Masculinity

The concept of masculinity is an interesting one.  At first glance it can look so natural for us to pin certain traits to the male sex;  of course men are aggressive, of course men are tough, of course men are competitive, of course men are stoic, they are men after all. 

These personality traits that we have been socialized to believe are natural for males to have are what make up 'masculinity'.  Because masculinity is a social construction you can find different opinions on what makes someone masculine depending on where you are or what social group you are asking.  However, in mainstream, North American culture, the idea of masculinity can be easily found by examining popular culture, literature, advertising and by just watching the way males interaction with and are perceived by other males or females.

In popular culture, dating from back in the late 1930s (and further), in comic books, to the popular television shows of today we can see the concept of masculinity.  In the age of comic books and superheroes in the late 1930s the idea of a masculine man is quite evident.  He his brave, he is strong, he is able to defeat supervillians, he is aggressive and competitive, he is smart and calculating and he always gets the lady.  This can be seen quite easily in characters such as Batman and Spiderman.  These men were suppose to be the best of all men.  They were idols for their young readers to emulate, and those readers were most often boys.  Though the concept of masculinity has changed a little over the decades, when one examines television shows today one can see a similar portrayal of 'manliness'.  Wrestling shows are common, one can hardly flip through channels without seeing promotions for the shows if not the shows themselves.  These emphasize the fact that men should be strong.  They should be tough and aggressive and able to defeat 'supervillians' just like the superheroes of the past.  When one watches Jersey Shores one can see that men are suppose to be 'buff' and confident (and perhaps more than a little cocky if the idea of masculinity is to be solely based of the show) as well.

In advertisement the men are almost always shown with stoic faces, when it comes to fashion-based advertisement.  They may have feelings, but as men, they are to keep those feelings to themselves.  In advertisements of the past it was also evident that men were the breadwinners.  Ads, even those that were selling typically 'female' products would often market themselves to men, such as the ad from 1961 selling a Kenwood Chef Mixer, with the copy "I'm giving my wife a Kenwood Chef". (The ad can be found here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-496827/The-outrageously-politically-incorrect-adverts-time-equality-forgot.html)

In literature it is often the men portrayed at the ones who have to take on hard tasks to save the world (or solved the problems).  They, like superheroes, are responsible for protecting everyone, as well as any unfortunate women who get mixed up in the action.  This can be seen in many pieces of literature including the Epic of Gilgamesh, and The Lord of the Rings.

The concept of masculinity can also be seen in 1984.  While Winston may not be the most stereotypical male in his portrayal of masculinity he does have some of the traits.  He is willing, even if he is scared, to go against Big Brother and pursue not only a relationship with Julia but also attempts to become a part of the Brotherhood.  He knows that this means almost certain death for him but he has the courage to face his fears and do it anyways.

Perhaps a more stereotypical man in 1984 however is Mr. Parsons.  He demonstrates many of the aspects that our society considers masculine and is probably considered to be the nearly perfect exam of masculinity to Ingsoc and Big Brother.  He supports his wife and two children, being the breadwinner for his family.  He is excellent at repairing things, as Mrs. Parsons lets Winston know, and is very good with his hands. He is very active, being the head of the Sports Committee and involved in any other committee that had to do with physical activity.

Everywhere you look you can see different examples of what it means to be masculine, and who should be masculine.  Be it in pop culture, literature, movies, ads, or just the ways people act.