Toxic Masculinity Presentation
What is Toxic Masculinity?
Toxic masculinity is defined as the pressure to adhere and conform to socially traditional regressive traits, associated with manhood. The stigmatisation of men’s emotions and the expectations of how men should behave in family, work, socially and culturally has driven to toxic masculinity[i].While some traits may be harmless, there are a set type of characteristics which legitimises behaviour that is misogynistic, abusive and belittling. These traits are associated with being ‘tough’ and ‘manly’.
Theories of Toxic Masculinity
R.W Connell
R.W. Connell’s theory toxic masculinity explains that masculinity is divided into four types[ii].
- Hegemony,
- Subordination
- Complicity
- Marginalisation
Raewayn Connell is an Australian Sociologist at the University of Sydney.
There are different theories discussed in relation to masculinity. This model discusses relationships among males related to masculinity by dividing them into three categories. She argued that toxic masculinity was widely based on gender politics. By including some, excluding others and using means of intimidation in relation to alliance, dominance and subordination. Heterogeneous masculinity this is based on the idea of toughness of man and self-reliance, this is a very traditional view. Subordination is the opposite to these traditional beliefs and defines as men being over emotion and showed deemed ‘unmanly’ characteristics. Complicit masculinity fits with hegemonic masculinity in terms of some of the traits however not all fit into all the gender norms however do not challenge them and still enjoy most of the benefits men enjoy in society. Marginalised masculinity means they cannot access hegemonic masculinity due to race or other different factors.
Western Movies and the Myth
The Searchers (1956)
Western Movies like The Searchers and Rio Bravo portrays stereotypical hegemonic masculinity traits and feeds into the Wild West toxic masculinity complex and the high expectations for men. This romanticized myth[iii] of the cowboy is highly over exaggerated with the reality of the being herd riders not tough gun slingers[iv]. Trist that makeup the American identity and legacy are centred around a false myth of independence, leadership, courage and assertiveness[v].
Marlboro Advert
Chaps by Ralph Lauren and the use of the Marlboro Man for Marlboro cigarettes also uses the myth of the Wild West and pressure on men to conform with the expectations of masculinity to sell their products. The brand that first originated as a women’s cigarette image was drastically changed after the use of the cowboy[vi].
Pornography and its Effects
Porn has become more mainstream, accessible and harder to regulate with the creation of the internet. Though depictions of sexual acts have always existed throughout history and across cultures, one of the main differences seen within porn is that the acts shown, often degrade women[vii].
Pornhub Statistics (2019)
According to PornHub (one of the biggest platforms used to access porn) in 2019 the country which accessed its site the most was the United States, with New York City ranking the highest city in the world for logging into the site daily[viii]. As porn more easily accessible it stops becoming a matter of if, but when, young boys will see it, with the age of boys accessing porn becoming younger. 22% of those accessing porn are under 18, 1 in 10 are under the age of 10[ix].
Porn creates a fantasy world which develops an expectation in heterosexual relationships on what happens during sex, and how the male acts towards their female partner[x]. Women are often degraded; and are shown to always be ready and willing to have sex at any time, this creates the dangerous illusion that women are either playing a game to tease men or just need a little convincing[xi]. Not only women but girls too, this results in an over sexualisation of stereotypical characteristics of a child [xii] .
Online Porn Consumption (2016)
How men and women are portrayed and defined within pornography causes a crisis of gender identity. Often in professional porn the lead man is shown to have hegemonic masculinity especially the characteristic of being the man in control. Men feel this loss of control in everyday life and therefore seek to find the control that is shown in the fantasy that porn creates, that normalises and even encourages hegemonic masculinity[xiii]. Additionally, those watching porn train their body to have a response to what they see on a screen. Therefore, often when faced with a real-life partner, men struggle to be aroused both mentally and physically in the same way as watching porn further creating a crisis as they feel ashamed, this often cause men to lean more heavily into other highly masculine traits [xiv].
More stats about PornHub and 2019 in review.
Mass Shootings
Mass shootings are but a fraction of the violence inflicted by guns in America, yet it has increased immensely over the last few years. This kind of crime is significantly more likely to be committed by men, with scholars and media agree that such actions often reflect on the toxic masculinity amongst men today.
As right-wing populism and republican politics increase, conservative ideas regarding societal hierarchies such as those often referred to in the immediate post-war world are making its way back into the American consciousness. Does “Make America Great Again” refer to a world in which women shall be subservient to a man and the ideal man shall show nothing but brute strength without ever conveying emotions?[xv] Examples put forth by national leaders, athletes and media[xvi] enforce the notion that half of the population should be considered an “other”.
Gun Violence Archives (2020)
Pictures from www.GunViolenceArchive.Org,[xvii] offer statistics and index of every reported shooting—more information about the nature of the crime, the perpetrator and the victims.
Self-proclaimed Incels (involuntary celibate) have gained interest in the social consciousness after several shooters have proclaimed themselves to belong to this community. Forums in which the perpetrators who identify as incels are often open for public access. Forums such 4chan and Reddit can with a little digging uncover chatrooms that host virtual watering holes for these socially inept and vengeful men. Nevertheless, this aggression is built on a lack of compassion from one’s surroundings, and thus without a mutual respect, young men tend to seek groups which accept them through violence and welcomes the aggression.
Toxic Masculinities in Minorities
The response of racism, within black men is to aspire to obtain the things that the white powers took from them, through slavery, segregation and being systematically disadvantage by society and higher powers. The idea that these missing masculinities then become the most important thing to them, and as a result lead to stress[xviii]. This has resulted in a warped ideology of masculinity for black men. Gang culture has evolved into a subculture amongst the black community, leaving the community stuck in generations of poverty, illiteracy and inferiority due to the constraints that society has pushed on them. This ideology is passed down and many young black boys aspire to obtain these toxic masculinities. [xix]
A trait that can be seen in both black and white men, though more notably in black men, is how they are to supress emotions and are not taught how to manage their feelings. This is because, showing emotions is deemed vulnerable and as such over the centuries, the black man has tried to remain strong, emotionless and controlled. Femininity amongst black men is also rarely accepted, emotions are believed to be feminine. Boys are told early on in their life not to cry or that they need to act like a man. This harmful message is drilled into these young black boys and they grow up believing that is the only way of life. It has also been highlighted that both the Caucasian and African American men have similar views in regard to commitment to family[xx]. This belief can be particularly harmful, when a father cannot provide for his family.
Hong Kong vs Vogue Magazine
Racial stereotypes are replicated through TV, film and media often honing in on the aggressive traits of African American males. On the Cover of Vogue, LeBron James was posed similarly to King Kong clutching a supermodel in his arms highlighting animalistic characteristics, this evidently shows him as being a beast. Suggesting his race has aided his success through emphasis on stereotypes.
Bibliography
[i] Sculos, Bryant W. “Who’s Afraid of ‘Toxic Masculinity’?.” Class, Race and Corporate Power 5, no. 3 (2017): 6.
[ii] Connell, Robert William. Masculinities. Polity, 2005.
[iii] Peek, Wendy Chapman. “The Romance of Competence: Rethinking Masculinity in the Western.” Journal of Popular Film and Television 30, no. 4 (2003): 206-219.
[iv] Eric Hobsbawm, ‘The Myth of the Cowboy’ The Guardian 20 March 2013
[v] IMDB, The Searchers (1986) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049730/
[vi] Aria Bendex, Vintage Ads Show the Legacy of the Marlboro Man. The Brand First Became Popular of a Women’s Cigarette. (2020) https://www.businessinsider.com/marlboro-man-cigarette-brand-history-vintage-ads-2020-2?r=US&IR=T
[vii] Robert Jensen Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity (South End Press,2007) p.16.
[viii] Review, The. 2020. “The 2019 Year in Review – Pornhub Insights”, Pornhub.com <https://www.pornhub.com/insights/2019-year-in-review> [accessed 31 March 2020]
[ix] MUREȘAN, Răzvan. 2020. “One in 10 visitors of porn sites is under 10 years old”, bitdefender <https://hotforsecurity.bitdefender.com/blog/one-in-10-visitors-of-porn-sites-is-under-10-years-old-16675.html> [accessed 31 March 2020]
[x] Albury Kath Porn Studies, 1 (2014) Porn and sex education, porn as sex education p.p172-181
[xi] Cook, Ian, ‘Western Heterosexual Masculinity, Anxiety, and Web Porn’, The Journal of Men’s Studies, 14 (2005), 47–63
[xii] Wilken, Linda Cheryl, ‘Porn Identity: The Sexualisation and Objectification of Young Girls’ (University of Sydney, 2015)pp.42-51
[xiii] Garlick, Steve, ‘Taking Control of Sex?: Hegemonic Masculinity, Technology, and Internet Pornography’, Men and Masculinities, 12 (2010), 597–614
[xiv] Zimbardo, Philip G, and Nikita D Coulombe. 2016. Man disconnected (Rider), pp. 27-32
[xv] Lisa Wade, “CONFRONTING MANHOOD AFTER TRUMP”, in Antidemocracy In America (Columbia University Press, 2020), pp. 19-24.
[xvi] Ross Douthat, “Opinion | The Redistribution Of Sex”, Nytimes.Com, 2018 <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/opinion/incels-sex-robots-redistribution.html> [Accessed 5 April 2020].
[xvii] “Past Summary Ledgers | Gun Violence Archive”, Gunviolencearchive.Org, 2020 <https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls> [Accessed 1 April 2020].
[xviii] 2020. I Am A Man. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOQZqCGHctE> [Accessed 28 March 2020].
[xix] 2020. I Am A Man. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOQZqCGHctE> [Accessed 28 March 2020].
[xx] Griffin, D., Brinkley-Rubinstein, L., Bruce, M., Thorpe, R. and Metzl,, J., 2016. The Interdependence Of African American Men’s Definitions Of Manhood And Health. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4547385/pdf/nihms-704666.pdf> [Accessed 28 March 2020].
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