Tough Guise

Tough Guise What does it mean to be a man in society? Jackson Katz in the documentary “Tough Guise” argues that social media puts a lot of pressure on how men should look and act. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger is possibly one of the most popular role models for young boys and men today. Therefore when our society thinks of the ultimate “many man” the first thing that comes to mind is strong, aggressive, tall, handsome, courageous, rough, tough, emotionless, insensitive, fearless and practical. Men should not be soft, submissive or weak. If a man would show weakness in any way, there would be much criticism to follow. People fail to realize how their cultural expectations can be harmful to boys, men, women, and society as a whole. Our culture needs to be more excepting of what it “truly” means to be a man. Gender roles are taught to boys from the very day they are born. Parents treat sons and daughters differently. Little boys are taught to be tough. When little boy’s cry their parents might respond by telling him to grow up, and be a tough. However if a little girl did the same thing she would most likely receive more sympathy from her parents. A good example of this is in athletics. It is acceptable for a female athlete to cry when an injury takes place. But male athletes are usually made fun of for being “weak” or “sissies.” These expectations can be harmful to boys and men. According to Dennis Thompson, some studies show men and women share more emotional similarities than differences. When men are forced to hold in their emotions, they are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, and participate in riskier behaviors such as smoking or drinking. ("Gender Differences in Emotional Health." EverydayHealth.com. N.p., n.d. Web. ) Boys and men should be allowed to grow up with non-stereotypical responses to their true emotional needs. Due to this tough guise persona, women suffer too. In the documentary “Tough Guise” Jackson Katz talks about the