Monday, May 18, 2020

Masculinity And The Ideal Man - 969 Words

Masculinity and â€Å"the ideal man† are themes and ideas that have been explored in stories for centuries. From ancient Greek epics to modern television programs, the theme of what it means to be a man has been developed repeatedly, with some of the core ideals remaining the same and others changing with modern societal perceptions. While the idea of activity over passivity persists as an accepted and ideal trait of masculinity, the ideal that men must be dominant over women to match the portrait of â€Å"the ideal man† has been displaced. Through examination of both Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey and the Netflix television production House of Cards these ideals of masculinity, who assigns them, and their evolution or lack thereof can be explored and determined. This analysis reveals that while activity is an enduring trait of the masculine ideal, the idea that men need to be dominant over women has been, for the most part, eradicated from the portrait of â€Å"the ideal man† by modern society. Activity is a trait of ideal masculinity that is pervasive in both the Odyssey and House of Cards. As the story of the Odyssey begins, Telemachos is not a man, he is more of an adolescent. Once Telemachos calls for a meeting to evict the suitors, he begins on his path from adolescence to manhood. He begins to follow in his father’s masculine footsteps when he calls the first meeting on Ithaca since his father left for Troy. He continues his path of action when he leaves Ithaca to seek informationShow MoreRelatedHegemonic Masculinity : Characters And Plot Of The Popular Sitcom Two And A Half Men1720 Words   |  7 Pagesthe production of hegemonic masculinity and subordinate masculinity in the show reinforce the idea of hegemonic masculinity as the only real form of manliness accepted by society’s standards of an â€Å"ideal man.† Effeminate masculinity, a subordinate form of masculinity, is not represented in the show in a positive light rather, it is mocked. Th e characters that play these roles are Charlie, who plays the hyper masculine role, and Alan, who plays the effeminate masculinity role. Alan’s role is inferiorRead MoreFight Club Analysis1125 Words   |  5 PagesMasculinity and Anti-capitalism in FIght Club I am planning to write about the 1999 film Fight Club, directed by David Fincher. This movie is about a nameless insomniac office worker (the narrator) who has become, as he views, a slave to consumer culture. He begins attending support groups for diseases he doesn’t have to subdue his emotional state, and he begins to sleep again. He meets Marla Singer, another fake attendee of support groups, she is an incredibly mysterious woman who is obviouslyRead MoreThe Between Cressida And Troilus And Cressida Essay1624 Words   |  7 Pagesknow what a man is? Is not birth, beauty, good shape, discourse, manhood, learning, gentleness, virtue, youth, liberality, and so forth the spice and salt that seasons a man? CRESSIDA Ay, a minced man†¦ (1.2.231-236) This conversation between Cressida and Pandarus demonstrates the representation of masculinity in both Coriolanus and Troilus and Cressida. Each of them is concerned with ideas of honour and military prowess in relation to the male identity, drawing on the masculine ideals of Roman antiquityRead MoreMasculinity And Its Impact On Society1317 Words   |  6 Pageshave deeply influenced today s’ generations by changing their perspectives of masculinity. Masculinity is becoming an ongoing debate on what it means to be masculine. Masculine traits are defined as having qualities appropriate to or usually associated with a man. These qualities include being strong, rugged, dominant, and powerful. Social platforms and media have defined masculinity over the years to standardize the ideal male body type, appearance, social norms, stereotypical roles, and emotionalRead MoreMasculinity And Its Effects On Society s Views Of Masculinity1122 Words   |  5 Pages Masculinity in the 21st century United States can be best defined as having traits of toughness and physical strength. A â€Å"manly† man cannot show emotion and is only able to show aggression. This aggression and competiveness is supported by society through its interpretation of what is considered appropriate male behavior and activities needed to survive. Paul Theroux in â€Å"Being a Man†, he examines society’s views of masculinity. He states that â€Å"the whole idea of manhood in America is pitifulRead MoreWestern Culture s Ideal Beauty Type963 Words   |  4 Pagescommercial also reinforces traditional views of masculinity, sexuality and beauty. Through the depiction of the man as the womanizing, adventurer and the woman as a passive, sexual being the Axe Campaign uses conventional portrayals of gender roles in order to sell their product. In this paper, the commercial will be analyzed as it supports traditional views on beauty, sexuality and masculinity. This advertisement reinforces the western culture s ideal beauty type. The woman featured in the commercialRead MoreMasculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesMasculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop Never cry or show any emotion, when things happen take it like man, do not get mad, get even. These along with many other rules are makeup â€Å"the Guy Code† believed to shape what masculinity in American society. â€Å"’Bros before Hoes’: The Guy Code† by Michael Kimmel discusses a set of epigrams and analyzes American masculinity. These ideals of what is takes to be a â€Å"man† are often portrayed by hip-hop artists in today’s mainstream music industry. KimmelRead MoreHow Has White Patriarchy Affected Black Masculinity?1339 Words   |  6 PagesAmanda Hurdon 100987702 WGST 2811–A01 Masculinities Essay: How has white patriarchy affected black masculinity? White patriarchy has strongly affected black masculinity in many ways. Historically, as slaves black men were taught that dominance and patriarchal control over women was their right, and an integral part of masculinity.1 Living in white patriarchal society, where powerful white men are the standard of masculinity, many black men may struggle to find an identity which reflects themselvesRead MoreSexuality, Gender, Masculinity And Status1334 Words   |  6 Pagesless concerned with the gender or age of a man’s sexual partners than with the perception of the masculinity of all male partners involved. Other things were more important than gender when it came to sex, such as penetration, masculinity and status. To exemplify that society was less concerned with the gender of a man’s sexual partners than the perception of masculinity, I will evaluate masculinity in ancient Rome, the social hierarchy of being the receptive versus penetrative partner, laws, cinaedusRead MoreW hite Mans Muscles Essay904 Words   |  4 Pageswould have on male self-esteem and masculinity. People in our generation remember watching films such as Rocky, Rambo, and The Terminator, which showed incredibly built and tan white males in some type of extreme action role. However, people would be hard pressed to find a film in which a half naked white male was not shown as superior regardless of muscle size. Although some of the actors who portrayed Tarzan did not have the characteristics of the ideal male specimen, the prevalence of a

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.