a blog created by and for UCF (University of Central Florida) Theories of Masculinity students to share experiences, resources/links, articles/reviews, to rouse discussion and incite action, and engage issues related to masculinity. you should participate, too. email moderator for permission at Leandra@ucf.edu.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Congratulations, Television! You Are Even Worse At Masculinity Than Femininity
Click the title for a link to a great NPR article on the ineffective representation of masculinity in television. It mainly critiques a new show, How to Be a Gentleman, that premieres on CBS tonight and literally is about one man training another to be a "real man". I can't think of anything more pertinent to this class!
I enjoyed reading the article. Thanks for posting. As of lately I have noticed the portrayal of men that aren't masculine as a source of comedy. For example iCarly and the representation of Freddy as a dorky sensitive boy. What is bad about this is that he usually gets bullied or made fun of by his friend Sam. In this same show Carly's older brother, Spencer, takes care of her and at times is shown to be the nurturer. Overall, though, his character is more defined by his clumsiness and childish behavior.
ReplyDeleteAs the author of the article mentions, "Where, on television, are the men who both like football and remember birthdays? Where are the men who can have a highly insightful drink-and-talk with friends? Where are the men who are great dads, great husbands, great boyfriends? Where are the men who are dedicated to important jobs? Where are the men who aren't seeking reassurance about what it means to be men? Where are, in short, all the men I rely on in my day-to-day life?"