My Mr. Wonderful
Blog #3: Manly Men
Summary: Both readings served as means for analyzing what a “real” man is, and how the media portrays masculinity in society. According to “The Televised Manhood Sports Formula” there are seven components used by televised sports announcers and proceeding commercials to portray masculinity to boys (ages 8-17 years): 1) White males 2) Women as sexy props or prizes for MEN’S successful sport performances/consumption choices 3) Aggressive winners 4) Humorous/sarcastic discussions of fights or near-fights 5) A sacrificial body 6) References to war, and 7) Risky behavior. These seven components of televised masculinity become conscious to the viewers of TSN Top 10 Creative Hockey Goals. In regards to ESPN’s writer LZ Granderson, it all depends on how you define “manly”. Granderson uses many examples to demonstrate both sides of the story, however, he truly hits home when he asks, “Is it not hypocritical of us to demand that athletes respect marriage vows and their families, but then not want those athletes to take time off during such an important time?”
Response: While reading both of this weeks readings, I found myself becoming more bitter towards our society’s outlook on masculinity. In my personal opinion, I believe that there should not be an ideal status of how “manly” a man should be. According to the readings, masculinity is a combination of physic/physical appearance and character. However, could there be more to the combination of masculinity, for instance intelligence? Furthermore, I greatly detest the use of a woman’s body as a “sexy prop”, let alone a prize. I mean, in a way, could that be seen as a form of prostitution or even sex trafficking?
However, I must ask: is the emphasis of masculinity in our society more than, less than, or equal to the the emphasis of femininity (not to be confused with beauty) in our society?