Television And Masculinity: Where Have All The Men Gone
September 23, 2013
Television and Masculinity: Where have all the “men” gone
Remember those times when intimidating, protective men took over the televisions? Remember those old TV Westerns where the men were nothing but equipped with swords, guns and horses? A majority of the population surely does. Television has been around for over a century, and it certainly is no mystery that it has changed drastically over time. The traditional American family has been portrayed in television for decades, and in many different ways. However, the view of the standard family has been altered significantly through the media within the last twenty years or so. One main type of role in television in particular that has evolved into something different …show more content…
is the role of men. What has happened to all of the men and masculinity? The portrayal of fathers, boyfriends, brothers, or any other type of male character, has been modified so much that it has offended some people. Over the years, the masculinity portrayed on television has diminished a great amount. In the 50s, families portrayed on television were very structured.
Mothers were responsible for cooking and cleaning and staying at home while the fathers were in charge of the household. While this is still the case today, it has been modernized. As opposed to the 50s, men are less polite and tend to have a more crude style humor. Back then, men were more strict and uptight, making their rules clear in the household. Today, men are more flexible and portrayed as “.” For example, “men are constantly shown in a negative light. You can’t expect boys to participate in domestic life if they are not made welcome” (Kean). This is quite true, and a stellar example of a man being portrayed as crude would be Peter Griffin from Family Guy. Some other examples that Kean states are “…from the character of the feckless father Frank in Shameless to Ben, the plain stupid dentist dad in My Family and even Pete Brockman, the ineffectual man of the house in Outnumbered” (Kean). Men used to be displayed onscreen as strong, independent, and responsible. Today it seems that they are portrayed the exact opposite …show more content…
way. Let us take Leave it to Beaver for example. In that show, the father was played as somebody who was both strict and caring. He was a role model to his children and was loyal to his wife. He was a fatherly figure and was a character worth praising. Today, men are seen on television cheating on their wives and/or letting their children do whatever they want, while the mother is disciplining the husband and begging him to help out more. Men today are often looked at as sometimes appearing dumb or careless whereas in the 50s and 60s men were shown as extremely intelligent and handy. The second wave of feminism in the 60s and 70s is what really caused the depiction of men to change, resulting in women being shown having more power. Women were tired of being controlled by men. In an article about the changing roles of TV dads, Jenna Goudreau writes “as feminism built, moms began overshadowing TV dads, who played the part of the well-meaning idiot” (Goudreau, Forbes). Because of this, men began losing their original masculinity. They were no longer illustrated as “man of the house.” Some men have become insulted as a result of their representations in the media. They are often seen as shallow and are claimed to only go after women for their good looks. It is a huge insult to the male gender. Basically it has gone from men being the man of the house and having the power to do anything, to the men being the ones that CANNOT do anything without a woman. Gondreau adds that “on ABC’s Modern Family we get one couple where dad’s a doofus and mom’s in charge, another where dad’s a curmudgeonly doofus and mom’s a well-meaning bimbo and even given a couple with two dads they’re both caricatures” (Goudreau, Forbes). In the 1950s, mothers were usually never out of the house while the men were constantly out working. Nowadays, moms live very similarly to men on television. They are normally in charge for taking their children out while the father is at work, and sometimes, of course, a mother works just as much as the father. Portrayals of men in the media are not only associated with fathers, but of any male figure- even real life people in reality shows. Jersey Shore is the perfect example of men on reality television programs. Obviously, the way men dress is exceedingly different to the attire they wore in the 1950s. Men were very rarely seen wearing earrings in the 1950s compared to now. Fake tans, “guidos,” etc., have come the new style for many men. Not only did the look of the standard man change, but the attitude towards women that many of them bring along did too. In the article Compulsory Masculinity on the Jersey Shore, writer Amanda Ann Klein focused specifically of the males on that show. She said “since adherence to these traditional gender roles is central to the identities of the Jersey Shore cast, it is not surprising that the men are dedicated to objectifying and humiliating women” (Klein). Men used to be more respectful to their women decades ago. Now it is as if they have apparently become weak and artificial. It is always a wonderful idea to look good for certain occasions, even for men, but the fact that the media is demonstrating men as acting narcissistic and acting like all they care about is looking “tough”, is very unfortunate. On the Jersey shore “men must be tanned, muscular, sexually voracious, and quick to throw a punch…” (Klein). Real men are dedicated to hard work and not as much to their outer appearance. While men have a competitive instinct, they should not be competing for another woman or for looking attractive., for that surely is not the way a traditional man would act. Men are supposed to be protective and always there for you. Sadly, times have changed and men are very rarely like this according to television; a lot of them are cowards. One thing that did not change, is the fact that men are not expected to cry. It was like this back then and still remains so today. Men are still expected to be brave and vigorous, despite what they are going through. Back in the 50s was a simpler time for television. There was less drama and lessons were often learned after watching shows. As stated previously, men in this era were depicted as loving fathers who often had good morals and helped their children or if not fathers, as strong independent men. In one article by editor Eleanor Barkhorn called “’Where are Andy Griffiths?’: On Pop Culture’s Dearth of Admirable Men,” she explains that men are no longer illustrated on television as “masculine.” Today, men are playing the roles as “generally loving bumbling idiots” (Barkhorn). It really is rare to find decently played men today in society. A few satisfactory examples of masculine men on television are Ozzie Nelson from Ozzie and Harriet, Jim Anderson from Father Knows Best, Bentley Gregg from Bachelor Father, and Ward Cleaver from Leave to Beaver (like mentioned earlier). They were all in charge of disciplining the children, working 9-to-5, bringing home the food, and getting involved in their children’s’ lives. Some poor examples of men on television are Cliff Huxtable from The Cosby Show, Homer Simpson from the Simpsons, Ray Ramone in Everybody Loves Raymond, and Al Bundy from Married With Children.
Even though the Simpsons is a cartoon, it is still depicted a family- but a somewhat dysfunctional family. Homer Simpson is portrayed as an idiot. Many fathers shown on TV are now sharing the same roles as mothers. They are staying home and taking care of their children and sometimes they even cook. It is very different now because fathers are now stereotypically represented as “easy-going” whereas in the 1950s they were sterner. Many people agree that “the portrayals of men have gone downhill in the past half-century…” (Barkhorn). Not only are men portrayed as stupid, but also some are made out to be sexist. Many of them are shown degrading women, which is not how they acted long ago. In the 1950s-60s, men were gentlemen. Men are also not as brave as they were 50 years ago. In the old black and white films, men were seen with a gun in their hands when trouble was just around the corner. Today, it is not as common to see a man holding a rifle ready to protect his family. People are beginning to have a new outlook on fathers: “With cutting edge shows and reality television, we’re starting to get a more realistic view of fatherhood,” celebrity dad, Dean McDermott explains to Forbes Magazine. Today, there are many men on television seen drinking- but not drinking like they did 50 years ago- drinking to get drunk.
“Homer Simpson (Doh!) was more often seen drinking, belching and tripping up rather than doing any real parenting” (Goudreau, Forbes). In comedies like the Simpsons, men are exaggeratedly portrayed- even more so in cartoons. But comedies in the 1950s even had more masculine males onscreen, despite the fact that life was overemphasized. Of course, there are still television shows in this century that have a myriad of male characters that portray the masculine features that we know and love. Typically, they are found in more serious shows such as dramas or mysteries. And yes, in the 50s there were even men who were displayed as idiots like they are today in most cases- a great example of this being The Three
Stooges. Men are feelings powerless these days and it is nothing like it ever was. Now there are stay at home dads who cook, clean, and carpool, just like the father Joel Graham on the family drama Parenthood. This is the perfect scenario that proves that stereotypes have changed. Even on shows like Sixteen and Pregnant, and Teen Mom, it shows that many males take on the role of mothers while the teenage mothers go to school, and the fathers stay at home to watch the child. Another example is a newer show called Baby Daddy. In this comedic television show, a man named Ben takes on the role of a father by the help of his mother, brother, and two friends, when his ex-girlfriend leaves their baby on his front doorstep. Similar to this storyline, in the 1980s, when the stereotypes of men began to decline, Full House, the family-friendly comedy became a hit. Danny Tanner, who was played by Bob Saget, was a single father who, after his wife Pam died, raised three girls with the help of his brother-in-law, Jesse, and his best friend, Joey. Fortunately, Danny Tanner was characterized as a very nurturing man who brought back the famous fatherly characteristics from the 1950s. The difference was that the whole outlook of how a man should act contradicted to the 1950s because instead of the woman cooking and cleaning, the father did. And of course in this generation, the acceptance of homosexuality played a major role on television. In the article, “The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father,” on the American Psychological Association website, the commentary discusses all of the different ways men are depicted in society, exclusively fathers. In the 50s, there is absolutely no way a gay character would be allowed for portrayal on television because that was the way people were brought up in that time period. Not that homosexual men are not considered “real men,” because every man should be considered equal…but it certainly is the way that men in the 50s as opposed to the 2000s would view it; they would claim that homosexuality is not masculine. “As more and more gay men are able to live their lives openly and to establish long-term, supportive and loving relationships, like heterosexual couples, they are beginning to start families” (The Changing Role of the Modern Day Family), the article states. To narrow it down, the portrayal of men over the decades has changed dramatically. From stay at home moms to stay at home dads, good moral advice from fathers to sons to fools of fathers who are nothing but couch potatoes; from brave, protective men to wimpy, lazy boys- it sure is evident that the average man has changed. Not only is it on fictional television series, but on reality television shows. What happened to men who supported their wives and did not leave them for another woman? What happened to men who respected their women and did not belittle them by thinking they are the better gender? Why are men known to be airheaded human beings-why are they not demonstrated as role models anymore? Not all changes are negative. As mentioned prior, there are many positive aspects to the role of men in modern day society. More acceptances are present- men do not have to feel shame being gay or bisexual. They will not be mocked as much if they are stay at home fathers who mirror the way mothers would normally live. Despite sexual orientation, men should maintain the same regarded qualities that they always have: protective and strong and reverent. Certain ways we view men have turned out very positively but sadly, too many depictions are pessimistic and make out men to be something they are not. Men deserve to have better titles and to be looked at with dignity, not disgust.
Works Cited
1- Kean, Danuta. "Why DOES TV Love to Portray Men as Idle, Feckless Idiots?" Mail Online. N.p., 28 June 2010. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. .
2- Johnson, Nicole. "The Depressing Depiction of Men in the Media." The Good Men Project. GoodMenProject.com, 13 Dec. 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
3- Goudreau, Jenna. "The Changing Roles Of TV Dads." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 June 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
4- Klein, Amanda A. "Compulsory Masculinity on The Jersey Shore." Antenna RSS. N.p., 26 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
5- Barkhorn, Eleanor. " 'Where Are the Andy Griffiths? ': On Pop Culture 's Dearth of Admirable Men." The Atlantic. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
6- "The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father." The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father. American Psychological Association, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. .
Television and Masculinity: Where have all the “men” gone
Remember those times when intimidating, protective men took over the televisions? Remember those old TV Westerns where the men were nothing but equipped with swords, guns and horses? A majority of the population surely does. Television has been around for over a century, and it certainly is no mystery that it has changed drastically over time. The traditional American family has been portrayed in television for decades, and in many different ways. However, the view of the standard family has been altered significantly through the media within the last twenty years or so. One main type of role in television in particular that has evolved into something different …show more content…
is the role of men. What has happened to all of the men and masculinity? The portrayal of fathers, boyfriends, brothers, or any other type of male character, has been modified so much that it has offended some people. Over the years, the masculinity portrayed on television has diminished a great amount. In the 50s, families portrayed on television were very structured.
Mothers were responsible for cooking and cleaning and staying at home while the fathers were in charge of the household. While this is still the case today, it has been modernized. As opposed to the 50s, men are less polite and tend to have a more crude style humor. Back then, men were more strict and uptight, making their rules clear in the household. Today, men are more flexible and portrayed as “.” For example, “men are constantly shown in a negative light. You can’t expect boys to participate in domestic life if they are not made welcome” (Kean). This is quite true, and a stellar example of a man being portrayed as crude would be Peter Griffin from Family Guy. Some other examples that Kean states are “…from the character of the feckless father Frank in Shameless to Ben, the plain stupid dentist dad in My Family and even Pete Brockman, the ineffectual man of the house in Outnumbered” (Kean). Men used to be displayed onscreen as strong, independent, and responsible. Today it seems that they are portrayed the exact opposite …show more content…
way. Let us take Leave it to Beaver for example. In that show, the father was played as somebody who was both strict and caring. He was a role model to his children and was loyal to his wife. He was a fatherly figure and was a character worth praising. Today, men are seen on television cheating on their wives and/or letting their children do whatever they want, while the mother is disciplining the husband and begging him to help out more. Men today are often looked at as sometimes appearing dumb or careless whereas in the 50s and 60s men were shown as extremely intelligent and handy. The second wave of feminism in the 60s and 70s is what really caused the depiction of men to change, resulting in women being shown having more power. Women were tired of being controlled by men. In an article about the changing roles of TV dads, Jenna Goudreau writes “as feminism built, moms began overshadowing TV dads, who played the part of the well-meaning idiot” (Goudreau, Forbes). Because of this, men began losing their original masculinity. They were no longer illustrated as “man of the house.” Some men have become insulted as a result of their representations in the media. They are often seen as shallow and are claimed to only go after women for their good looks. It is a huge insult to the male gender. Basically it has gone from men being the man of the house and having the power to do anything, to the men being the ones that CANNOT do anything without a woman. Gondreau adds that “on ABC’s Modern Family we get one couple where dad’s a doofus and mom’s in charge, another where dad’s a curmudgeonly doofus and mom’s a well-meaning bimbo and even given a couple with two dads they’re both caricatures” (Goudreau, Forbes). In the 1950s, mothers were usually never out of the house while the men were constantly out working. Nowadays, moms live very similarly to men on television. They are normally in charge for taking their children out while the father is at work, and sometimes, of course, a mother works just as much as the father. Portrayals of men in the media are not only associated with fathers, but of any male figure- even real life people in reality shows. Jersey Shore is the perfect example of men on reality television programs. Obviously, the way men dress is exceedingly different to the attire they wore in the 1950s. Men were very rarely seen wearing earrings in the 1950s compared to now. Fake tans, “guidos,” etc., have come the new style for many men. Not only did the look of the standard man change, but the attitude towards women that many of them bring along did too. In the article Compulsory Masculinity on the Jersey Shore, writer Amanda Ann Klein focused specifically of the males on that show. She said “since adherence to these traditional gender roles is central to the identities of the Jersey Shore cast, it is not surprising that the men are dedicated to objectifying and humiliating women” (Klein). Men used to be more respectful to their women decades ago. Now it is as if they have apparently become weak and artificial. It is always a wonderful idea to look good for certain occasions, even for men, but the fact that the media is demonstrating men as acting narcissistic and acting like all they care about is looking “tough”, is very unfortunate. On the Jersey shore “men must be tanned, muscular, sexually voracious, and quick to throw a punch…” (Klein). Real men are dedicated to hard work and not as much to their outer appearance. While men have a competitive instinct, they should not be competing for another woman or for looking attractive., for that surely is not the way a traditional man would act. Men are supposed to be protective and always there for you. Sadly, times have changed and men are very rarely like this according to television; a lot of them are cowards. One thing that did not change, is the fact that men are not expected to cry. It was like this back then and still remains so today. Men are still expected to be brave and vigorous, despite what they are going through. Back in the 50s was a simpler time for television. There was less drama and lessons were often learned after watching shows. As stated previously, men in this era were depicted as loving fathers who often had good morals and helped their children or if not fathers, as strong independent men. In one article by editor Eleanor Barkhorn called “’Where are Andy Griffiths?’: On Pop Culture’s Dearth of Admirable Men,” she explains that men are no longer illustrated on television as “masculine.” Today, men are playing the roles as “generally loving bumbling idiots” (Barkhorn). It really is rare to find decently played men today in society. A few satisfactory examples of masculine men on television are Ozzie Nelson from Ozzie and Harriet, Jim Anderson from Father Knows Best, Bentley Gregg from Bachelor Father, and Ward Cleaver from Leave to Beaver (like mentioned earlier). They were all in charge of disciplining the children, working 9-to-5, bringing home the food, and getting involved in their children’s’ lives. Some poor examples of men on television are Cliff Huxtable from The Cosby Show, Homer Simpson from the Simpsons, Ray Ramone in Everybody Loves Raymond, and Al Bundy from Married With Children.
Even though the Simpsons is a cartoon, it is still depicted a family- but a somewhat dysfunctional family. Homer Simpson is portrayed as an idiot. Many fathers shown on TV are now sharing the same roles as mothers. They are staying home and taking care of their children and sometimes they even cook. It is very different now because fathers are now stereotypically represented as “easy-going” whereas in the 1950s they were sterner. Many people agree that “the portrayals of men have gone downhill in the past half-century…” (Barkhorn). Not only are men portrayed as stupid, but also some are made out to be sexist. Many of them are shown degrading women, which is not how they acted long ago. In the 1950s-60s, men were gentlemen. Men are also not as brave as they were 50 years ago. In the old black and white films, men were seen with a gun in their hands when trouble was just around the corner. Today, it is not as common to see a man holding a rifle ready to protect his family. People are beginning to have a new outlook on fathers: “With cutting edge shows and reality television, we’re starting to get a more realistic view of fatherhood,” celebrity dad, Dean McDermott explains to Forbes Magazine. Today, there are many men on television seen drinking- but not drinking like they did 50 years ago- drinking to get drunk.
“Homer Simpson (Doh!) was more often seen drinking, belching and tripping up rather than doing any real parenting” (Goudreau, Forbes). In comedies like the Simpsons, men are exaggeratedly portrayed- even more so in cartoons. But comedies in the 1950s even had more masculine males onscreen, despite the fact that life was overemphasized. Of course, there are still television shows in this century that have a myriad of male characters that portray the masculine features that we know and love. Typically, they are found in more serious shows such as dramas or mysteries. And yes, in the 50s there were even men who were displayed as idiots like they are today in most cases- a great example of this being The Three
Stooges. Men are feelings powerless these days and it is nothing like it ever was. Now there are stay at home dads who cook, clean, and carpool, just like the father Joel Graham on the family drama Parenthood. This is the perfect scenario that proves that stereotypes have changed. Even on shows like Sixteen and Pregnant, and Teen Mom, it shows that many males take on the role of mothers while the teenage mothers go to school, and the fathers stay at home to watch the child. Another example is a newer show called Baby Daddy. In this comedic television show, a man named Ben takes on the role of a father by the help of his mother, brother, and two friends, when his ex-girlfriend leaves their baby on his front doorstep. Similar to this storyline, in the 1980s, when the stereotypes of men began to decline, Full House, the family-friendly comedy became a hit. Danny Tanner, who was played by Bob Saget, was a single father who, after his wife Pam died, raised three girls with the help of his brother-in-law, Jesse, and his best friend, Joey. Fortunately, Danny Tanner was characterized as a very nurturing man who brought back the famous fatherly characteristics from the 1950s. The difference was that the whole outlook of how a man should act contradicted to the 1950s because instead of the woman cooking and cleaning, the father did. And of course in this generation, the acceptance of homosexuality played a major role on television. In the article, “The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father,” on the American Psychological Association website, the commentary discusses all of the different ways men are depicted in society, exclusively fathers. In the 50s, there is absolutely no way a gay character would be allowed for portrayal on television because that was the way people were brought up in that time period. Not that homosexual men are not considered “real men,” because every man should be considered equal…but it certainly is the way that men in the 50s as opposed to the 2000s would view it; they would claim that homosexuality is not masculine. “As more and more gay men are able to live their lives openly and to establish long-term, supportive and loving relationships, like heterosexual couples, they are beginning to start families” (The Changing Role of the Modern Day Family), the article states. To narrow it down, the portrayal of men over the decades has changed dramatically. From stay at home moms to stay at home dads, good moral advice from fathers to sons to fools of fathers who are nothing but couch potatoes; from brave, protective men to wimpy, lazy boys- it sure is evident that the average man has changed. Not only is it on fictional television series, but on reality television shows. What happened to men who supported their wives and did not leave them for another woman? What happened to men who respected their women and did not belittle them by thinking they are the better gender? Why are men known to be airheaded human beings-why are they not demonstrated as role models anymore? Not all changes are negative. As mentioned prior, there are many positive aspects to the role of men in modern day society. More acceptances are present- men do not have to feel shame being gay or bisexual. They will not be mocked as much if they are stay at home fathers who mirror the way mothers would normally live. Despite sexual orientation, men should maintain the same regarded qualities that they always have: protective and strong and reverent. Certain ways we view men have turned out very positively but sadly, too many depictions are pessimistic and make out men to be something they are not. Men deserve to have better titles and to be looked at with dignity, not disgust.
Works Cited
1- Kean, Danuta. "Why DOES TV Love to Portray Men as Idle, Feckless Idiots?" Mail Online. N.p., 28 June 2010. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. .
2- Johnson, Nicole. "The Depressing Depiction of Men in the Media." The Good Men Project. GoodMenProject.com, 13 Dec. 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
3- Goudreau, Jenna. "The Changing Roles Of TV Dads." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 June 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
4- Klein, Amanda A. "Compulsory Masculinity on The Jersey Shore." Antenna RSS. N.p., 26 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
5- Barkhorn, Eleanor. " 'Where Are the Andy Griffiths? ': On Pop Culture 's Dearth of Admirable Men." The Atlantic. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
6- "The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father." The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father. American Psychological Association, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. .