Terms

MISOGYNY: hatred of women, can be executed in different ways.


VOYEARISM: taking a pleasure in viewing someone sexually.


EMASCULATION: to castrate, taking away masculinity/power.


MALE GAZE: to watch a movie through the eyes of a male - hero to look up/aspire to, willing hero to do well & get the girl. Commercial/mainstream movies, women often objectified & men subjectified. 

Case Studies: American Psycho

American Psycho (2000)

DIRECTOR: Mary Harron

CAST: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas.

GENRE: Crime, Drama

RELEASE DATES:

USA - 14th April 2000

UK - 21st April 2000

BUDGET:

(est) $8,000,000

OPENING WEEKEND TAKINGS:

$5,000,000

GROSS PROFIT:

(ww) $34,200,000

PRODUCTION COMPANIES:

Am Psycho Productions,

Edward R. Pressman Film,

Lions Gate Films.

• Business Card scene: competitiveness, anxious that his card isn't the best, the sound played signifies guns being drawn out of their holsters - the moment in a Western where opponents reveal their gun/prove themselves - a showdown. 
• test of endurance/initiation: replaced with capitalist approach.
• A struggle with identity - the cards can barely be differentiated by the audience & Paul Allen mistakes Patrick's name - a real issue for him in that he is just one of a collective of men/no individuality. He seems to spend so much time perfecting his 'unique' image that when he is mistaken for another man, he feels a sense of lost identity. 

• Apartment/routine scene: strand of metrosexuality
• Connell might argue he is a complicit male in the sense that he shows new male values in taking of his appearance & constructing an aspirational lifestyle. This signals metrosexuality and, the way in which he looks & is shot suggest that this is acceptable and a positive thing - for he has achieved an ideal body & show home style apartment.
• he peels off face mask - reveals his insecurities possibly stemming from the work place. 
• his obsessive daily routine shows that he is constantly trying to create status. 

• These two scenes in particular explore the measures of success in his work environment - 
• reservations at top restaurant Dorcia
• having the best business card
• to be memorable, successful, well-maintained.
• BUT, he actually looks just like the rest of the employees at his work place, who are clones of one another and this signifies an issue with them being like automatons. 
• What it means for Patrick Bateman to be a man goes unrecognised.

Case Studies: The 40 Year Old Virgin

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

DIRECTOR: Judd Apatow

CAST: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Romany Malco, Paul Rudd.

GENRE: Comedy, Romance

RELEASE DATES:

USA -  19th August 2005

UK - 2nd September 2005

BUDGET:

(est) $26,000,000

OPENING WEEKEND TAKINGS:

$21,400,000

GROSS PROFIT:

(ww) $177,000,000

PRODUCTION COMPANIES:

Universal Pictures,

Apatow Productions

A particular scene in the movie shows one of the male characters describing his feelings and emotions towards his girlfriend, which he then gets laughed at/mocked by his male friends. The male is portraying characteristics that are not typical of hegemonic masculinity, the type of masculinity which most male characters aspire to be associated with. 

Andy, the main male character, is difficult to categorise in terms of Connell's types of masculinity; he shows elements of both complicit and marginalised masculinity. 

Complicit in the way of new male sensitivity when he makes his feelings known towards the female character. He seems to be under peer-pressure to be more like his friends and more traditional in the sense of powerful, dominant and strong. His male friends aspire to be hegemonic males; they drink alcohol, objectify women and play poker. 

Through the movie, Andy decides to get his chest waxes which, again, hints at the 'new male', metro-sexual approach to taking care of oneself/male grooming. 

Case Studies: Knocked Up

Knocked Up (2007)

DIRECTOR: Judd Apatow

CAST: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd.

GENRE: Comedy, Drama, Romance

RELEASE DATES:

USA - 1st June 2007

UK - 24th August 2007

BUDGET:

(est) $30,000,000

OPENING WEEKEND TAKINGS:

USA - $31,000,000

GROSS PROFIT:

(ww) $220,000,000

PRODUCTION COMPANIES:

Universal Pictures,

Apatow Productions.

In this movie, the female character is effectively the breadwinner - she occupies a successful job, owns & drives her own car, has her own home, whereas he has none of this. Connell might describe the male character as quite a marginalised male as he has no job and, in some ways, seems quite disconnected from his life. 

This shows a role reversal between the traditional expectations of males & females in society as she is shown to be a progressive female while he is regressive - he has never moved on from his teenage years or grown up in any way.

The group of male friends are teenage in their discussions, beliefs and values, all of which seem to mirror those of the males in Superbad, including obectifying women & being afraid of commitment. 

Case Studies: Superbad

Superbad (2007)

DIRECTOR: Greg Mottola

CAST: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

GENRE: Comedy

RELEASE DATES:

USA - 17th August 2007

UK - 14th September 2007

BUDGET: (est) $20,000,000

OPENING WEEKEND TAKINGS:

USA - $33,000,000

GROSS PROFIT - 

(ww) $170,000,000

PRODUCTION COMPANIES:

Columbia Pictures,

Apatow Productions

The males in this movie are shown to be quite insecure and wanting to be seen as masculine. They seem to want reassurance and lack power. 

In the scene where one of the main male characters threatens his friend with violence for debating not going to buy his friends alcohol, this shows a males primitive instincts according to Bly's mytho-poetic male. However, throughout the movie, we see the males expose themselves to be non-violent, adolescent boys who are more geeky and comedic than masculine. 

Connell might argue they are displaying signs of marginalised masculinity as they seem to be insecure of their identity and aspire to be hegemonic males but are not quite there as they are still very much adolescent.

Their interests include girls, drink and parties: 

they often speak of/show concern about sex;

in the scene in the liquor store we first see the sales woman's chest with the camera then moving up to look at her face which we assume to be from the males point of view;

often there are references to females as objects (talk of breast reduction);

in the scene in the liquor store, the policemen seem to 'dumb down' the sales woman.

Throughout the movie we get the feel that Bly's 'test of endurance' (ability to fight) has been replaced by initiations/rites of passage being to lose your virginity or the ability to buy alcohol. This is quite identifiable with the audience which could be a possible reason for this genre of movie doing so well recently. The movie also presents a version of masculinity that is perhaps over-exaggerated but also identifiable and perhaps reassuring on the one hand, or to be laughed at/mocked on the other hand.

Case Studies: Fight Club

Fight Club (1999)

DIRECTOR: David Finch

CAST: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter

GENRE: Drama

RELEASE DATES: 

USA - 15th October 1999

UK - 12th November 1999

BUDGET: (est) $63,000,000

OPENING WEEKEND TAKINGS:

USA - $11,000,000

UK - £1,100,000

GROSS PEOFIT:

(ww) $71,000,000

PRODUCTION COMPANIES:

Fox 2000 Pictures,

Regency Enterprises,

Linson Films

-Tyler Durden- hegemonic masc, obsessed with power, dominating, fighting, macho values.

-Narrator- marginalised masc, disconnected from his life.

-Bob- shows elements of subordinate masc & therefore is killed off.

Fight Club portrays an idea of the ideal masculinity being hegemonic. Males who are traditional, value strength, are dominant, powerful & have the ability to fight and protect themselves are seen as accepted in society. Bob is unacceptable and represents a lack of masculine features. Arguably he also carries some feminine characteristics which are feared by the other male characteristics and therefore he is killed off. 'Angelface' also must be punished as he is 'too pretty', angelic looking and almost feminine.

• The Narrator - arguably has no identity, blends in
• insomniac, yellow filter on beginning scenes lends a sickly tone, an illness; he is numb and doesn't feel/let go until he goes to the support groups and later starts the Fight Club - he fights to feel, to escape the monotony (he is a male in crisis). 
• he consumes to build an identity, or to feel/create something (IKEA catalogue scene). 

Repeated Idea 4: Male Superiority/Manipulation

A regular characteristic of Men's Health magazine is a "what women want" sell-line:

Women are often objectified, as in the front cover above:

the female model is literally draped around the male model and she also happens to be standing behind him, almost in his shadow - this is a portrayal of male superiority.

Repeated Idea 3: New Male Sensitivity

Men's Health role models are constructed not only to show strong, macho values but also to have a sensitive, human side.

Poster Boy: David Beckham

-husband

-father

-family man

-sportsman

Masculinity Test

Repeated Idea 2: Male Narcissism

Front cover image:  Men’s Health has famously made the male torso, and particularly the six pack, the defining feature of masculinity.

Model has physical, 'macho' attributes,

body stance,

physically attractive,

often the colour is drained from the image of the male to make him seem more like a machine.

Repeated Idea 1: Quick-fix problem solving

Various examples on the front covers of "quick fix solutions". Numbers are often used to place numerical values on these solutions to give a time-scale. This gives the reader a clear image of how "quick" the solutions claim to be.

Articles within the magazines themselves elaborate upon these quick fix solutions.

They often provide personal experiences in order to make them more believable.

Familiar formula of Men's Health

A familiar formula throughout each issue of:

• conquering/fighting
• dealing with stress
• role model 'banner sell'
• easy weight loss
• dangerous foods
• giving sexual satisfaction
• anxiety-promoting sell-line
• masculine words - lean, strong, tough, fitter, faster

The representation of masculinity on the front cover is the embodiment of the desires/aspirations/goals conveyed by the sell-lines. His gaze directly addresses the reader in an act of interpellation.

Men's Health

Typical characteristics of Men's Health:

• the layout of creates a strong brand identity
• there is always an emphasis on losing weight - quickly/enjoyably/effortlessly
• regular "what women want" sell-line
• banner strap-line dedicated to role models
• advice about beating your rage
• tips about muscle foods/diet
• 'warning' sell-lines which (possibly) provoke anxiety about the future

Oedipus Complex

The Oedipal complex is a term used by Sigmund Freud in his theory of psychosexual stages of development to describe a boy's feelings of desire for his mother and jealousy and anger towards his father.

Essentially, a boy feels like he is in competition with his father for possession of his mother. He views his father as a rival for her attentions and affections.

In order to develop into a successful adult with a healthy identity, the child must identify with the same-sex parent in order to resolve the conflict.

Freud suggested that while the primal identity wants to eliminate the father, the more realistic ego knows that the father is much stronger. According to Freud, the boy then experiences what he called castration anxiety - a fear of both literal and figurative emasculation.

Freud believed that as the child becomes aware of the physical differences between males and females, he assumes that the female's penis has been removed and that his father will also castrate him as a punishment for desiring his mother.

Narcissistic Identification

Narcissistic identification is the form of identification following abandonment or loss of an object. This experience of loss starts at a very young age.

 An example: wearing the clothes or jewellery of a deceased loved one.

 In "Mourning and Melancholia" Sigmund Freud, having 'shown that identification is a preliminary stage of object-choice',

argued that the experience of loss, set in motion a regressive process that 'served to establish an identification of the ego with the abandoned object'.

 In "The Ego and the Id", he went on to maintain that 'this kind of substitution has a great share in determining the form taken by the ego and that it makes an essential contribution towards building up what is called its "character"'

In terms of media contexts, Narcissistic Identification refers to the experience of being able to put oneself so deeply into a character (feel oneself to be so like the character) that one can feel the same emotions and experience the same events as the character is supposed to be feeling and experiencing.

Myth of Narcissus

Narcissus or Narkissos (Greek) in Greek Mythology was a Hunter from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. Nemesis (a Greek Goddess)  was the spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris (arrogance before the Gods). Nemesis saw how proud and arrogant Narcissus was towards those who loved him and so attracted Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection in the waters and fell in love with it, not realising it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus died.