Masculinity is more than a mask...

I came across an article today titled "Masculinity Is More Than a Mask." The article is a sort of reaction to the film that was watched in class "The Mask You Live In." I felt that this film was very educational and enlightening as it revealed to me how many boys and men feel they must have or create this mask to hide their emotions because they fear they may be seen as too "feminine." The film also displayed the concept of the man box that many men face. In the article that I found, Christina Hoff Sommers appreciates that the film advocates for boys and their struggles with masculinity, but feels that the film is "less concerned with helping boys than with re-engineering their masculinity according to specifications from some out-of-date gender-studies textbook." Sommers then lists a few suggestions for the film to consider: (1) Recognize that masculinity is more than a "mask," (2) appreciate the difference between healthy and pathological masculinity, (3) acknowledge the virtue of male reserve, (4) make clear that most boys are psychologically sound and resilient, (5) include specific ideas on how to help boys with depression or thoughts of suicide. These suggestions are important for Sommers as she feels that the film can portray the negative ideology that males-are-toxic. If you would like to have more detail on Sommers suggestions, I have linked the article below.

http://time.com/2974/masculinity-is-more-than-a-mask/