The song “Samaritans” by the British punk band Idles exemplifies a resistance to traditional views of masculinity in popular culture. The song was released in 2018 on their album “Joy as an Act of Resistance”, and since they’re a punk band, a lot of the subject matter of the album is motivated by political and social upheaval. This song in particular heavily criticizes the way masculinity is imposed on boys. The first verse of the song goes “Man up, sit down/Chin up, pipe down/Socks up, don’t cry/Drink up, don’t whine/Grow some balls”. This is the singer just listing the different ways boys are traditionally told to suppress their emotions, so they’re not seen as feminine. Right before the chorus, the lyrics are “The mask of masculinity/is a mask…that’s wearing me”. Here, he’s saying that masculinity is just a front put on by people as a means to be accepted socially. By saying that the mask is wearing him, he’s commenting on how masculinity is forced onto people a lot of the time rather than being something that everyone voluntarily goes along with. The line “This is why you never see your father cry” refers again to men repressing their emotions in front of others. The first line of the outro is “I kissed a boy and I liked it” is a reference to the Katy Perry song “I kissed a girl and I liked it”. It also refers to a similar idea as Kimmel’s “Masculinity as Homophobia”, by going against traditional gender norms. All in all, the whole song turns the sometimes toxic traits of rock and turns them against themselves, while encouraging men to express themselves emotionally.
“The Outsiders”, by S.E. Hinton is a classical movie that explores masculinity, self- discovery, and the feeling of belonging. The story takes place in the 1960s in Oklahoma and tells the life story about the protagonist names Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy faces stereotypical expectations, as he is part of the Greaser’s gang.
Masculinity is represented in many ways compelling the aspects of strengths, weaknesses, and difficulties the characters face. To begin, the movie is male dominated and is only made up of male characters, which causes a high standard of expectations and comparisons amongst the characters. Ponyboy Curtis deals with this pressure of portraying a tough appearance for his fellow members of the gang. He wants to act masculine and fit in with the rest of the characters, as he faces his own internal struggles. Ponyboy had a sympathetic, intellectual personality which he hid from his friends as they were not part of the stereotypical norms that men should have.
The Greasers and the Socs were the names of the two rival gangs. The rivalry between the two had negative impacts on the males causing harmful gender norms and expectations. The competition between the two, led to violence where the characters felt pressured into harmful situations and could not step back from them. If the males did not want to conform with violence, they would be made fun of by the rest and would not have fit the stereotypical aspects a gang member should have. Ponyboy enjoyed reading and he was very educated unlike the Greasers who are uneducated. Besides the pressure he faces, Ponyboy is not embarrassed to show his feelings as he grieves over the passing of his parents. His openness to freely show his emotions confronts the stereotype where males are supposed to have no emotion no matter what situation they face.
Rumble between the Greasers and the Socs
“The Outsiders” impacts the portrayal of masculinity in popular culture on society shaping individual’s self-perception, relationships, and societal norms. There are traditional gender roles held by society as acceptance within the individuals in a societal standard. Ponyboy grew up as one of the less fortunate men in the gang and it affected the way he was perceived by the members of his gang. Netherless the discrimination he received; he was strong as he challenged the stereotype that individuals have on those that are not as wealthy. When his parents deceased, the relationship he had with his bothers Sodapop and Darry impacted the portrayal on relationships. Darry, one of the older bothers took the parenting role in protecting Ponyboy and reassuring he was well taken care of. Darry expected Ponyboy to conform in certain ways because of societal expectations, where Darry felt the need to provide and reliable for his brother. Ponyboy struggled with the feeling of belonging with the rest and always felt outcasted. Adolescents are pressured and want to feel accepted by their peers to be popular, which shapes the growth Ponyboy’s character holds.
The Outsiders Darry hits Ponyboy
In conclusion, using masculinity, S.E. Hinton explored societal norms, gender expectations and gender stereotypes in the movie “The Outsiders”. As society deeps into further difficulties on gender and individuality, “The Outsiders”, is a beneficial movie demonstrating the significance of accepting individuality.
Jupiter’s Legacy Volume 3 of the Netflix edition is mainly about superheroes facing great challenges. The narrative focuses on the Sampson family as they are the first heroes to appear. In this story the Sampson family are dealing with some family drama about their legacy.
The main idea of Volume 3 is about legacy, which means to pass something on to the next generation and follow the same reputation. The legacy that the older generation want to pass on is their roles in changing the world and making it better, safer. The tension rises between the older generation, which was lead by Sheldon Sampson, also known as The Utopian, and the younger generation, because Sheldon has a strict way of doing things and expect everyone to do it that way but the younger heroes want to do thing differently by carving their own paths. This tension between the older and newer generation made everyone think about what’s really important.
While the conflict between generation escalate, villains all around accumulate and team up together to prepare and cause trouble for the superhero community to test their resolve. From supervillains to political intrigue, the world of Jupiter’s Legacy is full of danger, which forces heroes and villains to make choices that will eventually change the course of history.
This story is not all about fighting and drama. All through the narrative, we can see the characters growth, they grow and learn from their mistake, they face their flaws and insecurities and confront the consequences of their actions. They do all that with courage which at the end of the day makes them stronger.
In the end, Volume 3 of the Netflix edition is a nice mixture of drama and action. Even if the fate of the superhero community hangs in the balance, one thing’s for sure and that is the fact that the legacy of the Sampson family will prevail, and shape the future generations to come.
Overall, Jupiter’s Legacy is truly exciting and full of fantastic adventure. The story comes to a satisfying conclusion, that leaves every reader wondering what would happen next in this world full of superheroes. Even if every volume ends with a cliff hanger. 🙂
In the animated film Beauty and the Beast, the antagonist Gaston embodies a stereotypical male who emphasizes the expectations and gender norms every man admires and aspires to follow. This is shown in the short clip when the little man says “Every guy here loved to be you Gaston […] there’s no one in town as admired as you, you’re everyone’s favourite guys”. This portrayal of Gaston’s actions and appearance significantly contributes to shaping societal perceptions of masculinity since he is the ideal man. Through his behaviour and physical attributes such as physical strength, confidence and dominance, Gaston embodies traditional ideals of masculinity, reinforcing commonly held beliefs about what it means to be a man in society. In essence, these traditional behaviours and attributes allow for an analysis of how this particular portrayal of masculinity influences societal perceptions. With that being acknowledged, he nonetheless serves to highlight the themes of toxic masculinity and the entitlement of a conventional male.
To begin, Gaston is portrayed as someone who is very physically strong and manly since he excels in activities like lifting weights. This emphasis on being physically strong reinforces the stereotype that men should be tough and muscular. This can perpetuate harmful gender norms because if men aren’t muscular and strong, they will feel insecure and not masculine enough. Moreover, Gaston shows how he exerts dominance and control, particularly when Gaston is trying to pursue Belle. Despite Belle’s rejection of Gaston, Gaston expected Belle to conform to his desires and pursue him. Since she didn’t, he became very aggravated. This shows how Gaston is very entitled to Belle’s affection and believes he should have her just because he desires her. This illustrates how he doesn’t truly care about Belle’s feelings. In essence, Gaston’s depiction reinforces the idea that being masculine often entails exerting dominance, assertiveness and control over women, which perpetuates harmful gender dynamics. Additionally, it shows how Gaston displays a lack of emotional depth and empathy. He is self-centred and unable to understand that he could be rejected. As a result, he tries to act all confident and hide his feelings. This portrayal suggests that men are encouraged to suppress their emotions and that they should prioritize their desires over others, which reinforces the notion that vulnerability can’t be shown with masculinity. Furthermore, Gaston believes that he is superior to the beast emotionally and due to his physical appearance. This reflects the toxic masculine stereotype that men feel that they have to be superior and dominant compared to other men to be admired or shown affection. As a result, violence and animosity are encouraged, perpetuating the damaging idea that men must always compete with one another to demonstrate their masculinity.
Overall, Gaston contributes to society’s understanding of masculinity due to his traditional behaviours and actions since he follows gender-conventional norms. By embodying traditional ideals of masculinity, such as physical strength, dominance, and entitlement, Gaston reinforces commonly held beliefs about what it means to be a man. However, this portrayal also highlights the presence of harmful stereotypes in popular culture, maintaining expectations of dominance and control over women, as well as a lack of emotional depth. As a result, Gaston perpetuates harmful gender norms and expectations.
Masculinity is show off and defined in multiple fashions and is also distributed in multiple ways. However, with the rise of the Internet, it has been able to propagate itself a lot faster. The influence of stereotypical masculinity has a big impact on some online references, which then gets shown to many more people.
One example of a pretty popular reference to stereotypical masculinity is the show Baki, we can see how it is influenced by masculinity and we can then see how it influences the masses.
In Baki, the main character, Baki, is striving to surpass his father so he follows in his footsteps. The father, being the strongest man on Earth, sets up a very big definition of masculinity for Baki. We can interpret that Baki’s definition of masculinity is being strong, tough and capable of fighting. These characteristic are present within today’s stereotypical masculinity. This isn’t the only moment that demonstrates how masculinity is perceived. Another scene is when Baki was in bed with his girlfriend and his father barging in all proud saying “To get stronger you have to go around with every female around and dominate them”. Although not an exact quote, you get the general idea. This quote is very misogynistic and shows the a toxic part of masculinity which is that men are stronger than women and should dominate them. In conclusion, the show Baki takes its definition of masculinity pretty much exactly from the real world.
In the real world however, people are very easily influenced by such medium. In fact, people post online about how Baki, has the ideal build and build towards that. Not only is the physical appearance sought after, but so is the capability of fighting. This showcases us how people tend to get very easily influenced and be like the characters. In conclusion, online references, which are already impacted by masculinity, spreads it even further to a bigger audience.
To conclude, Through the use of the Internet, stereotypical masculinity gets easily shown which causes it to be spread non-stop .By often presenting stereotypical masculinity in the media, people get easily influenced. I suggest that toxic masculinity shouldn’t be displayed and it’d be better to show positive masculinity within online content.
In Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film “The Godfather,” Vito Corleone stands as a towering figure, emblematic of a particular brand of masculinity. However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that Vito’s portrayal encapsulates a deeply flawed and harmful conception of masculinity. His reliance on violence, manipulation, and a distorted code of honour perpetuates damaging stereotypes and sends troubling messages about what it means to be a man in society.
Vito Corleone’s reliance on violence as a means of maintaining control is a glaring red flag in his portrayal of masculinity. While it may be expected for the head of a powerful crime family to exhibit toughness, the extent to which Vito employs violence as a tool for dominance is troubling. His willingness to “crack some skulls” in pursuit of respect reinforces the dangerous notion that physical aggression is synonymous with strength and masculinity. This perpetuation of violence as a means of asserting power only serves to reinforce harmful stereotypes and contribute to a culture of toxic masculinity.
Another aspect of Vito’s character that exemplifies toxic masculinity is his mastery of manipulation. Behind his façade of honor and loyalty lies a man who is not above using deceit and cunning to achieve his goals. By constantly scheming and conniving, Vito sends the message that being a “real man” means being sneaky and underhanded. This portrayal not only glorifies dishonesty but also undermines the importance of honesty and integrity in masculine identity. Instead of encouraging open communication and transparency, Vito’s manipulative tactics promote a culture of deceit and distrust among men.
Vito Corleone’s supposed “code of honor” serves as yet another façade for his toxic masculinity. While he preaches loyalty to his family and associates, his actions often result in harm to innocent bystanders and contribute to the overall decay of society. Despite his claims of honorability, Vito’s criminal activities have far-reaching consequences that cannot be justified by notions of loyalty alone. His distorted sense of honor not only rationalizes immoral behavior but also perpetuates the idea that masculinity is inherently tied to dominance and selfishness.
In conclusion, Vito Corleone’s portrayal in “The Godfather” offers a troubling depiction of masculinity that is deeply flawed and harmful to society. His reliance on violence, manipulation, and a warped sense of honor perpetuates damaging stereotypes and sends troubling messages about what it means to be a man. By glorifying aggression, deceit, and selfishness, Vito Corleone represents a toxic version of masculinity that we must actively challenge and deconstruct in order to promote healthier and more inclusive ideals of manhood in society.
I came to teach boys, and you became men. “Coach Carter”
Coach Carter” explores various facets of masculinity through the transformative journey of a high school basketball team under the strict guidance of Coach Ken Carter. The film delves into the societal pressures and personal challenges faced by young men, portraying how Carter’s disciplined approach not only aims to make them better athletes but also more responsible and mature individuals. It confronts traditional notions of masculinity, emphasizing the importance of accountability, education, and emotional growth alongside physical prowess. Through the conflicts and resolutions experienced by the team, “Coach Carter” presents a nuanced view of masculinity, advocating for a balanced development that includes self-discipline, respect for others, and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of life.
“Coach Carter” is a movie that dives deep into the essence of growing up and the journey of becoming a man. It follows the story of Coach Ken Carter, who steps in to coach a high school basketball team, aiming not just to win games, but to teach life lessons. His mantra, “I came to teach boys, and you became men,” encapsulates the transformation that occurs under his guidance. He’s strict, demanding not only success on the court but excellence in academics, emphasizing the importance of being responsible and preparing for the future—key aspects of manhood.
Additionally, the movie showed the viewer that in the overcoming of the difficulties team cooperation was also crucial. Spirit coach Carter’s team gets lots of problems, but they learn by sticking together and never quitting that real power is when collective effort is being utilized and in struggling through difficulties, and the lesson they understand is mature masculinity.
However, “Coach Carter” would not have gotten stuck with this male traditional notion of hiding feelings. This speech dismantles the boundaries that makes one hide their personal issues. The fact that these characters allow themselves to display their emotions suggests that gradually, a more modern angle on what being a man and strong is creeping in.
The transition of a boy to manhood is not just about personal growth but more too, about schoolwork and sports immersion. As they improve in both arenas, they embody Coach Carter’s belief: “Here to teach boys, and today you stand as men”. It involves accepting consequences and planning for life’s journey as a man is the most important stage of the process of maturity.
Moreover, the movie portrays the influence of outstanding male personalities beyond the team level, evoking similar positive changes in the community in general. This clearly expresses how masculinity (if it is guided towards good), can do more than just make a team of young players good, but also turn the fate of the entire community, by changing the society’s concept towards manhood and creating a nurturing environment.
The concept of masculinity is portrayed in many movies, such as Spider-Man. Through the evolution of the character, Spiderman, as a superhero, has profound his importance of his role within the society, recognizing his unique ability and the responsibilities they entail. He conviction that it is his duty to get rid of the “bad people” and combat crime, since he has a power that anyone else doesn’t have. In the story, as the people notice his presence and power, and acknowledge his purpose of protecting society from the villains, the society always expects Spiderman to save them from the villains. This resonates with traditional masculinity norms, where men are expected to protect and provide for others, since men are the strongest. As a superhero, he always put the needs and safety of others before his own. His strong commitment to risk his life as a man to protect others and uphold justice reflects his sense of responsibility as a man, a superhero, and his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the world’s safety and peace. However, Peter Parker, the true identity of Spiderman, was having self-doubt, fearing of using his ability, and had to make challenging choices. In other hand, the society has been expecting a lot from him. If he does a single mistake, loses against a villain, or shows his vulnerable side, the society will immediately judge him and say that his is weak and useless. Even though there are intense expectations from society, he has the ability to confront his fears and control his emotions by being Spiderman. Spiderman portraits the meaning of being a hero and a man at the same time, so this is a great example of masculinity. In addition, this story illustrates how one man’s power can shape the destiny of an entire society, which we can refer to the power of domination. “Superheroes” are often associated with men, so the 3 Spidermans or all men. However, the title is Spiderman and not Spiderwomen, so we can understand if there are not any women as Spiderman. The author might have wanted to show that the sense of duty is often associated with masculinity, since they are stronger.
The movie Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) features one of the most challenging and subversive representations of masculinity through a character named Waymond Wang. Usually, when we think of the perfect man, we think of someone who’s tall, muscular, stoic, assertive, and powerful. Waymond is almost the complete opposite of this. He’s short, not particularly muscular, vulnerable, meek, lenient, and timid. His wife Evelyn, the main character, is aware of this and resents him for it for almost the entirety of the film. She at first, as many of us did during our first watch, saw him as weak and useless because the movie has her say things like “Sometimes I wonder how he would have survived without me” and “My silly husband, probably making things worse.” Evelyn downplays every decision and action he makes and since the movie is set in her perspective, we see and understand the same thing she seemingly does: that Waymond Wang is a weak naive softie.
However, towards the end of the movie, there is a complete shift in perspective. As Evelyn experiences multiple universes at the same time, Waymond from another universe reveals why he is the way he is. In one of the most beautiful and impactful scenes in cinema, he lets her know that he is aware of how people view him, reminding her that her father once said that he was “too sweet for his own good,” and then explains to her that when he chooses to see the good side of things, he’s not being naive, but that what he does is strategic and necessary. It’s how he’s learned to survive through everything. He tells her that in the cruel world that we live in, he fights by choosing to be kind. And so, in the middle of a multiversal fight and after getting stabbed in the stomach by his own wife, he still fights to protect her: he faces the people who are trying to kill Evelyn and begs everyone to be kind.
Though Waymond isn’t your typical male protagonist and exhibits more feminine traits, we come to comprehend that there is so much power in his way of thinking because it’s through this kinder and empathetic approach to problems that Evelyn is able to save herself from spiralling into madness, as well as save the villain instead of defeating them.
I think that Waymond’s representation of masculinity was such an important one because throughout history, men have often been made fun of and ridiculed when they deviate from the ideal traditional man. Through his character, people are able to see that men can be so much more as well as simply just different and still be valuable or important. Films that include and promote male characters like Waymond gives the exposure needed for us to broaden our collective definition of masculinity and make men who don’t necessarily adhere to the current one feel more accepted and seen.
According to the Marian Webster online dictionary, in the context of the internet, a meme is “an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media”. In the context outside the internet the definition of meme becomes, “an idea, behavior, style or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture” (Marian Webster). Understanding both of these definitions is important as it helps us understand that meme’s have influence, with the ability to carry anyones ideas whilst spreading widely online through social media.
Ernest Khalimov, popularized as Giga Chad, claims to be a model for SLEEK’N’TEARS, an “Art Family Project” by Krista Sudmalis, which bases their work on “the idea of ICONic Male Beauty”. Khalimov goes by @berlin.1969 on instagram, with his first post dating back to December 9th 2016. Yet all of this is still unconfirmed, with no evidence of his definite existence. Many speculate that Giga Chad is a combination of many models edited together in order to emphasize a more masculine physique.
The many pictures of who Ernest Khalimov claims to be have spread around the internet for many years, showing longevity as they wish not to fade away with time, intensifying the mark on the male user base.
According to Know Your Meme Giga Chad became extremely popular in 2021, with the meme format of Average Fan vs. Average Enjoyer.
The physique of Giga Chad is often considered that of the peak male, at least according to the male population, in a study done by Date Psychology, out of 234 people, it was deemed that men found Giga Chad more attractive, as opposed to women who found him on average to be unattractive. Below is a density plot graph based on a 1 to 7 scale displaying the results, with pink being women and green being men. This brings relevance to the idea that men are the ones who enforce toxic masculinity as they seem to idolize Giga Chad more than the women.
To many online, Giga Chad embodies masculinity. A man with the perfect physical body, with many physiological attributes which seem to come with it. Giga Chad is often used to showcase the trait of not caring. In the meme format mentioned before, he was just a couple images. He is a photograph of a man with barely any emotion revealed on his face, carrying the idea that one should not react and show emotion. As mentioned by Will James in his talk, Online Influencers, Toxic Masculinity, and the Classroom, one attributes of toxic masculinity mentioned is that of being too reserved. James brings attention to the fact that younger audiences are the easiest to influence. Considering the fact that children come across internet memes often with social media, they might absorb negative ideas at a very high rate. Giga Chad, is not necessarily negative, as his physique may have also inspired many to begin working on oneself physically, which leads to living a healthier life. Yet his physique is unobtainable, which in turn can create many insecurities affecting one’s mental health. It is a double edged sword.
To conclude, it must be understood that internet culture is unpredictable, anyone is able to attach an idea to an image and release it on social media. Giga Chad is merely an image of a really strong male model, edited or not, its purpose was to amaze people, not to propagate toxic masculinity and negative ideas.
Fight Clubs/Night Clubs 