Running head: THE EFFECT OF MASCULINITY

The Effect of Masculinity in Pop Culture

Ivan Lopez
The University of Texas at El Paso

THE EFFECT OF MASCULINITY

Abstract
The internal conflict within men concerning their masculinity is rarely talked about. In
our society, the feminine roles are more commonly talked about and there are many different
views but when it comes to masculine roles there is usually just one stereotype that the media
and pop culture tends to present. Men often feel ashamed or embarrassed to convey emotion in
the way that women do, due to the hyper masculine perception that todays media, especially in

the United States presents. Bottling up emotions can cause men and boys to lash out and express
themselves in other ways like bullying, domestic violence, or even murder. This paper will
analyze what effect, if any; the media really has on the male psyche.

THE EFFECT OF MASCULINITY

What Does It Mean To Be Masculine?
Simply put, masculinity can be defined as the qualities and traits associated with a man.
However, various media outlets have take this definition and created a stereotype of what it
means to be a man or manly. Although there may seem to have been some progress in the
portrayal of men in recent films, Shira Tarrant states in her article Guy Trouble It might seem
like we're getting variety, that we're starting to see fresh models of masculinity. But most of
these pop-culture options are both limiting and more than mildly confusing. They're retreads of

the Man Boxa place that ties masculinity to men, and traps guys in roles as tough, detached, or
on the make. Basically, there's not a lot that's new about these pop-culture stereotypes.
(Tarrant, 2009) The masculinity equals violence equation can be seen every time the television is
turned on; you can see storylines about masculine dominance. Although there have been some
strides in recent film and television shows, most of the equation remains the same. An article
from the Daily Utah Chronicle by Keogh (2013), states, Masculinity is a term layered with
meaning and expectations a term that has remained a symbol of what a man should be, rather
than a description of how some men can be. The media should not dictate the definition of
masculinity however in this day and age it seems to do so with the help of the various media
outlets available. Now more than ever men are susceptible to the medias perception of
masculinity.
The Effect on The Perception of Masculinity
Men are taught from a very young age that they
have to live within this Man Box. As seen in figure 1,
you can see the characteristics of this box. Men are

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described as strong, tough, in control, powerful and intimidating. If someone doesnt fit the mold
of this Man Box they are considered outsiders and called derogatory terms such as was weak,
chump, and fag. Living within the stereotypes of the Man Box, can have a great effect on the
males state of mind. Feeling as though they have to prove to the world that they are manly and
powerful and bottling up emotions can make men more susceptible to violence. There was a
study conducted by Poteat, Kimmel, & Wilchins (2011). The research studies conducted under
this article dictated the analysis of two elements; the first being that of masculine aggression and
homophobic attitudes and the second element is how these behaviors are promoted and found
mainly in adolescent males. The study found that violence and bullying characteristics in male
teenagers were most commonly promoted through exposure to social expectations. (Poteat,
Kimmel, & Wilchins, 2011) . The stress of being masculine can also have a physical effect on
men and boys. In an article by Mussap (2008) the research conducted emphasized the
relationship that men had with their own body image. It was exposed how men defined their
body figure expectations based on gender roles, making it more common for them to establish
strict goals on themselves aimed towards fitness; that which was later associated with a concern
on the struggle between masculinity and emotion. The present study was conducted to
investigate the relationship between gender role stress and body change. The results confirmed
that stress associated with con- forming to the masculine gender role is related to a desire for
greater muscularity and, to a lesser extent, a desire for less body adiposity. One interpretation of
these relation- ships is that men who are challenged by the demands and constraints of the
masculine gender role are more likely to pursue physical characteristics associated with
maleness, such as leanness and muscularity. (Mussap, 2008)

THE EFFECT OF MASCULINITY

Violence and Masculinity

In the eye of the media and pop culture, violence and masculinity go hand in hand.
In Dr. No, released in 1962, the gun that Bob Simmons used was a M1911A1 with an 8-inch
barrel. The Smith and Wesson 29 model used in Dirty Harry is an approximate 9-inch barrel. In
First Blood, the famous character Rambo would use M60 machine gun as his weapon of choice.
This growth in gun size does much to perpetuate a violent component to the notion of
masculinity. It has perhaps even contributed to the violent mass shootings, which are marks of
our generation. In interviews with the male shooters, those who didnt have a beneficial
experience with their peers said that the reason behind their murders was that they werent
respected as they should have been, and felt they would earn the respect they deserved and
show the bullies what they had coming. (Keogh 2013) While the media is not 100% to blame
for this idea of masculinity, it definitely serves as an enabler showing that this kind of behavior is
okay and acceptable for men and boys. Men and boys are expected to be tough and act a certain
way. At what point though is it too much? In a study by Watson (2007) concerning the
connection of masculinity and school violence, she shows a shocking number of school
shootings all involving adolescent boys. Though few people seemed to have noticed it, a very
clear and frightening pattern has emerged among the incidents of violence taking place in
Americas schools. The pattern is so disturbing that it demands serious explanation and intensive
study. The startling commonality among all of these senseless and tragic incidents of school
violence is that each and every one was perpetrated by one or more boys. (Watson 2007)
Bottling up emotions along with the help of the media can cause boys to lash out in a negative
way.

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These issues are often ignored because it has become part of the social norm that
men are supposed to act a certain way without really taking an in-depth look at why or the effect
that is stereotype of masculinity might have. The research provided showed the effect that the
media has had on the portrayal of masculinity as well as the effect that his portrayal has had on
men of all ages.

THE EFFECT OF MASCULINITY

References
Keogh, L. (2013, March 7). Masculinity wrongly defined by media. The Daily Utah Chronicle.
Retrieved October 12, 2014, from
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/2013/03/07/masculinity-wrongly-defined-by-media/
Mussap, A. J. (2008). Masculine gender role stress and the pursuit of muscularity. International
Journal of Men's Health, 7(1), 72-89. doi:10.3149/jmh.0701.72
Poteat, V., Kimmel, M. S., & Wilchins, R. (2011). The moderating effects of support for
violence beliefs on masculine norms, aggression, and homophobic behavior during
adolescence. Journal of research on adolescence (Wiley-Blackwell), 21(2), 434-447.
doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00682.

Tarrant, S. (2009). Guy trouble bitch magazine: Feminist Response To Pop Culture, (43), 46-51.
[The Man Box]. Retrieved October 24, 2014, (http://www.wgac.colostate.edu/men-andmasculinities)
Watson, S. (2007). Boys, masculinity and school violence: reaping what we sow. Gender &
Education, 19(6), 729-737. doi:10.1080/09540250701650672