Masculinity_in_Film

Masculinity in Film 1 Running head: MASCULINITY IN FILM Masculinity in Film Masculinity in Film 2 Abstract This paper examines published articles that report on the masculinity in films and how are men are affected by it. The articles men’s perspective on and how men react to actors on films and movies. We will explore also how adult films affect men, which is not mentioned often in psychological published articles. Also, we will discuss the trends of men in recent years and how some habits are changing dramatically. This will give women and men more understanding on what is not being said but is being done when it comes to masculinity in films. Masculinity in Film 3 Masculinity in Film Most people assume that only women are affected by images portraying what women should look like in the media. Men have also that dilemma when it comes to men’s image in the media for example films that show the hero most of the time tall and muscular. The fact of the matter is that most men are not muscular and have some fat on them. The psychological effects on men trying to mimic what they see in the movies or films could result in eating disorder, depression, injecting performance-enhancing substances and low self-esteem (Farguhar & Wasylkiw, 2007). Talking to my father about what kinds of pressures he had as a young adult due to films, he said he had few. He was psychology influenced by films in putting pressure on being more romantic to women and doing the right thing even if you did not want to do it. Men now have other pressures like being physically accepted by the other sex, subconsciously men admire actors, in which men think women also do the same and now they have to meet those requirements on being buff like current actors. In films men get physical dissatisfaction of themselves because they compare themselves to the characters performing in the big screens, which are usually men lean and strong in appearance. Films like Rambo, The Terminator, Superman, Rocky, and many others are making the image of men supernatural and different than the average men. These are some of the reasons that recently in history men a more dissatisfying with their physical appearance (Farguhar & Wasylkiw, 2007). Our culture in perspective of men has got out of focus. Meaning that now it’s ok for males to groom and have interest in fashion excessively. Only 40 years ago this was seen to society as homosexual habits Masculinity in Film 4 now it is being more accepted. In recent studies is expected that male’s grooming product will reach $8 million by 2008 from $5 million in 2003. This is definitely due to films portraying even older actors as younger than they look. These actors have many facial surgeries to appear younger on TV, this gives pressure on middle and older aged men to appear as hip to the current time (Conseur, Hathcote, & Soyoung, 2008). So movies and films have a huge effect on men psychologically, even if men do not talk about it with their peers they are thinking about it. In the 1940s to 1980s actors were for the most part thin and very few muscles almost none, especially in the action films. In the comedy movies, it has been ok to have overweight men. Now, action heroes are consumed with large muscle and V shape bodies, broad shoulders and large biceps the Rambo, Total Recall, The Incredible Hulk, Superman and many others. When it comes to comedy films there is acceptance to put overweight actors, this is interesting, the media it’s trying to imply that overweight men are funny but cannot be action heroes of mainstream movies. The fact of the matter is that the average Joe is not as slim or muscular as films portray to the public. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally a bodybuilder then became a famous and popular actor in the 1980s until now, which tells you that films have moved from averaged body men to bodybuilding men to act in their storytelling movies. (Schooler & Ward, 2996). In the last past 30 years these discontents of men’s physical attributes have increased by almost 40%. These numbers are increasing trends of the mainstream media in films that are affecting men in how they should look in society. The 10% of eating Masculinity in Film 5 disorder population are men, in which includes anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are just some examples of them. Binge-eating behaviors account of 3.3% of men, which they have act it on some time in their lives. In recent studies about 2.9% of 12th graders have used steroids to build body mass rapidly. The media in films have played a major role in this psychological behavior which young men are more stressed in appearing “acceptable” in our society, in which have resulted in low self-esteem and depression (Farguhar & Wasylkiw, 2007). Movies and films do show different types of masculinity, which include short, large, ethnic and other different types than the mainstream. Unfortunately, those types of men are for the most parts in movies that are to be taking as a comedy storytelling and not a serious progressive film. The ironic thing about this is that almost half of the U.S are colored people of different types of background. If you pay attention in films that are currently on theaters are mostly Caucasians men and some Black men, they totally disregard other ethnic men. For example, most films that show Latin men are portrayed as a negative character, lower class, or homosexuals in films today. Major films or mainstream movies show Latin women, not men. When it comes to film that are rated R, A, or XXX films which are the adult films, the majority of men have watched in some point in their lives and compared their body to what they see on the screen subconsciously. The images that adult films portrays about the men’s genital, is to have long, thick and always erected penis. This is a subject not talked about as often in articles but the reality is that is always in men’s psychological mind. For example for actors with big penises are praised by adult studios and these Masculinity in Film 6 actors are the ones that make more money in this industry. Actors like John Holmes that has a huge penis have been in a sense of a role model in a men’s perspective on what to have to make any woman satisfy. As Peter Lehman wrote in his book, Running Scared: Masculinity and the Representations of the Male Body, “Lehman’s central thesis that men run scared of many of their own images. In his argument, films, textbooks, gallery displays, novels, and songs mask all but the largest and most erect penises and mock smaller ones with jokes and stories of failed men. They do this, Lehman suggested, to preserve the symbolic value of the mythical but subconsciously compelling phallus.” (King, 2208). Basically is saying that if a man has an average or smaller than average penis he is worth less and can be make fun of rightfully for it. This puts a big pressure on men trying to meet the expectations. Viagra has been used by middle to older men to help in getting their penis erected and lasting a long time with their sexual partners. Now, young adults even teenagers are trying these pills to perform exactly on how an adult film portrays a man in sexual intercourse to be. In some cases men that are so subconscious about their body appearance especially about their penis due to adult films showing something they don’t appear to have in some cases they create a negative attitude towards pornography (Nils & Thomas, 2007). When talking about masculinity in films and how it affects men psychologically, take the consideration that most of the literatures are base on studies that were made by Masculinity in Film 7 and to white heterosexual men. These studies have limited the other sexual and colored men on getting an accurate reading for “all” types of men in our society. For example in a study made in a midwestern state college 45 students were Caucasians out of 46 male students that participated in the effects of the media to males (Caucasians). Also the ages of these students were from 18 to 23 years of age. So simply said, there are many inaccurate results because of the lack of types of males being tested. The outcomes of the test proves that men (Caucasians) are influenced by films and other media on their self-esteem because ultimately they compared themselves to actors, models and other role models on TV and films (Hobza, Walker, Yakushko, & Peugh, 2007). Masculinity in Film 8 References Conseur, A., Hathcote, J., & Soyoung, Kim. (2008). Sex Roles. Consumer Masculinity Behavior Among College Students and Its Relationship to Self Esteem and Media Significance, 58: 549-555. Doi: 10.1007/s11199-007-9366-2 Farquhar, Jamie C., & Wasylkiw, Louise. (2007). Media Images of Men: Trends and Consequences of Body Conceptualization. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 8. Retrieved March 1, 2001, from http://psycnet.apa.org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/journals/men/8/3/145.html Hammaren, Nils., Johansson, Thomas. (2007). The Journal of Men’s Studies. Hegemonic masculinity and pornography: Young people's attitudes toward and relations to pornography, 15 (1). Retrieved March 1, 2001, from http://psycnet.apa.org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/index.cfm'fa=search.displayRecord&id=F0ED83B9-D1E2-3283-1787-E873EE2246F1&resultID=6&page=1&dbTab=all Hobza, C., Walker, K., Yakushko, O., & Peugh, J. (2007). Psychology of Men & Masculinity. What About Men' Social Comparison and the Effects of Media Images on Body and Self-Esteem, 8. Retrieved March 1, 2001, from http://psycnet.apa.org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/journals/men/8/3/161.html King, Neal. (2008). Gender & amp; Society. Book Review: Running Scared: Masculinity and the Representations of the Male Body. New Edition. By Peter Lehman. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 2007, 304 pp. Doi: 10.1177/0891243208317211 Masculinity in Film 9 Schooler, Deborah. & Ward, Monique L. (2006). Psychology of Men & Masculinity. Average Joes: Men’s Relationships With Media, Real Bodies, and Sexuality.7. Retrieved March 1, 2001, from http://psycnet.apa.org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/journals/men/7/1/27.html