Too Girly

 From: Selena

What do you see in this picture?

A little boy brushing someone’s hair with a pink hairbrush, right?

That’s how most people would view the picture, however societal expectations on gender roles would think otherwise. Boys are always taught to fit into the traditional masculine norms, starting from a very young age. From playing with toys that are meant to be for boys including dinosaurs, monster trucks, and nerf guns, to being taught to be “tough” and suppress their emotions.

The little boy in the picture is my cousin, and growing up around a lot of girls, naturally he has picked up some of our hobbies. He likes to play with barbies and hair but is always told that it’s wrong by his male family members.

This causes confusion seeing as children don’t fully understand the perception of masculinity.

All he understands is that it is “wrong” and that boys aren't supposed to play with “girly” things.

This all circles back to the documentary we watched in class, “Tough Guise 2” by Jackson Katz.

The documentary goes into detail about cultural expectations surrounding masculinity as well as the stereotypes pushed on boys from a young age. In addition, the film highlights how traditional masculine norms involve emotional suppression, aggression, and the need to prove one's toughness. My picture sends out the message that we as a society, should reevaluate masculinity and gain a better understanding of what it means to be a man.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Katz, J., Earp, J., & Rabinovitz, D. (2013). Tough guise 2: Violence, manhood & American culture. Media Education Foundation.