Pascoe's 'Dude You Re A Fag'?

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When Americans think of masculinity, they often see an unemotional, assertive, and muscular man. This identity is broadcasted all over America and young boys and men are soaking it up like a sponge. During the superbowl every year, companies display commercials that are intended to subconsciously show men how they’re suppose to carry themselves. For instance, in the Miller Lite commercial “Man card”, four friends are at a club when they see their friend sweet talking a girl in the corner and they proceed to tell him to “Man up”, also in the next clip the same 3 guys are playing football when they see the other guy riding a scooter and they proceeded to tell him what he’s doing is “unmanly”. This shows that sexist commercials aren’t just aimed towards women but also to men and young boys. While reading CJ Pascoe’s, “Dude. You’re a Fag”, She argues that the word “fag” has little to do with someone being gay and that it can have several meanings. Michael Kimmel believes that boys are being taught to be tough at very young ages, which cause them to sometimes act
In order to fulfill these expectations, some men feel the need to prove themselves by committing heinous crimes. For instance, Kimmel describes Mohammed Atta, a terrorist who conducted one of the planes that crashed into one of the Twin Towers as “slim,sweet-faced, neat, meticulous, and a snazzy dresser.” (Greene 592) His father even said that he would Mohammed to toughen up when he was younger. Just like other famous male figures who’ve committed unthinkable crimes, Mohammed fell short of what it is to be masculine, he felt the need to prove to society and himself that he’s man enough. Kimmel is convinced that, terrorist attacks was the result of men not feeling like they belong in America’s shrinking

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