Archive for June, 2002

Thank you all for your insightful comments on the linkages between media and violence in our society. While I don’t believe that it is the only cause for violence (yes, violence occurred long before movies or TV came around), I do believe that it can add to the misperceptions that people have and the relations between sex, violence, and current culture.

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Is anyone else distressed that a woman was burning a letter and caused the *worst* fire in Colorado history? Now, I understand being upset over a letter from an ex. I understand wanting to burn it. But she is a TRAINED professional. She knows how to make sure a fire is OUT before moving on. She made a horrendous mistake that many other people will also have to pay for (including us when all of those people make claims for their homes and property to their insurance companies).

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We went to a Renaissance Faire yesterday. It was the first time this group had decided to put it on in our area and it was fun. We laughed, had some great food, and asked them to please do it again next year. Heck…I might even buy a dress to fit the part. ;-)

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I know that during summer people tend to disappear from online communities. I’ve been in online communities since around ’92 and I’ve watched the ebb and flow of entries, connections, and social conversations. That doesn’t mean that I don’t miss people when they disappear. I understand but I miss them. There are a few around Xanga-land that I’m missing. Their daily words never fail to make me laugh or think.

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My honey and I went and saw two movies this weekend…The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Insomnia. Both VERY different and GREAT in their own ways. I recommend both wholeheartedly!

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No rain in sight, yet. We’re worried that if a fire starts here, it will make the Colorado fires look like small campfires. There is no green, none, anywhere to be found. It’s a bit scary, to be sure.

I want to take yesterday’s blog a bit further. The film, Tough Guise, is about the linkage between masculinity, media, and violence.

One statement that was made in the movie is that masculinity and violence have become norms in our society. Do you think this is true? Is it ok that violence is a norm? Shouldn’t we be outraged whem violence occurs?

One way that this statement was supported was by talking about different kinds of violence. Violence that is perpetrated by men is rarely discussed anymore in the media. Sure, we know a little about the male-instigated crimes. We hear that a rape was committed against a woman. We know that women are killed. Do you notice that the focus is put on the woman? When Loreena Bobbitt maimed her husband, it became top level news for weeks on end. In fact, it was in the news for months. However, when a man commits as heinous a crime (for instance, mutilating a woman’s breasts or vagina) we don’t hear the details nor do we even know his name most of the time. Is it ok for men to now commit these kinds of crimes? Are we numb to the fact because it occurs so often?

Another issue is that violence is sexualized in the media. We don’t realize what is going on until it’s actually shown. The sexual tension in movies is often escalated until it reaches a frenzied peak, until the movie has aroused boys and men to their highest arousal levels, and then violence occurs. Have you ever noticed this? Next time you go to a movie, watch how the violence occurs. For instance, in Psycho, we see a woman going through the motions of getting ready for a shower. Then, she drops her clothes and steps in, fully nude (of course…who takes showers with clothes on???) to take her shower. It is at that point, at the point of highest arousal, that the woman is killed. You can see the same kind of scenario in “slasher” films like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and others.

Is it ok to link sex with violence? Does this condone the violent sexual acts that are perpetrated against women (and even other men)? Are we, as a society, saying it’s ok to rape, abuse, kill?

In my class (Sociology of Gender) last night, we were treated to a thought-provoking, incredible movie, Tough Guise. If you are at all interested in gender inequalities or understanding gender socialization, this documentary is an interesting insight into the correlations between men, media, and violence and the escalation and progression of violence for men of our society.

This movie investigates the implications of how media portrayals of men have changed (from Humphrey Bogart as a “man’s man” to the Rambos and Terminators of the 80s and 90s) and how the images and words associated with being a “man” have been affected by those changes. Men, now, are only men if they are “strong,” “independent,” “tough,” and “aggressive.” Men who do not fit those stereotypes are put down as “wimps,” “wusses,” “fags,” “sissies,” and “girls.” By labeling men and boys and defining what “real men” are through more aggressive terms and by giving images of built up, hormone “idols” we have created a society that is geared towards the violent, aggressiveness that we witness daily.

This piece also delves into why young men (notoriously) are the ones that will carry guns and shoot up schools or why men perpetrate between 80-99% (depending on the crime) of all violent crimes (against women AND other men).

What I found most interesting, though, is that the commentator, Jackson Katz, who teaches non-violence courses, continued to speak about the image of what is masculine and/or feminine and what is a “real man” is defined by, mostly, older, white men who run the media industry. This does not take into account the racial diversity of our country nor does it assist in alleviating racial tensions when it comes to proving one’s manliness. In fact, this film reiterated the perpetuation of the myths of “‘hood” life and of gangsters in African American images, “martial arts” in Asian images, and “gang members” in Hispanic images which only go on to increase the images of violence and, in addition, promote the view that violence is the only way these segments of society can gain respect and/or security.

G.I. Joe is similar to Barbie in that this toy’s dimensions would make a man be inhuman. His head would be small compared to the overly-large body he has. We hear about Barbie being a harmful image to young girls about what image they should be attaining but we fail to realize that young boys are also fed these images through their toys and the games and shows they watch.

Some of the backlash of battling these perpetuated myths is that we are dealing with a status quo that has been in control for 100s of years. The fact that white, heterosexual men have ruled our governments, media, and society for 100s of years is not contested. The problems arise because there is an surge in trying to change the status quo (and has been since the 1960s) by differing groups (feminists, gay/lesbian/bisexual groups, racial equality groups, and student uprisings). What we find when there are uprisings are a surge in increasing conservatism that tries to lock down society and keep it status quo (i.e. going back to traditional standards – remember Quayle mocking single mothers and Murphy Brown?) and, in addition, an increase in more radical conservative groups (militia, Nazi, etc).

What Mr. Katz concluded was that we need to change the ways we portray men in the media. We need to have a more diverse media that will show different sides of gender roles and racial roles within our society. We need to tell our own boys that it’s ok to be who you are and not encourage them to be a macho myth. It’s also important to work towards more social equalities and make sure that young men understand it’s not ok to be abusive because someone (women, other men) is different (ala Andrew Dice Clay in his presentations calling women names and being cheered by mostly white men who thought that it was funny to call women names and degrade them).

This film is so extensive and a barrage of information is thrown at you in a short time. I think I could watch it again and still have a lot to talk about and think about. If you have the chance, I encourage you to take the time to see it. It is quite amazing.