Superboy

From: Mackenzie

            "Boys will be boys." And boys being boys typically involves superheroes, or other action heroes. In my photo I show a range of different “heroes” that young boys emulate, specifically heroes my younger brother has been costumed as over many Halloweens. I chose a wide angle and wide depth of field to include a full view of the “different” boys – however, one pose is in the foreground. I thought showing a Captain America cape more prominently would be interesting, because it captures the idea that one man (a soldier) can save the world (at least the country) and the use of violence to attain peace. To keep the viewer’s eye moving from pose to pose, I directed all of the different characters to face each other, creating invisible lines leading from boy to boy. The poses are placed evenly in the photo, balancing the frame. Heroes keep things “right” in the world, so nothing should feel unsettling or uncomfortable.  I also asked the model – my brother – to primarily choose his own poses, to get a authentic idea of how young boys feel superheroes are supposed to look and act. In The Social Psychology of Gender, authors Rudman & Glick address the idea of gendered toys, the idea that boys frequently play with action figures, but not dolls, as boy play is usually active as opposed to passive. From a young age, boys play in a “rough-and-tumble”, physical way. This strengthens the idea that there are masculine traits that boys must learn as they become adults, including “physical toughness, leadership, and assertiveness”. This certainly enforces the idea of agency. By copying characters that always save themselves and others, boys and men learn to not need anyone else, or at least not show that they do, or risk being shamed as less than a man. This is an example of the Tough Guise, discussed in Jackson Katz’s film Tough Guise 2. Tough Guise also addresses the effect of media on young boys, and all of these characters – in this case from Marvel and Star Wars – are shown through movies and video games, as strong independent individuals who primarily use weapons to get what they want. This intense message seems harmless when shown through a few Halloween costumes, but could be very detrimental when looked at in the long term.