Blog 3: Racism and discrimination towards black people in North America:

For hundreds of years black people have faced oppression, racism,injustice,… From colonization to white supremacy, black people have always been a target simply for just looking “different” than other people. Desmond Cole, a journalist and author, talks about his experiences being a black man in Canada and what he’s endured. On another hand, Jordan Peele, an actor,comedian and director, released the film Get Out which depicts the life of a black man in America dating a white women,where things turnout not to be as he thought. These two stories help us see how life can be for black people in Canada and the USA.

Desmond Cole’s story talks about what he’s encountered as a black man living in Canada, and the unfairness he and other black people face from the government, police officers, etc… For Desmond Cole, he explains how the police were violent, aggressive, hateful and harassing towards the black people in Canada. They would find any excuse to bother and arrest black people,like when they would show up plain clothed to Cole’s neighbors gallery and ask questions and harass him without a warrant. This is just one of the many things black people deal with constantly. Cole explains how police brutality and racism is just as apparent in Canada as the U.S. still to this day, and that the police treat their job like a way to discipline black people on behalf of Canada’s ruling class. 

Jordan Peele’s film: Get Out documents the life of Chris Washington, a black man living in New York, going to visit his (white) girlfriend’s family for the first time. The film shows how Chris experiences racial stereotypes, cultural appropriation, micro-aggressions and the experiences many black people have in primarily white environments. The Armitage’s (Chris’ girlfriend’s family),appropriated black culture by exploiting it for their own benefit. For example, we find out Chris’ girlfriend Rose, was finding black men to date, to later kidnap and use their bodies to transfer white people’s minds into. Peele creatively uses extreme situations to voice the challenges he and other black people face in society. Another example from the film was, the family and their friends also racially stereotyping Chris, like when one of the friends felt Chris’ muscles, saying he was strong (which we later on found out was to see if his body was worthy for their own benefits, as black people are stereotyped to be strong and agile…) Peele tries to creatively show the challenges and situations he and other black people have and can face in America through this film. He depicts how dominant cultures can borrow marginalized cultures without properly understanding or respecting it, and highlights the subtle hints of racism that are directed at people of colour. 

Cole and Peele both in their own ways expose the deep rooted systemic and cultural racism embedded in the U.S. and Canada. We see from Cole’s story how the police abuse their power to harass and disturb black people in Canada, and we see from Peele’s movie how white people can culturally appropriate and steal black culture, etc,… Both men try to reinstate and not let people forget the daily situations black people face, and how we should continue to strive for equality among all people. Yes in today’s day in age we have gotten a little better but there’s still a long road ahead for change, and their two depictions are powerful and have an impact to motivate everyone to not forget what’s been happening, and to be and do better.

In conclusion, I think Cole’s story and Peele’s movie are so important and that everyone should read and see them to have a bit more of an understanding of what black people deal with in Canada and the U.S., even in the world. Writing and creating movies like this allow people to be more mindful and open to change. Everyday people should strive to be better and change things that are wrong in the world. Peele and Cole’s stories are just one impactful way to deliver those types of messages to us all. 

Work cited:

Peele, Jordan, Get Out. Universal Pictures, 2017.

Cole, Desmond. The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power. Doubleday Canada, 2020.

Oral Presentation blog:

The reason why I chose Jake Peralta for this presentation is because Jake embodies positive masculinity. Jake is a character who challenges toxic masculinity and breaks certain stigmas of how men “should be” in society. Jake is a goofy,confident,talented and loyal detective but he also isn’t afraid to show his vulnerable side. He’s not afraid of what others will think of him or of the certain “boxes” men are put in due to society’s toxic norms.He’s not afraid to be who he is and show/express his emotions to others. He’s also not afraid to stand up for the women in his life and unconditionally support them. Throughout the season’s we see how Jake grows as a person and how he’s impacted those around him. At first Jake was just a funny but determined detective, but throughout the seasons we see his personality develop and become more mature,serious and open.Jake also impacts his colleagues in many ways. For example, Rosa (one of Jake’s partners/colleagues) is known to be very tough and closed off but Jake helps her be a little more open and willing to ask for help. Such as when Rosa decides to come out as bisexual to her parents, she asks Jake to help her. Even when things don’t go too well with her parents,Jake is there for her and assures her she’s loved and supported. Jake helps them all be better people and believe in themselves. He includes everyone and deeply loves and cares for all his friends. Another example is when the squad finds out Rosa is on scene of an active shooter situation and the team starts to panick and struggle to keep their cool. Jake helps calm them down and keep a positive mind by letting them express how they’re feeling and creating a safe environment even though he himself was stressing as well. It’s just one way that Jake demonstrates how just because you’re a man doesn’t mean you have to conform to certain gender norms and be emotionless or closed off and always tough. Another example is Jake’s relationship with his father. They never really got along and his dad was not always there. It played a big part in shaping Jake throughout his childhood to adulthood. It affected his relationships due to fear of commitment and abandonment but as we see Jake grow as a person he learns to navigate those feelings and properly communicate and be open with others. As Jake and Amy later on throughout the series were expecting their son, Jake vowed to change and not be like his father and to be the best dad he could possibly be, which he was. Things like that help create a better, more positive space for men and the show is really refreshing and impactful for anyone that watches. Jake is the complete opposite of what toxic masculinity is and is a character that can and should be seen as a role model for men to look up to and aspire to be. The whole show is an incredible demonstration of a beautiful and healthy environment/lifestyle that everyone should aim to achieve. It’s more than just a comedic show, it has meaning and as you progress through the show you’ll discover just that. This show has become a comfort show for me and I can watch it repeatedly and still be entertained without getting bored, while also learning and appreciating its beauty. (I linked a short video that shows how kind and supportive Jake is towards the women he works with,etc… here) ➡️ Jake Peralta Being A Feminist Icon | Brooklyn 99

Screenshot

⬆️This tweet references an episode of the show where Jake meets his idol who turns out to be a homophobic and sexist man which leads Jake to no longer admire/look up to him. Another example of Jake helping to go against these toxic masculinity mindsets and stand up for what’s right.

Masculinity throughout the years :

Blog#2 : 

The Charlottesville : Race and Terror and Inside Incel documentaries, along with the short story: Masculinity as Homophobia, and the talk by Will James that was shown throughout the weeks, all have key components that link together. They all link to negative ideologies that can influence young boys, leading to hatred, violence, etc… that will only harm themselves and others.

The Charlottesville documentary shows the 2017 riots and violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia where many people of the town wanted to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee. Along with the violence occurring, a prominent figure was documented pushing for more violence against those he dislikes. Christopher Cantwell, a white supremacist was a big instigator for hate and violence. He clearly stated his hate towards anyone who wasn’t like him and tried to justify the violence happening to the people he disliked. This links to Michael Kimmel’s story on masculinity, as he explains how men can act certain ways due to needing to feel in control and in power towards others. Cantwell trying to intimidate and attack certain people, is his own way of trying to establish power on others to feel superior and better about himself. He rallied a bunch of people with similar beliefs to him such as, Neo-Nazis, KKK members, white nationalists, etc… to help him spread hate and attack people who were against his beliefs. He also purchased many weapons, including knives and guns, which he stated he’d need to protect himself from the people he disliked. He would refer to himself as a racist and say the world needed more people like him, and that America needed an ethnic cleansing. His beliefs are something no one should spread, as hate and violence towards anyone is not ok and should not be accepted. Him also having a decent following, leads to him feeling powerful and able to influence more people-especially his younger followers, which he sadly probably has. Threatening to harm others and calling people derogatory terms is not a good example that should be taught to others or his followers. He’s a pure example of toxic masculinity at its finest.

The Documentary on incels depicts how men who have been shut down by women turn their rejection into anger and hate towards them and look for a way to project it by joining online chat groups, and in some circumstances going to extreme measures such as hurting women. Their insecurities fuel their negative emotions and by having others who feel the same way, it only creates a bigger space for their hate and violence.  Having people instigate and fuel one’s feelings such as these incel chat groups, makes them feel superior, which links to Kimmel’s story, as it allows them to lean into that toxic masculinity so they won’t be scared of being attacked by other men and to no longer feel like they’re an outcast or inferior to their peers. Since the men in these incel chat rooms feel they’re not “man enough”, and don’t want to be perceived as so, they resort to their misogynistic beliefs and violence as a way to feel powerful and regain their sense of superiority and manliness. For example, Alek Minassian was an incel who drove through a crowd of women, killing a bunch. His anger towards women throughout his life was later fueled by others who felt the same, in an online chat room full of other incels. Being bullied and called names his whole life, to never having a girlfriend and being rejected, along with others telling him to hate women and hurt them as they did him, inevitably lead to him driving his van and killing a lot of people. This also links to Will James speech about how toxic masculinity can risk being normalized if not addressed, just like those very chat rooms full of incels. They began to normalize being aggressive towards women and being violent, leading to them thinking it’s a normal ideology to have and that they can harm women because they were treated wrong. It is never ok to attack anyone and that’s why its so important to create open, positive and safe places for everyone without having negative effects.

Michael S. Kimmel’s short story on masculinity as homophobia, details his take/depiction on the topic. Kimmel believes that homophobia goes beyond the fear of gay people and stems from men being afraid they’re not manly enough and fearing they’ll be seen as too feminine, therefore leading to them being ridiculed and criticized by other men. He believes it’s their fear of how they’ll be perceived that lead them to act the way they do. Kimmel talks about how men become misogynistic due to them needing to feel in control and in charge. They need to feel superior to at least the other gender as sometimes they feel inferior against their own. For example, Kimmel explains how a limo driver may seem fancy and in control, when in reality they’re taking orders from another person and can make them feel less than and result in them having a low self-esteem. That’s one way to have a perception to how men can feel inferior in certain ways, therefore making them feel the need to act a certain way towards others to regain that control or power. Men’s insecurities lead to them being homophobic, sexist, misogynistic, etc… so they don’t seem weak among one another. Men seek power and it’s what ends up fuelling how they act towards others. 

Will James speech on online influencers and toxic masculinity discusses how men with high popularity and status can influence young boys ideology in a good or bad way. He gives the example of Andrew Tate who gained a lot of popularity last year, and had many young boys idolizing him even though he is not to be considered a good role model. Tate is a known misogynist, sexist, homophobic man who was arrested in 2023 along with his brother for suspected sex trafficking of young women. Will talks about how toxic masculinity, if not addressed can lead to violent behaviours, etc… and can risk being normalized which is something we shouldn’t want. He also states some ways people can help change these toxic acts into positive ones. For example, challenging those remarks, being more open to discussing masculinity, being honest with one another, etc…. Can help lead to a healthier place for each other. 

To conclude, we as a society need to be more aware of ideologies and influences on our peers and try to create a more open and safe environment for all, especially young men. It’s easy for boys to gravitate to men telling them to act and believe certain things, when we should be properly educating them and letting them know right from wrong and how to be themselves without fearing what others think of them. (This also goes for women as well.) It’s time to remove all negative and toxic masculinity on men along with these harmful ideologies and create positive masculinity instead. 

References:

Kimmel, Michael. Masculinity as Homophobia. 1994.

Charlottesville: Race and Terror. YouTube, Vice News, 14 Aug. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P54sP0Nlngg&t=5s. Accessed 28 Mar. 2022.

Inside Incel, CBC, The Fifth Estate, 27 Jan. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqWjCHPg9gA. Accessed 25 Sept. 2023.

James, Will, Online Influencers, Toxic Masculinity, and the Classroom, Vanier College, March 5, 2024

Blog 1 : Masculinities impact on men in our society

February 19, 2024.

Brianna Menshick

Being in a class about men and masculinity, I’ve already learned and read a short story and documentary about the struggles on being masculine enough growing up in society. For example in the short story: “Guys’ Club: No Faggots, Bitches, Or Pussies Allowed”, Carlos battles with his masculinity internally such as when he painted his nails and thought no harm of it, till the people in his neighbourhood bullied him for it, telling him that’s gay. That was just one of his first experiences that made him question his masculinity. On the contrary, in the documentary I watched called “Invicible”, the boy, Marc battles with his masculinity by lashing out and being troublesome to hide his struggles mentally, to off put feeling weak. For Carlos, his masculinity externally was perceived as “not strongly masculine” based on his choices, such as him wearing nail polish and going to a gay club, etc… It made him go on a journey of understanding himself and how he interpreted his masculinity. For Marc, his masculinity externally was perceived as acting out to seem big and tough. Though he acted “more masculine” than Carlos per se, he felt weak due to his internal battle with his mental health which is why he tried to hide it by acting mischievous in the first place.

 The people around Carlos shaped his journey in understanding himself. He learnt how masculinity is different in different cultures upon his travelling to Africa, he learnt how acting “more feminine” immediately made a guy seem gay or weak in America. Although, Carlos didn’t care for society’s stigma on masculinity, he became comfortable in himself and started to not care how people perceived him as he knew who he was deep down. As for Marc, the institution shaped him by making him feel emotionally isolated, leading him to struggle more with his mental battle. He felt misunderstood and alone. His self esteem became extremely low, and he reached his breaking point in the end losing his own battle within himself.

Reading Carlos’ story and watching the short documentary definitely made me question things and have a different mindset and understanding for men and what they go through. I realized just how daunting and how much pressure is expected and held on them due to stupid stigmas. It’s norms like “you always have to be the one in control, and do all the work so you show how strong and tough you are”, that makes life more complicated and pressuring for men. It’s disappointing knowing they feel the need to often act tough and not show emotions just to appeal to others, even though it’s just contradicting their own selves. It made me happy reading Carlos’ story, that he didn’t follow these stigmas and became authentically himself, not letting anyone or anything change that. Carlos’ story is a great way to inspire and motivate other men to break the societal norms and standards on what masculinity is “supposed to be.” It broke my heart watching the documentary and seeing how Marc struggled and didn’t get the help he needed before it was too late for him. I believe it’s truly so important to break these societal standards on men and let them know its ok to be vulnerable and that they’re not weak for showing emotions, and that it’s not “gay” to paint their nails or do whatever it is they want. 

To conclude, both stories tell two different experiences about the boy’s journeys with their masculinity. One side shows the more negative impact on men’s mental health while the other shows how societal standards can shape and impact men’s views and expectations,but how they don’t have to let that control them. It gives you two different perspectives and shows how dire we need to change these certain expectations and impacts on men.