from: Bethany
In this photo a six year old boy wearing Spiderman pajamas is shown stabbing a teddy bear in what seems to be a girls room. He has a somewhat angered look on his face as he cocks back the sword to gain momentum to plunge the sword deeper. Some people might be appalled by this display of such a violent act coming from such a young boy; however the “toy” he is holding in his right hand, a replication of a sword, a weapon used for hundreds of years to maim and kill, serves only one function, to stab or cut. More over the boy is doing exactly what the “sword” was made to do, kill. Gender socialization is being depicted in this photo; the boy holds a classic “boy toy” in his right hand and stabs a “girl toy” or the teddy bear in his left. Although the boy is practicing violence it is still within the social norm to stab the teddy bear simply because he is male. For instances if a girl was shown doing the same thing the question would be asked, “Why is this girl stabbing her teddy bear?”, Where as it would be excepted for the boy to be participating in the act.
5 comments:
I feel that this photo is adressing a very important, growing issue in society today. I feel that society is causing young males to act out in violence and put on the "tough guise". In this photo the boy is not focused on the camera. This could show how this problem is not growing with just this specific male, but as well as most young males. His face is half showing and shows his emotion is clearly angry. This could symbolize the effect of this problem. The boys is emotionally connected to this issue. The boy is also holding a popular childrens toy, such as a life-saver, which is from a very popular movie Starwars. This could be used to show how the media is acting as a negative influence on the boy. Finally, the boys anger is being taken out on a teddy bear which symbolizes sweet and sensitive. These are characteristics of a typical "female" in society. This could be showing that the media is also influencing males to be physically violent toward females.
I choose to analysis this photo because it shows the influence the media has on children as young as this little boy. By the picture showing the little boy stabbing a teddy bear with his sword is shows the masculine look that the boy thinks he needs to fulfill. The sword represents power, while the teddy bear represents feminitity / being “girly”. Also the photographer choose for this little boy to have his shirt off while taking this picture to also show how this supposedly innocent little boy feel he has to act so much older at such a young age.
I think that agression is taught with the toys that boys typically play with. Toys like guns and knives teach young men to be more violent. This is why most of violence is commited by men and not women. Becase from an ealry age like the boy in this photo is only six years old. They learn quickly that in this society men are suppose to be agressive and tough. Maybe perhaps this is why he choose a teddy bear. Which is a girl toy. The bear is suppose to be cute and girly.
this photo is very true. there are kids getting in trouble at school for what they say and how they act towards people because they believe in violence. its on tv in games and its hard to avoid it.
Boys are taught to be more violent as they grow up and girls are seen to be more sensitive towards things. Boys act out and pretend to kill and this could be due to the types of toys that they are given to play with as children. They play more agressive because the toys that they play with are more destructive.
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