Gender Stereotypes In American Culture

Any kind of culture can influence the way any person of any gender behaves. One rather popular part in American culture is football, the sport people all over the country hold all kinds of parties and other get-togethers just to celebrate. Families, schools, organizations, even churches all play football at some point, and the game’s popularity is nearly obscene. However, behind the half-time snacks and scantily clad cheerleaders, the football players struggle to fit into their gender roles just like any other man. Nobody really thinks about this because athletes never really discuss it, unless they come out as gay. Even then, they keep silent. Yet, there is one former football player who decided to speak of his experience in his essay, ""Kill 'em! Crush 'em! Eat 'em Raw!"". This
author’s name is John McMurty, and he has quite a bit to say about what goes on in the sport. “By the end of my football career,” says McMurty. “I had learned that physical injury…is the real currency of sport. And that in the final analysis the ‘winner’ is the man who can hit to kill even if only half his limbs are working.” (McMurty) The point McMurty is trying to make is that football players must injure others as well as themselves in order to keep up appearances. Why is this so important?
Because that’s what the fans want to see. Football fans love the sport; they love the athletes, the excitement, the noise, the food, and everything else. Yet no one can deny that the violence and fights out of the field make it more exciting. When violence erupts, it isn’t just a bunch of men rolling around on the field with a ball anymore- now it’s an action packed scene fans will feel compelled to watch. Violence makes everything more exciting, and again, this is part of American culture. America loves violence; action movies are very popular, wrestling is also a favorite, and of course football is, too. And when it comes to violence, the stars of the show are usually men- male football players, male wrestlers, and, most of the time, the heroes of action movies. This is a contributing factor when it comes to stereotypes, what with portraying men as strong, tough, and masculine. With these images flashing on social media, many young men may feel the need to become like the men they see. They fill the stereotype, and as Herb Goldberg would say, they are securely fastened in the harness. The harness is real, and we can see it every day if we look hard
enough.