Media's Influence On Masculinity
In the 21st century, gender issues have become a major talking-point. The previously male-dominated society is slowly becoming more accepting of females; the wage gap is being addressed, there are equal opportunities for both in the workforce, and sexism at work is diminishing. Teenage women are taught to accept their bodies and major strides have been taken to level the playing field in male dominated fields of study. However, what many forget is the issues young men face as they journey through adolescence. Society praises the burly manly man, and the stereotype has created a negative stigma around those who do not fit this restrictive mold. Therefore, the central issue surrounding young males is this cliche of the “manly man” conflicting with each adolescent male’s idiosyncrasies.
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Mass media has had a huge influence on the conception of traditional masculinity; the establishment has created the ideal man as a tough, unfeeling, strong character.
Those who break this stringent mold are often mocked for being too feminine or odd. The Marlboro Man is often cited as the most conspicuous manipulation of society’s views towards masculinity— the ad campaign features a rugged, cowboy-esque man scowling into the distance with a cigarette in his mouth. Though it may look like a harmless advertisement, there are various implicit messages hidden inside the picture. The image insinuates that cigarettes will morph one into a brawny man, the ideal version of males. These toxic connotations can influence teenage boys into changing their personalities into something they really are not. In fact, according to About Men by Gretel Ehrlich, the cowboys depicted in the infamous Marlboro ads are complete fiction, “But the men I see in these posters with their stern, humorless looks remind me of no [rancher] I know here.” This proves that these ads are just constructs of the media intended to sway impressionable young men into fitting the
mold.
Furthermore, excessive masculinity actually is a detriment to boys’ education. In the article, Why Johnny Won’t Read, Mark Baurlein and Sandra Stotsky state that in ten years, male reading skills dropped 13 percent and young girls were outperforming boys by 1.6 points. Although the authors speculate that this is due to the lack of interesting material geared towards boys, I believe that this disparity is because of society’s definition of masculinity— in a world where men are expected to be rough and apathetic, there is no space for the pursuit of knowledge. My claim is corroborated by Being a Man by Paul Theroux, “I was told to take up a sport, get more fresh air, join the Boy Scouts, and I was urged not to read so much.” In his own experiences, Theroux was discouraged from reading; instead he was encouraged to participate in activities more common to the media’s fantasy of a man. As Theroux eloquently phrases it, “one cannot be a male writer without first proving that one is a man.” The fact that one must prove to the world that he is masculine before partaking in traditionally effeminate activities is indicative of the sway that the media has on society. Impressionable teenage boys see the difficulty in balancing their personal hobbies, such as reading or drawing, with the activities that they are pressured into, such as sports, and, as a result, tend to forsake their passions for activities that improve their social standing. This negative stigma towards so-called “unmanly” activities results in the dichotomy one sees in the intermediate and high school system today; teens who earn lower grades but are athletes generally more popular than those who focus on their education.
Mending this issue will not be a simple task— unwinding a hundred years of axioms, stereotypes, and stigmas will take years. However, broad acknowledgement of the issue is necessary for real progress to be forged. Parents should be educated into accepting their children’s choices; instead of denying a young boy from buying a doll, see his perspective and accept his decision. Moreover, although media may shape society, it is not always so one-sided— media must adapt to a changing society. In this method, as parents divert from enforcing traditional gender stereotypes, the mass media will be forced to adapt to this shift. In turn, more parents will turn to this progressive train of thought. As this cycle continues, both genders will benefit and the generation will be
Mass media has had a huge influence on the conception of traditional masculinity; the establishment has created the ideal man as a tough, unfeeling, strong character.
Those who break this stringent mold are often mocked for being too feminine or odd. The Marlboro Man is often cited as the most conspicuous manipulation of society’s views towards masculinity— the ad campaign features a rugged, cowboy-esque man scowling into the distance with a cigarette in his mouth. Though it may look like a harmless advertisement, there are various implicit messages hidden inside the picture. The image insinuates that cigarettes will morph one into a brawny man, the ideal version of males. These toxic connotations can influence teenage boys into changing their personalities into something they really are not. In fact, according to About Men by Gretel Ehrlich, the cowboys depicted in the infamous Marlboro ads are complete fiction, “But the men I see in these posters with their stern, humorless looks remind me of no [rancher] I know here.” This proves that these ads are just constructs of the media intended to sway impressionable young men into fitting the
mold.
Furthermore, excessive masculinity actually is a detriment to boys’ education. In the article, Why Johnny Won’t Read, Mark Baurlein and Sandra Stotsky state that in ten years, male reading skills dropped 13 percent and young girls were outperforming boys by 1.6 points. Although the authors speculate that this is due to the lack of interesting material geared towards boys, I believe that this disparity is because of society’s definition of masculinity— in a world where men are expected to be rough and apathetic, there is no space for the pursuit of knowledge. My claim is corroborated by Being a Man by Paul Theroux, “I was told to take up a sport, get more fresh air, join the Boy Scouts, and I was urged not to read so much.” In his own experiences, Theroux was discouraged from reading; instead he was encouraged to participate in activities more common to the media’s fantasy of a man. As Theroux eloquently phrases it, “one cannot be a male writer without first proving that one is a man.” The fact that one must prove to the world that he is masculine before partaking in traditionally effeminate activities is indicative of the sway that the media has on society. Impressionable teenage boys see the difficulty in balancing their personal hobbies, such as reading or drawing, with the activities that they are pressured into, such as sports, and, as a result, tend to forsake their passions for activities that improve their social standing. This negative stigma towards so-called “unmanly” activities results in the dichotomy one sees in the intermediate and high school system today; teens who earn lower grades but are athletes generally more popular than those who focus on their education.
Mending this issue will not be a simple task— unwinding a hundred years of axioms, stereotypes, and stigmas will take years. However, broad acknowledgement of the issue is necessary for real progress to be forged. Parents should be educated into accepting their children’s choices; instead of denying a young boy from buying a doll, see his perspective and accept his decision. Moreover, although media may shape society, it is not always so one-sided— media must adapt to a changing society. In this method, as parents divert from enforcing traditional gender stereotypes, the mass media will be forced to adapt to this shift. In turn, more parents will turn to this progressive train of thought. As this cycle continues, both genders will benefit and the generation will be