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This photo represents a huge aspect of the way young boys, especially in North America, are raised. Violent. I find this photo rather disturbing, why would someone even do this? To prove to his friends that he is a “real man”? Approx. 75% of horse riders are women, this says a lot about boy culture growing up and the violence being inflicted upon women. This disproportion is represented in the askew horizon. The markings on the battered sign show age and wear, this represents time and that this violent “conditioning” in men has been going on for a while. This, I feel, is a huge sign of the time that we live in, and it’s repulsive. The mutilated rider is still mounted firmly on the horse and the two are pushing on riding as if nothing is wrong. This represents society accepting these actions of completely unnecessary violence as the norm and doing absolutely nothing to change it, the population just seems to carry on. The photo is stripped of, what would be, it’s bright vibrant colors to compare to how boys are trained to not show emotion, purged of all of the weakness they might have and told to never let anyone see them.
3 comments:
This photograph is absolutely beautiful. The way it portrays boy culture as implacable is simply brilliant in the most abstract of ways. I enjoyed the point you made of “…the mutilated rider is still mounted firmly on the horse and the two are pushing on riding as if nothing is wrong”. It’s terrifyingly true. The idea of the “Tough Guise” has been progressing into more violent territory generation after generation. When I thought of the shot up sign as an actual man, I began to think of the phrase “boys don’t cry”, as if the man is horribly wounded physically or even mentally and refuses to show his emotions and acts as if nothing is wrong, although this societal norm is literally mutilating him.
I am amazed by this photo Carl! By just looking at it without reading your explanation, I did not understand some of the photo. However, let me say, that I am completely amazed. It is very true that our society seems to ignore what is going on right in from of us; and of course that is more than one problem that is being overlooked. It's makes me sick to my stomach to even think that "the mutilated rider is still mounted firmly on the horse and the two are pushing on riding as if nothing is wrong"; for this is exactly how many of individuals carry their lives and relationships. Plenty of men and women’s relationships live this every day; where violence becomes the norm. Violence is becoming more common in our society nowadays; as if it is the answer to the problem or maybe even becomes a reaction to a problem. According to Rudman and Glick," to some extent, boys' greater tendency toward aggressive rough-and-tumble play and direct aggression gives them more power in interactions with girls." By men feeling the need to hide their "true colors (emotions)" is ridiculous! This was a respectable picture and the point well illuminated!
The picture reminds of the “Tough Guise” Movie we watched in class. The sign in the picture seems abused and disfigured because of others actions. Young men act out in “Tough Guise” because they believe it’s a societal norm. When a boy is born is he taught to be a “man” or “tough it out”. Instead of telling him it will be ok and show that he is protected and secure. Women are treated that way in most families. More than likely woman tend to have a caring heart and show emotions to express themselves. Men are not expressive emotional but physically by, acting out violently or be extremely aggressive. The darkness of the sky line shows as they live in the real word they still cannot see the light to better them. The darkness is also media and society influencing the negativity there people on their own people.
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