Blurring Boundaries

from: Peter
This picture is titled "Blurring Boundaries" due to its depiction of what would be seen by many as feminine. Hair products are one of the numerous markets that overwhelmingly appeal and target one sex, in this case, women. The reasons for this are many, but can really boil down to the fact that women are typically seen as the sex that cares more about how they look, and are willing to buy products to enhance themselves. The media is largely responsible for how women view themselves, as images of women in magazines and television have been increasingly portrayed as skinny, slender, and more beautiful than ever before. Growing up, I experienced many events where people would try and put me in this masculine "box." The first such event I can recall was my oldest brother scolding me for sitting cross-legged with my left ankle resting on my right knee. As he yelled at me, I was completely unaware of what I had done wrong. I didn't know that sitting cross-legged was wrong or bad so I tried questioning my brother as to what was wrong with it. He said that sitting cross-legged was something that girls do and I shouldn't do it. Looking back, I can see my brother was definitely trying to keep me in that masculine box, but probably for my own good. From experiences at school alone I've witnessed the repercussions of stepping outside of that box, being ridiculed by others and called names are just a few. This is something no one wants to endure, which forces many boys and men to wear this sort of a mask in public. This mask is a front put up to defend themselves from being attacked by others. It's easy to see that this could easily have negative effects on the boys who wear these masks. Pretending to be something you're not could, and likely does affect many people, not just boys. In the photo I am shown straightening my hair with a flat iron, and a few hair products appear in front of me. These products are used to assist me in straightening my hair and are considered by the people who marketed them to be used only by women. I know this because when I purchased them I had to venture into the part of the story where the beauty products are kept, and images of women appear all around me. Even when purchasing my flat iron online all the pictures that showed people using it were women, all the reviews were by women, and all the people buying it were women. In the photo I'm being overwhelmed by these feminine products. One of the three lights above my head isn't functional, representing a fraction of my masculinity that is gone just by straightening my hair. Let me make it clear that personally I don't believe I'm less of a man because I straighten my hair, but judging by the reactions of other people, I am. It's not something that comes up in conversation too often, but when people notice my hair looking drastically different from one day to the next (curly, then straight) they ask questions. Before I even tell them I straighten my hair, I'm excited for the reaction I'm going to receive. Most of the time people are surprised when I tell them. This is because they assume that only girls straighten their hair. Not many of the reactions I've received are negative or hateful, but those that are make it obvious on who holds the most stereotypical and strong views on what defines men. These same negative reactions usually include some ridicule, like calling me gay, but it's never really bothered me because I'm very comfortable with my masculinity and heterosexuality (just to be clear). Again, in the photo, you can't see me head on, but only through the reflection in the mirror. This reflection is what shows me what I look like physically, and therefore, shows how other people view me from the outside. This is useful for determining how I want other people to see me, and helps me actually straighten my hair. Comparing the size of my body outside of the reflection shows me taking up a lot of space inside the shot. This represents a sort of masculine thing to do, dominating and taking up the space around you, asserting yourself. From that angle it's impossible to determine that I'm straightening my hair. However, when the view switches to the reflection, I look significantly smaller, and the feminine act of straightening my hair is clearly shown, as well as the non-threatening expression on my face. This photo is really a statement about masculinity, and how it's impossible to define what is actually masculine or feminine. This isn't something we're born knowing how to do, and is constructed by society as we are handed scripts to perform for a very large audience, everyone. I'm actually more comfortable stepping outside of the stereotypical box that was constructed for me, as I know who I truly am and what I want to do.