Masculinity In Media Forms

Question 1:

What representations of men are offered/ constructed in the media form(s) you've studied?

Fight Club

In fight club, the media constructs largely males as what Connell explained as Marginalised, where men have their power removed and suffer the consequences of blending into society. These men look for an escape in this world and want to express their anger and power to authority; as though to say, ‘’hey look I’m an individual that loves the thought of power and ruling over other people. It gives me a sense of belonging in this changing world, where woman are more open and have more rights.’’ The fight club itself changes these men into the more hegemonic type where they express power and ‘fight’ to gain status within society.

Mulan

Another media source is the Disney movie ‘Mulan’. Even though this is a child’s movie it brings in a lot of debate about the hegemonic male and status, throughout the movie it instils the idea that woman are meant to be protected and are ‘arranged’ to be married while their husbands or other male relatives are the ‘protectors’ ,that have to show power and honour within their family.

The video above is how the women in China are meant to act in society and how they have to marry to bring honour to their family.
 

Mulan secretly join the army for China as her father is unfit to fight; this goes against the China’s rules as women are not meant to fight, and could actually be killed for doing so. However, it expresses the means of will power in woman and yet a sensitive side to them, as Mulan risks her own life to save her father from getting hurt. Throughout the movie, lyrics from songs show how the men in the army believe in violence and a sense of honor to bring back in their family. The song ‘make a man out of you’ shows how the general compares the men to ‘weak’ daughters when he asked for sons; meaning he wanted strong and courageous men to fight. They believe that women are weak and that the men are the protectors of their people and country; thus showing a hegemonic style in males for wanting power and authority within a society.

The video above is how men were meant to act and how they were meant to be strong and have status in the army and life.

300

300 can be seen as another way men are constructed in the media. In the movie ‘300’ the men are portrayed as the hegemonic male as they fight and use violence. Without knowing the storyline of the film, you can see it expresses fragments of power from the ‘image’ of the men themselves, they are well built and want great status within their society. Just like in the film ‘Mulan’, the men fight to protect their people and country, again showing power and aggression that can lead to an almighty male. One character in the film is called,Ephialtes , and because he was certain problems with him, the males with status reject him as he is seen as not ‘fit’ to fight and an outcast to their society. This can show as the marginalised masculinity as his power has been taken away, and he is seen as something not normal to other people, making him feel alien to the world around him; this can link into the idea of Emascluation. Again, just like in ‘Mulan’ women are seen as worthless and weak, they are seen as trophies to males and sex objects that can be used.  However, even though the main character shows hegemonic values he also shows a complicated masculinity as he does not treat his wife as a object and he actually values his family and life; making him a ‘new man’ in some ways.

The video above shows how the Spartans want to protect their land and people, it shows the power within the main character and how he will show violence to get his views across, showing an aggressive hegemonic masculinity.

300 can been seen as a ‘male gaze’ as it is set in the eyes of the main character who is a male, you can feel his anger when his people are threatened and his will to fight even when death is upon him.

The Pacifier

The pacifier constructs the main character as a hegemonic male as he is in the army and expresses power and status within his job. He fights for his country and shows the ‘macho’ values that are seen with the hegemonic male. However, this changes as he has to become a father/mother figure to children for his mission, and you see how a male, who kills other people for his job, turns into a caring father figure, who takes on female norms and values. According to Connell’s theory, the main character would be now a complicated male.

The scene above shows how the main character shows his hegemonic style by power and status but also his complicated side with how he wants the house cleaned.

White Chicks

White Chicks is about two brothers who are in the police force and for a mission they have to dress up as ladies, but also act like women too.   By looking at Connell’s theory we can suggest the main characters are all of Connell’s masculinity types. Hegemonic, Complicated, Marginalised and subordinate. This is because the men before the mission are in power and have a high status, however once they have to dress up as women their power has been taken away from them (Marginalised), and they have to act and have female norms and values (Complicated), it can also be seen as subordinate as the hegemonic males would see a male dressing up as a female as ‘gay’ and ‘abnormal’ ; making them lose power and status within their society.