http://griid.org/2013/02/12/normalizing-male-dominance-gender-representation-in-2012-films/
Every Friday my roommate and I host movie night at our apartment. Unconsciously, we have exhibited our gender identity. We have experienced gender differently and have an idea of what it means to be female or male. Every part of movie Friday reflects our personal beliefs of our roles. The boys have picked movies like the Dark Knight Rises and American Sniper (which the girls thoroughly enjoy as well). As they have been socially taught and encouraged by their parents throughout their lives that it is masculine to be aggressive and self-reliant. In both cases the men are heroes that are dependent upon themselves and kick but all while looking good. As tradition would predict they are successful and strong men who save the day and eliminate the bad guys. I can’t really blame them for looking to Bruce Wayne as a role model or manly goals… I mean he gets the ladies with ease, is a successful billionaire (sometimes), is strong, and has toys that blow things up. Moral of the story he embodies everything that our culture and most personal influences have deemed masculine. There are many more similar examples in the link provided that give insight on such movie characters.
This post struck a chord with me on a few levels. Whenever my girlfriend and I pick a movie, she points out that I don’t have any traditional gender-neutral movies. She’s right. My movie list starts with the Blackhawk Down and ends with Zero Dark Thirty. However, that does not mean that the movies I pick don’t necessarily seem unappealing to her, just very masculine. On the other hand, movies she picks that are typically targeting a female audience such as romantic comedies do not disinterest me. I’ve watched plenty of them and I get into them, just as I would a high volume thriller. Great post with a great subject!
Mandi this post caught my eye because I am a major Batman fanatic, haha, but also too you make some great points with how people, in this case males, choose their role models. Basically Bruce Wayne is that guy who “has it all,” and doesn’t have to worry about anything. Excluding his Batman side for a moment, I personally see the character of Bruce Wayne as a goal that anyone can reach if they work hard enough for it; gender doesn’t matter. If you want to have it all as he does, then do the work that is necessary. But as to why culture now views what he has obtained to be masculine, I honestly don’t know. I view what he has not as being a dominant, successful, masculine male, but instead I see it as just being successful for yourself. The only thing I wish I could be the same as Bruce is to just have his suit. Because I don’t see it as masculine of feminine, I see it as a positive icon for the good of the world/audiences to watch and take note on.
I don’t get role models too much, so I hope this made sense. Success shouldn’t be a gender related topic about who has it more, it should just be something that everyone equally wants.