No rest for the Masculine
This week in class we discussed the formation of hypermasculinity and the negative effects that has on body image of young men. Though we live in a heteropatriarchal society, it is important to admit that men can be objectified as well. Buzzfeed recently posted this tweet, which was quoted by Grey's Anatomy stars, Ellen Pompeo and Caterina Scorsone. From the article's headline, you immediately think you're going to see some young, v-shaped male actor who embodies the 'perfect' masculine look, as we described in class. Instead, the 17 photographs are of dads, either doing things for their children or with their children. The post is in response to Piers Morgans' tweet ridiculing a man for carrying his child in one of the harnesses. Chris Evans, a famous, attractive, and wealthy actor, was one of the many actors to respond. This thread is proof that in both media and life men are not expected to care or be close to their children, because it is "emasculating."
This reminds me of the viral Facebook post of a dad advocating for changing tables in the men's bathroom. His point was he had to do a wall squat in order to change his child, which he perceived as a form of discrimination. This hashtag shows men being emotionally involved parents in their children's lives. It rejects toxic masculinity by expanding the definition of manhood and the role of fathers.
ReplyDeleteI'm always entertained by these posts. It reminds me of this post I saw the other day, (https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/bosom-buddies-a-photo-history-of-male-affection/) in which old photos of men being affectionate toward one another are featured. However, on the Buzzfeed article, it says something about the state of the social effects and changes in the heteropatriarchy that photos they feature have to be hidden behind titles like "17 men showing the definition of masculinity."
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