Growing Up Male in America in 2010
As a male in America today, we are constantly being shown what the "ideal" male is. Through a vast variety of media, males are most often portrayed as tough, beer drinking, weight lifting, competitive, womanizers. But, not all of these portrayals are negative or wrong. In fact, I agree with some of them. Throughout history, males have been considered the dominant gender. They were the protectors or leaders of groups. At a young age, we are taught to act like them - tough, confident and protective of what's ours.
In my life, I have definitely experienced this "expectation". The impact that media has on today's youth is incredible. It basically tells us how to live our lives, what is normal and what is abnormal. One thing that is considered "normal" for male youth to act tough. This is done in many ways. A very noticeable way is through beer commercials. Predominantly shown during football games, these commercials most often show men drinking beer while women (with very little clothing on) frolic in the background. By watching these commercials, boys are shown that being a "real man" consists of drinking beer and treating women as objects rather than people.
This beer ad shows what appears to be a woman. One hand stroking her hair while the other rests on her hip. She appears to be trying to show off her body to whoever is around her. But, the catch to this ad is that the woman is completely made out of beer. What is the beer company trying to accomplish? They are trying to influence viewers to make a connection between beer and women. the ad is clearly focused towards men. To me, I made the connection right away. The beer company wants men to realize that having a cold beer is just as satisfying as having a beautiful woman. By making them one of the same, the company succeeds in creating a seductive look to beer, therefore making it more attractive.
Some of these beer commercials also show the men as being aggressive towards women. At first glance, the commercials seem to be funny. But, when analyzed, they give men a bad name. In one specific Super Bowl commercial, a man is teased by a woman while playing a fun game of two-hand touch football. After being instigated the man tackles the woman, full out, after she catches the ball. The commercial is for Michelob Ultra Amber. The slogan during the commercial is "The world of light beer just got a little darker". Again, the humor is easy to see but it still portrays men as aggressive and violent.
In this link (Love, sex and the male brain) ), the author explains how the brains of males and females function completely different even though they are of the same species. It explains why men act the way they do and that because of this, it is easy to make the stereotypes of men that we have today.
Growing up in 2010 as a male is also difficult because the media portrays males as strong and fit. Through ads and celebrities, the public sees these people who have "flawless" bodies. Little fat, cut muscular definition and attractive to women. In magazines such as "GQ" and "Men's Health", men, like women, are shown how they are supposed to look and what is acceptable and what is not. In reality, it is not fair for us to judge our bodies based on what we see in the media. The truth is, these people live completely different lives than the majority of the public. They have trainers and publicists who tell them what to eat, what to wear and how to look. Men can strive to look like a professional athlete such as Michael Phelps but they cannot expect to accomplish that without living a similar life to him.
Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist Michael Phelps
Minnesota Viking's Running Back Adrian Peterson
Other
It is more common than not that the superheroes boys look up too and are exposed too are males. With very few exceptions, how often do you see a female superhero? This has been going since the early 70's. The tv show "Super Friends" began airing in 1973. The show was about a team superheroes previously created. The main members were Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Just by looking at the list of main heroes, you see that males dominated the group. All of the male members look very muscular and ready to fight against all evils. Wonder Woman on the other hand, is standing in a sexual pose wearing very little
The Original "Super Friends"
clothing. This most likely showed kids that men should be strong and tough while women can still be heroes but should leave the dirty work to the men. It was/is common to see the people needed saving by these "supermen" to be women. This sends the message that all women in danger need help from someone else (often a man's help) to survive.
The picture on the right shows a classic version of Superman saving the life of a woman. Whether it's Lois Lane or a random "damsel in distress", Superman always seems to be there. What I have noticed in many Superhero scenes is that when saving a woman, the hero always carries them like a child or someone that is weak and scared. Granted, victims do have the right to be scared after being places in dangerous scenarios. But, it always seems that the woman are always portrayed as helpless.
This trend is still shown today. In this more current picture of Superman, he is saving a young woman. The woman looks shocked yet at the same time, it seems as if she is looking to seduce Superman. She is wearing tight, short clothing with all of her legs showing. She is clinging to her hero tightly and one of her legs is popped up. The woman is basically putting herself out there to Superman because he saved her. This could be representing all women in danger. Do all women that need saving need a big, strong man to come rescue them so that they can reward them sexually? I don't think so...but that's what the picture seems to be saying.
In addition to cartoons, these acts of male superheros coming to the rescue of a helpless female appear in movies. In Spiderman 3 (the latest Spiderman movie), there is a scene (shown in the video below) where a crane crashes into a building leaving a woman hanging off the ledge, clinging for her life. It always seems to be a woman that needs saving. I think that this has a big impact on the portrayed roles of each gender in society. Kids growing up with superheros learn first hand how to act. It is the boys' job to be the hero. Always be prepared to show strength and courage to protect "what's theirs". Girls could interpret this to mean that if they get in trouble, they should wait for someone (a boy) to save them and make everything okay. Without this portrayal in our society, I believe more girls would grow up with confidence about themselves and realize at earlier ages that they can be independent.
The link above leads to an article written about the portrayal of women as superheros. It further explains about women being portrayed sexually in comic books and how female superheros are often secondary.
The "American Dream" Today
In the early 1900's, immigrants from all over the world made a lengthy trip to America. All of the foreigners left behind different things for different reasons. Whether it was poverty, famine, religious persecution, family, friends or a yearn for something new, they all made their way to the United States. All immigrants had heard the same things. They all could similarly define the "American Dream". America was the "land of opportunity" and the streets were "paved with gold". By moving to America, success and prosperity would find them. Unfortunately, for many of these immigrants, America did not give them as many opportunities as they had hoped for. Many were stuck creating their own businesses by selling items out of pedal carts on the street.
This "American Dream idea was originally thought up by James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book "Epic of America". He saw what had happened to the immigrants who had such high expectation when coming to the new world.
"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classesto interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth orposition...The American Dream, that has lured tens of millions of all nations to our shores in the past century has not been a dream of material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as a man and woman, unhampered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in the older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of any and every class."
Mr. Adams perfectly described the American Dream and how immigrants defined it and later experienced it. In today's world, the American Dream has mainly stayed the same. Although foreigners don't portray America as a land with streets of gold, they still see it as a land of opportunity. American Dream
This link contains information that discusses the American Dream. Is it relevant today? If so, what exactly is it? How do we define the American Dream with so many different people and living situations? Personally, I believe that the American Dream still does exist today. I think it should be defined as if an individual wants to be successful, they have the right and the ability to pursue that success. There is nothing stopping them from trying to better themselves. Being an American means to strive for your personal best.
Today, the American Experience for immigrants can be hard. Similar to those before them, they often are not placed in the best situations upon their first arrival. Many are poor and need to work extremely hard to succeed. I have noticed that many students with immigrant parents often work harder in school than children of American parents. Immigrant parents seem to instill certain values into their children so that they can succeed. But, it often can be extreme. There are kids who have no extracurricular and all they do is study. Is it because they choose too? No. Many times it is because their parents force them to study for hours in order for them to succeed.
Aside from the classic definition of the American Dream, my personal definition is that the American Dream is being able to do what makes you happy and strive to be the best you can be. As a child, I gained a passion for the game of basketball. All I ever wanted was to be a professional basketball player and follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan. Although it was very unlikely, I was willing to work my hardest to do what I loved and succeed at that. The American Dream to me can be summed up into one Michael Jordan quote: "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
Representation of Differences Today in America, society unfortunately has the ability to tell us what is right and what is wrong- what is normal and what is abnormal- what is accepted vs unaccepted. When the topic of sexual orientation is brought up, the majority of people will be able to tell you what society considers accepted. In this case, being a heterosexual individual is what gives someone the "normal" status when referring to this. It has been like this for hundreds of years. Gay, lesbian and transgendered individuals are still considered to be "abnormal" in society. It is amazing to think that although we, as Americans, have come such a long way in accepting people of all different backgrounds and lifestyles, we still have a long way to go.
In Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie, "Bruno", his character (Bruno), is a gay, Austrian fashion guru. The movie consists of him moving to America in order to achieve worldwide fame. Throughout the movie, Bruno is portrayed as a flamboyant individual who constantly finds himself creating awkward interventions for those around him. As revealing as some scenes may be, it is interesting to find the reactions Bruno receives. It shows how some Americans truly feel about gay individuals and that homophobia is still very apparent in our nation.
There are some very explicit scenes that viewers could find awkward or even inappropriate. For example, there is a scene where Bruno appears to be having a sexual encounter with another man. As much as this movie is supposed to be a comedy, it does bring out a lot of questions. One question that can be asked after seeing the movie is do all gay individuals act like this? The answer to that is absolutely not. But thanks to Bruno, many people now may portray all gays acting like Bruno. In this article (Gay Hollywood Comes Out...Against 'Bruno'), it tells of how no gays were hired to help make the film and the gay community was not asked if they were okay with this showing of a gay person's behavior and life. The article focuses on members of Hollywood who are gay. They explain that the film "excluded gays from the film making process and that when they were consulted, filmmakers did not address their concerns that the film was a distortion of homosexuality." In addition, it was explained how gays feel about the movie internally as opposed to externally. “When you see a Bruno clip in a room full of gay men, everyone laughs and it’s fine,” added Peter Paige, from “Queer as Folk.” “When you see a Bruno clip in a room full of straight men, they’re all laughing, and it’s a different thing. You start to go, ‘Hmmm, I don’t know how I feel about this."
The fact that as Americans we can laugh at ourselves, but not others is very apparent. We all know that we have the freedom of speech but some still hold back from saying certain things because they are afraid that they could offend someone. This is obviously not a bad thing but in my opinion, if you feel comfortable about your belief then you should express yourself. This movie (that was made for comedy), should be funny for all and all those watching should feel comfortable laughing at it.
A clip from the movie is below.
As a male in America today, we are constantly being shown what the "ideal" male is. Through a vast variety of media, males are most often portrayed as tough, beer drinking, weight lifting, competitive, womanizers. But, not all of these portrayals are negative or wrong. In fact, I agree with some of them. Throughout history, males have been considered the dominant gender. They were the protectors or leaders of groups. At a young age, we are taught to act like them - tough, confident and protective of what's ours.
In my life, I have definitely experienced this "expectation". The impact that media has on today's youth is incredible. It basically tells us how to live our lives, what is normal and what is abnormal. One thing that is considered "normal" for male youth to act tough. This is done in many ways. A very noticeable way is through beer commercials. Predominantly shown during football games, these commercials most often show men drinking beer while women (with very little clothing on) frolic in the background. By watching these commercials, boys are shown that being a "real man" consists of drinking beer and treating women as objects rather than people.
This beer ad shows what appears to be a woman. One hand stroking her hair while the other rests on her hip. She appears to be trying to show off her body to whoever is around her. But, the catch to this ad is that the woman is completely made out of beer. What is the beer company trying to accomplish? They are trying to influence viewers to make a connection between beer and women. the ad is clearly focused towards men. To me, I made the connection right away. The beer company wants men to realize that having a cold beer is just as satisfying as having a beautiful woman. By making them one of the same, the company succeeds in creating a seductive look to beer, therefore making it more attractive.
Some of these beer commercials also show the men as being aggressive towards women. At first glance, the commercials seem to be funny. But, when analyzed, they give men a bad name. In one specific Super Bowl commercial, a man is teased by a woman while playing a fun game of two-hand touch football. After being instigated the man tackles the woman, full out, after she catches the ball. The commercial is for Michelob Ultra Amber. The slogan during the commercial is "The world of light beer just got a little darker". Again, the humor is easy to see but it still portrays men as aggressive and violent.
In this link (Love, sex and the male brain) ), the author explains how the brains of males and females function completely different even though they are of the same species. It explains why men act the way they do and that because of this, it is easy to make the stereotypes of men that we have today.
Growing up in 2010 as a male is also difficult because the media portrays males as strong and fit. Through ads and celebrities, the public sees these people who have "flawless" bodies. Little fat, cut muscular definition and attractive to women. In magazines such as "GQ" and "Men's Health", men, like women, are shown how they are supposed to look and what is acceptable and what is not. In reality, it is not fair for us to judge our bodies based on what we see in the media. The truth is, these people live completely different lives than the majority of the public. They have trainers and publicists who tell them what to eat, what to wear and how to look. Men can strive to look like a professional athlete such as Michael Phelps but they cannot expect to accomplish that without living a similar life to him.
Other
It is more common than not that the superheroes boys look up too and are exposed too are males. With very few exceptions, how often do you see a female superhero? This has been going since the early 70's. The tv show "Super Friends" began airing in 1973. The show was about a team superheroes previously created. The main members were Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Just by looking at the list of main heroes, you see that males dominated the group. All of the male members look very muscular and ready to fight against all evils. Wonder Woman on the other hand, is standing in a sexual pose wearing very little
The picture on the right shows a classic version of Superman saving the life of a woman. Whether it's Lois Lane or a random "damsel in distress", Superman always seems to be there. What I have noticed in many Superhero scenes is that when saving a woman, the hero always carries them like a child or someone that is weak and scared. Granted, victims do have the right to be scared after being places in dangerous scenarios. But, it always seems that the woman are always portrayed as helpless.
This trend is still shown today. In this more current picture of Superman, he is saving a young woman.
In addition to cartoons, these acts of male superheros coming to the rescue of a helpless female appear in movies. In Spiderman 3 (the latest Spiderman movie), there is a scene (shown in the video below) where a crane crashes into a building leaving a woman hanging off the ledge, clinging for her life. It always seems to be a woman that needs saving. I think that this has a big impact on the portrayed roles of each gender in society. Kids growing up with superheros learn first hand how to act. It is the boys' job to be the hero. Always be prepared to show strength and courage to protect "what's theirs". Girls could interpret this to mean that if they get in trouble, they should wait for someone (a boy) to save them and make everything okay. Without this portrayal in our society, I believe more girls would grow up with confidence about themselves and realize at earlier ages that they can be independent.
http://www.fourcolor.org/blog/2006/05/sexism-in-superhero-comics/
The link above leads to an article written about the portrayal of women as superheros. It further explains about women being portrayed sexually in comic books and how female superheros are often secondary.
The "American Dream" Today
In the early 1900's, immigrants from all over the world made a lengthy trip to America. All of the foreigners left behind different things for different reasons. Whether it was poverty, famine, religious persecution, family, friends or a yearn for something new, they all made their way to the United States. All immigrants had heard the same things. They all could similarly define the
This "American Dream idea was originally thought up by James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book "Epic of America". He saw what had happened to the immigrants who had such high expectation when coming to the new world.
"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position...The American Dream, that has lured tens of millions of all nations to our shores in the past century has not been a dream of material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as a man and woman, unhampered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in the older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of any and every class."
Mr. Adams perfectly described the American Dream and how immigrants defined it and later experienced it. In today's world, the American Dream has mainly stayed the same. Although foreigners don't portray America as a land with streets of gold, they still see it as a land of opportunity.
American Dream
This link contains information that discusses the American Dream. Is it relevant today? If so, what exactly is it? How do we define the American Dream with so many different people and living situations? Personally, I believe that the American Dream still does exist today. I think it should be defined as if an individual wants to be successf
Today, the American Experience for immigrants can be hard. Similar to those before them, they often are not placed in the best situations upon their first arrival. Many are poor and need to work extremely hard to succeed. I have noticed that many students with immigrant parents often work harder in school than children of American parents. Immigrant parents seem to instill certain values into their children so that they can succeed. But, it often can be extreme. There are kids who have no extracurricular and all they do is study. Is it because they choose too? No. Many times it is because their parents force them to study for hours in order for them to succeed.
Aside from the classic definition of the American Dream, my personal definition is that the American Dream is being able to do what makes you happy and strive to be the best you can be. As a child, I gained a passion for the game of basketball. All I ever wanted was to be a professional basketball player and follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan. Although it was very unlikely, I was willing to work my hardest to do what I loved and succeed at that. The American Dream to me can be summed up into one Michael Jordan quote: "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
Representation of Differences
Today in America, society unfortunately has the ability to tell us what is right and what is wrong- what is normal and what is abnormal- what is accepted vs unaccepted. When the topic of sexual orientation is brought up, the majority of people will be able to tell you what society considers accepted. In this case, being a heterosexual individual is what gives someone the "normal" status when referring to this. It has been like this for hundreds of years. Gay, lesbian and transgendered individuals are still considered to be "abnormal" in society. It is amazing to think that although we, as Americans, have come such a long way in accepting people of all different backgrounds and lifestyles, we still have a long way to go.
In Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie, "Bruno", his character (Bruno), is a gay, Austrian fashion guru. The movie consists
There are some very explicit scenes that viewers could find awkward or even inappropriate. For example, there is a scene where Bruno appears to be having a sexual encounter with another man. As much as this movie is supposed to be a comedy, it does bring out a lot of questions. One question that can be asked after seeing the movie is do all gay individuals act like this? The answer to that is absolutely not. But thanks to Bruno, many people now may portray all gays acting like Bruno. In this article (Gay Hollywood Comes Out...Against 'Bruno'), it tells of how no gays were hired to help make the film and the gay community was not asked if they were okay with this showing of a gay person's behavior and life. The article focuses on members of Hollywood who are gay. They explain that the film "excluded gays from the film making process and that when they were consulted, filmmakers did not address their concerns that the film was a distortion of homosexuality." In addition, it was explained how gays feel about the movie internally as opposed to externally. “When you see a Bruno clip in a room full of gay men, everyone laughs and it’s fine,” added Peter Paige, from “Queer as Folk.” “When you see a Bruno clip in a room full of straight men, they’re all laughing, and it’s a different thing. You start to go, ‘Hmmm, I don’t know how I feel about this."
The fact that as Americans we can laugh at ourselves, but not others is very apparent. We all know that we have the freedom of speech but some still hold back from saying certain things because they are afraid that they could offend someone. This is obviously not a bad thing but in my opinion, if you feel comfortable about your belief then you should express yourself. This movie (that was made for comedy), should be funny for all and all those watching should feel comfortable laughing at it.
A clip from the movie is below.