This is a photo of my brother Marshall. This picture is good example of how he plays of gender script of masculinity. A lot of young boys even older love video games. Girls like video games too, but video games are more of a boy thing. He doesn't like to sleep with a shirt on that's because his dad doesn't sleep with one either. Little boys and girls are strongly influenced by their parents and their actions. His pajama pants are camouflage because he loves everything about the army. He knows all the names of guns. He is only eight years old, but he is determined to be in the army when he gets older. Other boys his age and older have a huge influence on him as well, whatever they do he is going to do. He is surrounded by men and boys his age that play a gender script too so therefore that's what he is going to do also.
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This picture is a perfect example about what Jason Gatz was explaining in the film Tough Guise. This little boy is all dressed up and in his army gear and playing a violent video game. This picture suggests that not only is the little boy having a fun time because that is what he enjoys but he is also role playing at the same point and time. Just like when little girls play dress up with princess outfit they believe in that certain moment that they truly are royalty. Although we do want our children to grow up and be successful at whatever they choose to be is it really safe for a boy so young to already be interested in warfare and killing? Because the society releases so many games like this it is not so much forced on the child but it does give the child an excuse to want to own the game himself. Without the social pressures of the media and his peers he wouldn't even be interested in these types of games. Not only should we blame the society for letting this type of violence into our young children's heads but the parents as well. We truly do need to have a closer eye on what we are letting our children play with on an every day basis. In class we talked about how toys help for children to learn how to preform adult roles. This is a perfect example of how a child would learn how to use guns to later on in life have something to do with killing whether it be the military or another choice of action that would not be as safe or as honored. Another significant attribute of this picture is how the picture was taken and angled. The picture is angled from the side zooming in on the little boy. It is angled in the same way that he has his gun angled as well. This shows which stance he is supposed to stand in when he is ready for attack. The person whom is taking the picture was standing in the exact same stance, also showing that someone or something is starring/watching the little boy. Overall this picture suggests how great gender roles do influence us. And how we are not born with them but they are learned.
This picture perfectly illustrates the "tough guise" or rather the front that men and boys put on in order to fit in. The young boy keeps his shirt off because his father does and it makes him look older - like his father. In a way this can be attributed to why young girls follow what their mothers do (i.e wearing makeup and jewelry). They wish to look older and more beautiful. The same can be attributed to boys, they wish to look older and more manly. The army related video game he is playing also demonstrates the relation between the way be socialize boys and violence. As the author, Victoria said, girls play video games too but it is not as common. This is attributed to the way we teach boys to be tough and powerful and therefore violent. Little girls a socialized to be nurturing and caring and therefore usually don't show much interest in video games which nine times out of ten are violent. His army pants, matched with his army game also show the careers that we socialize young boys into. Boys are often encouraged to pursue careers such as military professions, construction, leadership positions, and other high paying careers. Jason Katz's "tough guise" idea perfectly describes the way that this young boy has been socialized and in turn all young boys.
This photo is a great example of how the media plays a big role on younger children. Boys are expected to like big guns and want to shoot up/at things. They are constantly reminded of these things because older teenage boys and even grown men play these games and they see how intense and real they are so they are attracted to them. Most young boys have a mind set of becoming a big muscular man with a gun and/or in the army or military. This picture greatly portrays that message.
This photo is a definite describing masculinity. The video game even looks like an adventure; which seems to describe boys: adventurous. The camouflage pajama pants can’t get more masculine. Indeed it represents the army, in addition to, the army representing masculine men with authority and power. The way he is standing looks as if he is balancing, but he is still standing firm; which entails his sense of security. The idea that he doesn’t wear a shirt because his father doesn’t is an example of how much parents influence our gender norms. At his young age, he is already being groomed into having an interest for guns. Military=usage of guns, Guns=violence, and violence=war. Many of young children imagine that the military is only for the “tough guise”, and associate toughness with violence. It is a very common trend in youth males. This photo is a perfect explanation to why gender roles are learned and not determined because of our sex.
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