Summary Of Kimmel's 'Boys Will Be Boys'

“Boys will be boys,” a commonplace phrase that constitutes a diffusion of responsibility away from the male perpetrators of aggressive attitudes and behaviors, supports a dangerous rhetoric that a young male transitioning into adulthood will perform acts of aggression, display a detached and uncaring disposition, and develop attitudes of intense homophobia and sexism as part of a biological norm of that stage of adolescence, a stage of life comprising a larger and larger part of young man’s life, ages 16-29. Kimmel challenges this rhetoric, arguing that there is an underlying culture of entitlement (as the gaining of equality by other groups such as women and minorities are perceived as a threat to privileges that the white man “deserves,” a zero-sum game of status) that is supported by a culture of silence (of refusing to bear witness to other men’s transgressions, which is perceived as support) and a culture of protection (in which communities shield “their” guys from the harsh implications and accountability) which allows these behaviors and attitudes to persist. Kimmel argues that
His hard stats as well as meaningful anecdotes give insight to the story of “Guyland,” giving it a sense of urgency and credibility without removing an emotional aspect from the piece. The interviews always seemed very authentic (especially when paired with relevant stats!), and are used frequently to validate his points. However, the interviews seemed only to represent a small fraction of campus culture; in particular, the athletic and Greek life subculture. Some of the stats seem outdated (it was released in 2008). In general, the legitimacy of his works cited tends towards