Analysis Of Guys Vs Men And Why Strong Female Characters Are Bad Women

1099 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Does the media’s portrayal of females in comparison to males, influence

To be referred to as masculine is what every man on this earth covets. Men in general will buy the unnecessary enormous truck or the new 65 inch 4K television for the fact that society has ingrained men to believe this is manly. Society is the reason men act the way they do and women are now sex symbols. Articles such as “Guys Vs Men” by Dave Barry and “Why Strong Female Characters Are Bad Women” By Shana Mlawski talk about how men and women are distinguished nowadays. These articles that will be discussed will show how society is the problem when correlating to gender based roles. The first article by Dave Barry talks about how there is another way to perceive males and that is to not refer to them as men but guys. “Men tend to attach …show more content…

Back in the day female characters were the damsel in distress and the only person that could save them was the male actor which also happened to be the hero. Then women activist wanted stronger women character and that’s what Hollywood gave them. Except now the women in the movies aren’t any better than the damsel in distress, for the fact that now women are flawless. The strong actress can fix a car and look sexy doing it, every guys dream women. Then you have the college intern that is smarter than everyone else and better looking to. There are no flawed women characters nowadays; the directors are making the perfect women that have no flaws. “Good characters, male or female, have goals, and they have flaws. Any character without flaws will be a cardboard cutout. Perhaps a sexy cardboard cutout, but two-dimensional nonetheless” (Mlawski). Women should have the same flaws as men, the problem is that male writers don’t know how to write a female character with flaws or even a character that is close to a real women. It is ok for a women to be attractive but she need flaws, maybe she gets dirty or into a fight where here nose starts to

Show More
Related

  • Symbolic Displays Of Aggression And Male Masculinity In Rural American Literature Analysis

    2458 Words  | 5 Pages

    She taught at universities both in Australia and the United States. Connell highly disagreed that the ideas about what established masculinity are ethically definite. In other words, masculinity is important to whom is referred to. For example, “if women are seen as weak, passive and emotional, then men are supposed to be strong, aggressive, and rational” (Seidman, 221). Additionally, masculinity is based on how people interact with each other in which correlates with their race, class, and sexuality. With this said, Connell said, “to recognize diversity in masculinity: relations of alliance, dominance and subordination… This is a gender politics within masculinity” (Seidman, 223). To point out Connell’s theorizing masculinity, she believes that diversity defines masculinity has its own relationships with authorities. In our text, Seidman gave a brief example of how the roles carry out to the social authority such as President, Senator, CEO, General, media executive, or surgeon. It is stated that while there are many senators, executives, or CEOs who are women, it is definite identify as masculinity because people think those high authorities is only for a male role. In our text, Connell has mentioned that “every society has a dominant or a “hegemonic” type of masculinity” (223). This means that she believes men has the power or control type of their masculinity in the

    Read More

  • Analysis: The Cultural Construct Of Gender Appropriation

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    Devor and Nelson both acknowledge that gender roles are determined not by biological makeup but by societal manipulation. Devor conveys how society has developed of system of communicating gender identity that relies more so on the characteristics of a person rather than the anatomy of a person. So when individuals fail to religiously adhere to these gender codes they are at risk of failing to adequately communicate their gender, which can lead to being ostracized in the dating world or by pairs. Nelson highlights how the culture uses television to promotes and enforces gender roles; which assist society in identify what is gender appropriate. Society puts so much emphasis on gender appropriation that people fear the outcome of not fitting into a category of male or female because there is no inbetween. Men are supposed to dominate with aggression while women enable them by remaining vulnerable and submissive. Both authors believe that there are no natural character traits in men and women and that the creation of these differences were culturally created in an effort to keep women oppressed by male

    Read More

  • Some Stereotypical Jobs for Woman

    1398 Words  | 3 Pages

    A woman’s only job is to stay at home, take care of her family, and pleasure her man. What is a man’s job? “Men, they do everything,” quoted a fellow male classmate, “Men get the real money.” But it is the twenty-first century! Women are no longer expected to stay at home; they have taken roles as teachers, doctors, C.E.O.s, part of the military, and the list goes on. As for men, it is now acceptable for them to stay at home, take care of their families or even become nannies and nurses. Will Meek, creator of website “Psychology of Men”, defined gender role as a set of attitudes, behaviors, and self-presentation methods ascribed to members of a certain biological sex. Gender roles have changed throughout the course of American history; both sexes have come so far from sexist stereotypes that resulted from societal expectations that existed in the past.

    Read More

  • Masculinity In Mainstream Media

    727 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mainstream media often portrays the idea of masculinity in a very linear way, to be a man you have to display certain characteristics and if you don’t have show these socially constructed masculine traits you can be ostracized because of it. Some of these traits “include a cultural ideal that emphasizes dominance, strength, accumulation of material goods, aggression, risk-taking, and adventurousness” (Connell, 1995). These traits are often negative and stereotype young men into these crafted categories that not everyone is going to fit into. Thus forcing men to go in a certain direction with their gender identity based off old ideas instead of letting them find their own identities and come to terms with who they truly are as a person. So as a man who consumes this mainstream media I would like to see less of this generalized gender identity being pushed on men. I

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Society

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    Suggested roles of all types set the stage for how human beings perceive their life should be. Gender roles are one of the most dangerous roles that society faces today. With all of the controversy applied to male vs. female dominance in households, and in the workplace, there seems to be an argument either way. In the essay, “Men as Success Objects”, the author Warren Farrell explains this threat of society as a whole. Farrell explains the difference of men and women growing up and how they believe their role in society to be. He justifies that it doesn’t just appear in marriage, but in the earliest stages of life. Similarly, in the essay “Roles of Sexes”, real life applications are explored in two different novels. The synthesis between these two essays proves how prevalent roles are in even the smallest part of a concept and how it is relatively an inevitable subject.

    Read More

  • Double Indemnity Gender Roles

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the society we live in, gender plays a great role, is not biological rader it’s refereed to as a social behavior pattern. It is constructed on male and female character and traditional beliefs. The society has often reflected its passion on gender roles. For instance In the media today women are given roles that suit men which makes them challenge men for their right, they are represented as entertainment for men, women are likely to be the source of leading news stories nowadays.

    Read More

  • Brenda J. Allen's Article On Gender Matters

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book Difference Matters, Brenda J Allen, begins writing about how gender matters in society. One of the main topics that she talks about is how in today’s society the male gender is the more predominate gender. As the reader, she has brought to mind many new ways to view how males earn more money then females, how we classify jobs as masculine or feminine, and also how society excepts males’ vs females to act and preform in the work force.

    Read More

  • Miss Representation Summary

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    These movies allowed female characters to embody all the contradictions that could make them a woman. They were portrayed as the “femme fatale” and also “mother,” the “seductress” and at the same time the “saint,” (Newsom, 2011). Female characters were multi-faceted during this time and had much more complexity and interesting qualities than in the movies we watch today. Today, only 16% of protagonists in movies are female, and the portrayal of these women is one of sexualization and dependence rather than complexity (Newsom, 2011).

    Read More

  • What Are The Stereotypes In The House On Mango Street

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over time, the image of men has changed. This is due mostly to the relaxation of rigid stereotypical roles of the two genders. In different pieces of literature, however, men have been presented as the traditional dominate figure, the provider and rule maker or non-traditional figure that is almost useless and unimportant unless needed for sexual intercourse. This dramatic difference can either perpetuate the already existing stereotype or challenge it. Regardless of the differences, both seem to put men into a negative connotation.

    Read More

  • Gender Issues in The Great Gatsby

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    Prior to the 1970s when the theme of gender issues was still quite foreign, the societal norm forced female conformity to male determined standards because “this is a man’s world” (Kerr 406). The patriarchal society painted the image of both men and women accordingly to man’s approach of societal standards that include the defining features of manhood that consist of “gentil...

    Read More

  • Young Adult Literary Analysis

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, when it comes to a female character in a novel - it is said that there are many more stereotyping issues with them which depicts females as less important and seen merely as accessories to the men of the story. “The ubiquitous stereotype of a female victim as a damsel-in-distress, passive and waiting for a prince to rescue her, has its roots in the centuries-old folk tales that dominated early oral traditions” (Peterson 2). When looking into this, it gives readers of young adult literature insight that stereotyping of genders is not just something that happens in real life scenarios - but it also has been going on within novels and books. Peterson goes on to explain how female characters are the ones who have to put on the act as the ones who are weak and cannot survive in life without a stereotypical strong man to rescue her. It is actually shocking to think that these are typically the scenarios that we saw in children princess stories and movies where the princess felt as if she needed her prince to save her and carry her off into the distance where they would soon fall in love and live a perfect life. In all different types of literature there are different stereotypes created for female characters, however, something they all share in common is that the female will eventually need a man to suffice. For

    Read More

  • Gender Identity In The Media

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the youngest age I can remember, everything I had seen in the media, altered my perception on gender - what it was, what it meant, and what society saw as fit. Gender has often been confused with having to do with biology, when in fact, gender is a social construct. In today’s society, gender has mixed up the construction of masculinity and femininity. This plays an important role in many individuals lives because they define themselves through gender over other identities such as sexual, ethnic, or social class. Identity is shaped by everyday communications, such as what we see through the media, therefore as society continues to evolve, so does the way we perceive identities and select our own.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles: Gender Identity And Role In Society

    1712 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gender role identity is considered individuals’ essential recognition of masculinity or femininity (Cook, 1985). Masculinity and femininity were originally considered alternative explanations of sex differences, seen as two ends of a bipolar dimension within a measurable, unidimensional concept that can be inversely correlated (Bem, 1974; Constantinople, 1973). However, this implication refers to a concept that regards masculinity and femininity as simply personal traits. It does not take into account the different environmental influences (e.g., cultural or social norms) and internal distinctions and preferences.

    Read More

  • Masculinity and Femininity

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    Masculinity and femininity are two terms, which have been interpreted differently throughout history. Both the males and the females have responsibilities and duties but these duties differ based on one’s gender. Gender has played a prodigious role in the economy, politics, and the society. Everyone starts making interpretations of the strengths and weaknesses based on one’s gender. These interpretations are not always based on his or her ability but is usually based on his or her gender. Males tend to be judged as extremely strong and unfashionable in terms of appearance. Whereas, females are judged as expensive and very fashionable. Males and females both differ in their abilities and their enjoyments. Fashion, entertainment, and strength are three topics, which are used to define masculinity and femininity in the 21st century.

    Read More

  • Gender and Society

    2171 Words  | 5 Pages

    The differences between women and men are not solely biological. Our society’s culture has established a set of unwritten cultural laws of how each gender should act, or in other words society has ascribed a stereotype. Men’s gender identity has been one of masculinity, and masculinity is defined as referring to a man or things described as manly. What does manly mean though? Is a male manly if he is “Mr. Fix-it”, or the jock, or if he sits on the couch on Sunday watching football? This latter statement is a stereotype of men, that has been around for decades, and is current as well, but starting with the 1960’s a man’s role started to change, despite the stereotype not changing to accommodate it. For the past 40 years one can see how men have taken on roles stereotypically ascribed to women, such roles including being the “stay-at-home mom”, which we can find an excellent example of in the 1980’s film “Mr.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Guys Vs Men And Why Strong Female Characters Are Bad Women

Open Document