Tough Guise -- A Video Summary

 

Tim Pilgram

Western Washington University

See: Summary of the video "Tough Guise"

 

 Introduction

 

§         The video identifies several cultural developments in the past 30 years that are in part responsible for the current levels of date rape, domestic violence and school shootings.

§         The Wizzard of Oz is cited as a metaphor of how men wear a mask that is a diguise of being tough -- a tough guise.

§         Katz asked young men what it meant to be male and got replies like, strong, physical, independent, in control, powerful, athletic, tough, tough, tough, stud.

§         And, when men don't conform, they are called, pussy, whimp, emotional, bitch, queer, fag.

§         Lots of pressure to conform to the role -- including, and especially men of color.

§         Media are crucial to constraining men to seeing violent masculinity as the cultural norm -- there is a growing connection in society betwen being a man and being violent (lots of statistics about men being the violent ones -- 85% of murders are by men; 95% domestic violence is by men; 99% of rapes in prison are by men, etc.)

§         Abused boys tend to grow up to take on that role.

§         What's going on?

 

Part I -- Understanding Violent Masculinity

 

§         Men perpetrate 90% of the violence in society, and society (in media especially) tends to focus on the subordinated groups, not the dominant ones.

§         The invisibility of masculinity is played out  -- media say it is "kids killing kids" -- not that it is boys killing boys and girls, not girls doing the killing -- and so must be tied to masculinity.

§         Examples of New York Times, etc. support this.

§         Katz says that if you don't say it, you leave out the important element in the subsequent discussion -- and notes that when women are violent, it is almost always an important part of the story (examples from the longer version are Lorena Bobbit, who cut off her husband's penis; and movie, Thelma and Louise).

§         Katz says we need to make it visible -- Making how violent masculinity is visible is the first step to seeing how it operates in the culture.

§         Katz says the images of men and masculinity has changed over the last 50 years to have men be more physical and aggressive (ex. Superman, Batman, Star Wars figurines, GI Joe -- with bisceps increasing from 12 inches in the 70s to 26 inches now -- also lots of changes from on-screen tough guys like Boggie to Connery to Eastwood to Stallone to Arnold -- with more aggressive acts and bigger guns.

§         Women are the exact opposite -- for the most part to a more thin look [a good supplemental video is Jean Kilbourne's Slim Hopes: Advertising and the Obsession with Thinness -- available in Wilson Library]

§         Images are not an accident -- heterosexual white males for the most part are in charge of the content that is produced.

§         In the longer version, Katz says the development has historical context that is embodied in the backlash to the threat by movements such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Women's Movement and the Gay/Lesbian movement the cultural, social, economic power held mostly by white males.

§         In that version, he cites Susan Faludi book on the subject -- Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women  and gives examples of how the tough male role is pushed by people like overt feminist-bashing Andrew Dice Clay,  Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh.

§         He also cites inceased celebration of violence in pro sports, action games and slasher films.

§         He connects this to a male backlash against women's economic and social gains and gay liberation.

§         Violence harms the victims, of course,  but it sends a message that men better not try any new type of masculinity as well.

§         The anti-war sentiment in the Vietnam War gave rise to the claim that we had lost our masculine pride and represents the macho attitude that the whimpy anti-war movement was the problem (ex. Rambo)

§         Katz uses examples from Rocky, Ronald Reagan (in the longer version), and John Wayne to develop the rise of the tough guy role.

§         He cites Richard Myers' Cool Pose as support for how the tough guise men adopts comes about because of social and cultural pressure -- coming to us through mass media.

§         He says that social and economic structures have systematically changed reality, leaving only the pose.

§         Citing media examples, Katz says it should be no puzzle that young white boys are acting black, since it too is an act and they also can take on a black, urban pose.

§         Thus, masculinity is a pose, a perfomance, learned in our society and culture [and taught in large part by media -- the teacher function].

§         We must ask ourselves why and how this happens -- and the consequences -- and what can be done.

 

Part II -- Violent Masculinity

 

§         This section explores the construction of violent masculinity and the connection to violence and suggests some answers.

§         Katz links violence to an American society his says constructs masculinity around domination and violence.

§         This segment features the social consequences of the pose -- school shootings, constructing violent masculinity, sexualized violence, invulnerability -- but also provides hope.

§         Near the conclusion in a section called Better Man, Katz says America has made some progress and features examples from sensitive, more human men like Avery Brooks (Deep Space Nine), John Singleton, Ed Almos (Stand and Deliver), John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, etc. and media content such as Singleton's Boyz in the Hood,  Saving Private Ryan and Good Will Hunting, and leaders such as King, Mandella and Mahatma Gandhi.

§         The 20th Century was the bloodiest in history, with lots of posturing and gay bashing.

§         Katz says it will take a different kind of courage to break out of the role of tough guy posturing men are pressured into so that society can keep making progress. And, courage must be seen as the act of resisting taking on the tough-guy pose -- and change will be difficult because violent masculinity is a cultural norm in America and tied to social, political and institutional institutions

 

Some Possible Solutions

 

1.      Katz says we must change the "cultural environment" (ala George Gerbner in Killing Screens) so to begin, men must have the "courage" to work with women and speak out. They need to see a more honest portrayal of male vulnerability. Then, they can also join with others, such as  in gay/straight alliances -- but change must happen on a personal and institutional level (media are institutions, along with the typical ones like schools, etc.).

2.      Girls and women must show they value men who reject the tough guise.

3.      People must work to break the media controlled by rich, white men who control the existing stories -- and include MORE STORIES about men as humans not trapped by the guise.

 

Note: The Michael Moore movie, Bowling for Columbine, is an important supplemental resource for those who are interested in this subject.