The Bro Code

Sexism serves as the constant reminder that, although in our history there have been many changes, we still have much to work on. The equality of all people has yet to be achieved and while the progress made should be noted, there are facts of our culture that demonstrate we still haven’t reached where we need to be. As for how The Bro Code comes into play, Director Thomas Keith explores the aspect that society still harbors and in most ways promotes the inequality between men and women. Director Thomas Keith clearly states in the beginning of the documentary that even he grew up believing that “women were here for our sexual enjoyment” (Keith). His documentary serves to focus that our society has allowed for men to objectify women and to believe that they are better. These thoughts that he presents are not foreign or stretches of the imagination but simply observations of the society in which we live.

The Bro Code breaks down the establishment and encouragement of sexism into four “steps” that society uses to form sexist men (Keith). These steps are: “1. Train Men to Womanize, 2. Immerse Men in Porn, 3. Make Rape Jokes 4. Obey the Masculinity Cops”(Keith). Thomas Keith begins by addressing the fact that he grew up in this “bro culture” and that men today are continually taught to have the same mentality that Keith had when he was younger. However, he claims that “bro culture” has changed and has become a more “dangerous sexist” (Keith). Our culture continually promotes this behavior through music, television and media, all which tell men that in order to be successful and true men they must be rich, strong and surrounded by women.

This documentary brings into sharp relief the fact that sexism is not getting better but in so...

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... that occurs by men upon women is neither stopped nor prevented because our society has yet to decide whether it is within gender roles for a man to act this way or whether this violence must be changed. In society today, violence is accepted by some people, as a way to maintain control, which is why men still believe that sexism is the right way to act like the ideal man.

Works Cited

Johnson, Allan G. 2001. “Partriarchy, The System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us.” Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 2nd ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey, eds. Mountain View, California: Mayfiled Publishing Company, 24–34.

McIntosh, Peggy. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack. N.p.: Wellesley College Center for Research for Women, 1989. Print.

The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men. Dir. Thomas Keith. Media Education Foundation, 2011.