Like the title suggests, this is a continuance of our study on representation, primarily focused on how men are portrayed in the media since we mainly explored women’s representation in the previous lesson. We began by looking at the female gaze, which in my opinion, is surprisingly unheard of, or misunderstood.
The Female Gaze – this is a feminist film theoretical term used in recent years to describe art that subverts the male gaze. I briefly touched upon this subject in my previous blog, but to clarify, it refers to the perspective a female filmmaker (screenwriter/director/producer) brings to a film that would be different from a male view of the subject. For many, the term alludes to the right of women to adopt the active and objectifying gaze that has traditionally and stereotypically been associated with males, which is part of the reason that the concept has negative controversy. It is sometimes done by undermining the dominant cultural alignment of masculinity with activity and femininity with passivity. However, it is important to underline that despite the label, this need not involve replacing one form of gender essentialism with another: the objects of the gaze are not confined to males.
If we jump to the main focal point of the lesson, the question of how men are usually presented in films arises. Personally when I think of this, a strong, assertive character from some story or other comes to mind. It largely depends on a person’s interests and favourite genres, but I found myself thinking of a range of Marvel superheroes and other fantasy/sci-fi main characters, which are often male. It immediately showed me that there is a pattern in how male characters are written and certain characteristics seem to be recycled again and again.
Opinions/words on men in TV (stereotypically):
- Rude
- Heroic
- Leaders
- Strong
- Attractive
- Tall
- Alpha Male
- Muscles
- Powerful
Hypermasculinity – all of the words above fall under the main stereotypical male trait that tends to be hyperfocused on and exaggerated: masculinity. This glorification of masculinity involves the behaviour roles that are biologically and traditionally attributed to men, such as being emotionally tough, having good physical strength and assertiveness, as well as a sense of leadership. The problem with fixating on this portrayal is that it presents a very one-sided view of men and reinforced unreasonable standards that people feel the need to attain. It all adds to society’s warped perception of beauty and the insecurity-inducing ‘norms’ which big corporations feed off of:
- Emotional detachment
- Hyper-competitiveness
- Aggression
- Intimidation
- Violence
- Sexual objectification
- Sexually predatory
- Anything feminine is a threat
Hypermasculinity, however, is not the same as toxic masculinity; it shows exaggerated stereotypes (muscles, charm, attractive physique and face, courage etc.), which can be damaging but aren’t always considered negative. They can in fact be deemed as positive representations, no matter how stereotypical, mainly because they are associated with a lot of well-loved protagonists.
Toxic Masculinity – it’s more about the behaviours and attitudes which are being taught to young boys and still upheld strictly in certain groups around the world. Some people’s idea of ‘manliness’ perpetuates domination, homophobia, and aggression. Cultural pressures such as restricting emotional expression and having to be tough all the time make up the basis of the unhealthy reinforcement and this idea of being ‘manly’. It stems from a deep-rooted perception that anything feminine makes you weak, which runs even further back into the patriarchy and ideologies that pressure both men and women, still prevalent in society today (e.g the man has to be the protector, the one in charge, the woman has to be beautiful and meek).
So can representation of gender change? We discussed this topic in class and agreed on the answer: yes, and in fact, it’s changing right now. The way in which media treats gender as a concept now is massively different to how it did a mere 20 years ago, and as a result, films have had to cater to the growing movement of gender equality. Naturally, the change in directors and producers adds to the evolvement of film & tv but the visible differences in characters and stories can also be attributed to the social media phenomenon and the rise of online communication.
