Film Review: Tough Guys

Film Review: Tough Guys

            Tough Guys is a film describing the way society perceives masculinity. Throughout the film images like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rock Balboa display this Hegemonic Masculine Hero that men look to as ideal man. Tough Guys although very one sided, backed up all of the arguments with great detail. I personally believe that there are some major flaws on the information and images the media feed society.

            “Tough Guys” emphasized that masculinity is directly related to violence. The film describes that most violent offenders are male. So the film boils down to explaining that there is something wrong with the way masculinity is determined. This misinterpretation society has on masculinity has produced violent behavior among males. It is not only proven to affect adult males but these images are also affecting our youth. A perfect example of how violence is affecting even the youth, take a look at what a few teenagers were capable of in this video. (Paradise Lost).http://youtu.be/Tfj_bVIwyeA

            Like I argue in most of my writings context is everything. I do believe violence is affecting male culture. So the most important question how do we as a society fix it? In order to fix it the first thing that would have to be accomplished is to abolish masculinity as it stands today. If I were to put together a study I would want to know how society would react to such an occurrence. Throughout American history change has constantly occurred. One can argue that the ideals of masculinity are too embedded into our culture. This argument tends to lead to the ideas that masculinity is here to stay just the way it is. On the other side one could argue that culture constantly changes and is receptive to change.

            I personally believe that masculinity is here to stay just the way it is. The truth is Violence and hegemonic hero’s sell. At the end of the day, businesses and corporations are going to market products or ideals that sell because there is just simply more money to be made. Money plays a huge role on the images being presented in culture. Another major flaw is the stigmatization that is put on all males in society. If you do not meet to the standards of masculinity ridicule and stigmatization occur fueling this vicious cycle of masculinity.

“Tough Guys” also describes how masculine men can only be heterosexual. A common word used to describe someone to having very little masculinity is to call that person gay. That alone shows how our culture constructed a heterosexual model of masculinity. This relates to the course because all that do not follow the heterosexual model of masculinity are shamed in society. I hate to bring it up again but the Shaming Theory perfectly describes how the behavior continues. John describes that “communitarian society’s individuals are densely enmeshed in interdependence” (Braithwaite 33). With the pressure of society telling you this is the way it should be it is hard to individuals to step out of the given norm.

Work Cited:

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills Trailer. 2009. YouTube Web.

4 Mar 2012: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfj_bVIwyeA&feature=player_embedded>.

Braithwaite, John. Readings in Deviant Behavior. 6th. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.

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