomy.
Our social world uses these same methods to develop femininity as it does to create masculinity. Women face cultural expectations to demonstrate nurturing behavior while maintaining beauty standards, being graceful and exhibiting selfless behavior. The media section in Lind's chapter Sex Sells—But Gender Brands shows how advertisements create unattainable beauty expectations for women while simultaneously diminishing their mental capabilities. Look at what’s happening in our country: predominantly female jobs have been declassified as “professional”; it is a direct attack on women.
The media presents women as commercial products, getting cosmetic procedure before being presented to consumers. There’s nothing wrong with this at all if it’s your choice, but unfortunately women feel pressured by society to attain the unattainable. Society forces people into strict gender categories while treating them as if they exist naturally instead of being socially constructed. Media needs to change its content by fighting the current limits that exist.
Media representations of men who display emotional weakness, practice open communication, seek help and show compassion will establish new standards for male behavior. Media content that shows women in different roles than beauty, romance and not “in the kitchen” helps to remove gender-based restrictions. The process of transforming gender expectations needs DRASTIC new approaches, which will replace existing traditional narratives. The growth of social definitions about men and women enables people to reach their full potential while creating better conditions for all members of society.