The "Manly" Way

Term Paper # 102873

Gender and Sexuality > Gender Studies

The "Manly" Way

An overview of masculinity stereotypes in film.

1,424 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how men and woman are stereotyped to play a specific role in the community, family and even the work force and how men are stereotyped to be aggressive and play a more charging/leading role in the community, "the worker" in the family and the boss in the job departments. In particular, the paper looks at how films like "Gridiron Gang" (2006) and other popular cultural films reflect the kind of stereotype of masculinity that is found all over in our society. At the same time while the films reflect the stereotype they also reinforce it by teaching it as being "common" to the viewers.

From the Paper:

"A child is born; he quickly has his room painted a "manly" color and gives things such as toy cars, trucks, and airplanes to play with. Another child is born; she is quickly given a "womanly" colored room and receives Barbie's, dolls, and stuffed animals to play with. The male child is taught to grow up being aggressive, strong, emotionally un-weakened, and head of the family. On the other hand the woman child is taught to be passive, emotional, a listener, and a follower of her future husband. Parents are the creators of the masculine trait that will pertain in the children. As children grow up their parents become less and less involved in teaching them masculinity and societal roles and peers become a bigger part of that. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. America on Film. Massachusetts: Blackwell, 2004. 249-270.
Mintz, Steven. "The Last Taboo." Class. 05 June 2004. 22 Mar. 2008 <http://www.class.uh.edu/mintz/places/film-6b_masculinity.html>
Gridiron Gang. Dir. Phil Joanou. Perf. Dwayne Johnson, Xzibit. DVD. Columbia Pictures, 2006.
Thompson, Cooper. "A New Vision of Masculinity". Multicultural Film: An Anthology. Maricarmen Martinez, Timothy J. Bengford, and Jessica Lowe. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2008. 104-106.
Trigiani, Kathleen. "Masculinity-Femininity: Society's Difference Dividend." Out of the Cave. 6 May 1999. 17 Mar. 2008 <http://web2.iadfw.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/mf.html>.