Analysis Of Toxic Masculinity And Murder

870 Words2 Pages

98 percent of mass murderers are men. According to Time in 2014, almost all rampage killers are men.This statistic startled me as I read "Toxic Masculinity and Murder" by James Hamblin of The Atlantic. In essence, this one figure demonstrates that masculinity is "a more common feature than any of the elements that tend to dominate discourse—religion, race, nationality, political affiliation, or any history of mental illness." The rest of the article went on to elaborate on how the American attachment to "dominance models of manhood," according to Amanda Marcotte of Salon, is a significant factor as to why or culture has such high levels of violence. Supporting aggressiveness, physicality, and anger within masculinity makes it toxic and harms …show more content…

The term makes them angry, or confused, as many feel it lumps all men in with the rotten apples. This is the voice of the "other" which is addressed in the article. I appreciate that Hamblin made a conscious effort to include the "not all men" trend on the Internet. He gives little credibility to the "not all men statement, addressing that while informative on an oppositional attitude, it does not do anything to address the sometimes toxic aspect of growing up as a man. The two stories are alike in the sense that people agree men can be, and sometimes are, violent. There are certain expectations placed upon a man as he grows and strives to be masculine. However, the stories diverge on a course of action. The "others" do not want to demonize men, yet are not taking an active role in eliminating the occasional poison that masculine expectations inhibit. Hamblin 's opinion, as well as several respected experts in psychology, criminology, and sociology, believes that toxic masculinity is an accurate term that can further both discussion and action on how to stop the aggressive and destructive notions of

Show More
Related

  • Tough Guise 2 Essay

    578 Words  | 2 Pages

    This also leads into the fact that people interpret male violence and aggression as natural. They’ll pin it as something hardwired from ‘the hunter-gatherer days’. Often times they’ll also blame it on media violence, such as graphic video games, movies and TV shows. This is something much broader than that.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code

    1607 Words  | 4 Pages

    The results reflect opinions from people in the general public who support his argument. The fact that he took the time to conduct these interviews shows that he is informed on the topic and is trying to gather credible information to support his argument. He also quotes social psychologist Robert Brannon’s four basic rules of masculinity in the text. This shows Kimmel took the time to research the topic and learned from the work of other researchers. The author acknowledges the expectations that society has for a man to be considered masculine but he does not think society should have these expectations. Kimmel does not reveal his masculinity or lack of in this essay, so we cannot be sure if his character influenced this writing. If he were extremely masculine he would probably be more likely to side with society’s views but if he were more on the feminine side he would be more likely to oppose society’s views. Kimmel has some credibility because of his use of interviews and surveys but lacks some credibility because of the lack of statistical data on this

    Read More

  • Figurative Language In Dave Barry's Lost In The Kitchen

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout this essay he focuses on keeping the tone light and humorous so as to entertain and yet still educate. We see him casually admitting his and others shortcomings as men and directing the humor at himself as he makes fun of his horrible behavior. In doing so, he makes this piece very easy for the reader to relate to; whether you are a woman

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Tough Guise 2

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jackson Katz is the founder of Mentors in Violence Prevention which is an education program that has been focused on military and sporting organizations in attempts to put a halt on gender violence. Other than being an educator, Katz is also an author and filmmaker. In 2013, he produced the film Tough Guise 2. In this film, Katz reviews the normalization of male jurisdiction in America. The film looks at the messages of gun violence, sexism, and bullying that are sent to men throughout their entire life. Tough Guise 2 argues the statement that male brutality is a rooted back to our cultural standards of manhood. A pivotal point of the film is that a male’s masculinity is not just handed to them, it must be earned. During the course of the film, this point is supported by examples such as gun violence, homophobic messages and mass shootings.

    Read More

  • What Is Tough Guise 2?

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    As described in the film “Tough Guise 2”, the U.S. is both obsessed with and is a victim of its own culture. On one hand, movies and video games that glamorize violence and books that argue that violence. Additionally, many other films and books highlight that violence is a core aspect of male masculinity and argues that men are losing it through the empowerment of women and the loss of employment. At the same time, the United States has suffered through countless gun-related deaths and the mainstreaming of media such as Bum Fights, where actual homeless people are assaulted on camera. But due to the politicization of the issue of violence and the news media to properly explain the issue to the U.S., many people are taught that violence stems from the youth, which is only part of the broader picture. Instead of identifying and preventing the largest source of violence in the country, young white males, the focus is instead shifted toward the potential of violence of young men of color in poor urban

    Read More

  • Kali Holloway's 'Masculinity Is Killing Men'

    1652 Words  | 4 Pages

    Whether this be through morals, choices, beliefs, or personality. Holloway argues that it is through toxic/abrupt masculinity that boys are constantly caught in the crossfires between fight or flight. Masculinity becomes toxic when it becomes obsessive and disruptive. When society gets to the point where they cannot even focus or be themselves because of the fact that the only thing they care about is being the perfect man. The idea of striving to become this perfect man is an example of flight in society. Men are being forced to attempt to fit into these ideals and “prove, and re prove that they are men” in order to avoid the feeling of not fitting in with the rest of the group (Holloway). Holloway continues to discuss how throughout their lives men are constantly seen as emotionally tougher which causes them to grow up believing that if they show emotions they are weaker and are not allowed to be a part of the pack. Therefore instead of fighting this ideal and deciding to stand up for who they are, it is easier to conform and attempt to fit in because if they show discontent then they are shown as weak and unable to handle the “social constructions of masculinity” forcing them to become a social pariah and damage their spiritual

    Read More

  • The Movie Violence Interrupters

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Society influences the socioeconomic inequalities between people, which usually results in differing social and cultural norms surrounding violence. These norms might include male dominance over women, while certain cultural norms might support violence and claim it to be a reasonable method to resolve conflicts in neighborhoods. We see this shown in the film because they talk about how violence is a two step process. The first part is the thought that, ‘I have a grievance with someone’, and the second part is that the grievance justifies violence (James et al.,

    Read More

  • The Guy Code Analysis

    1328 Words  | 3 Pages

    It imposes a consciousness that timidity is not a characteristic that men should have. In order to prove themselves, men usually attempt unhealthy and destructive acts to perform their courages and fearless, but these actions prone to suicidal and various other types of out of control or untouchable behaviors. Michael Kimmel states that, “ Men ages nineteen to twenty-nine are three times less likely to wear seat belts than women the same age”(Kimmel 468). Mr.Kimmel quoted a data to claim that young men assume safe driving as emasculation. As long as men are driving a car, using a seat bell means that they are afraid of injure or death. Beside those, it also represents this man cannot completely control his car; on the other hand, he is not masculine. Moreover, men have proclivity to violence. In “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos” by Joan Morgan, she specifically argus machismo behaviors among Africa Americans. She wrote that “When brothers can talk so cavalierly about killing each other and then reveal that they have no expectation to see their twenty-first birthday, that is straight-up depression masquerading as machismo”(Morgan 456). As a consequence of overflowing reckless and brutal actions, black men are more easily motivated to perform their machismo by murdering each other. It obviously states a situation that due to the suggestion and guidance from man box, the concept of intrepidity and brave has been distorted. Masculinity in these men’s mind represents a willing to die as long as they have manifested no

    Read More

  • Power, Control and the Cycle of Domestic Violence

    1958 Words  | 4 Pages

    Violence is the way men gain control and they use this in many different areas. They are wrapped up in a vicious cycle as Johnson stated. Men fear being controlled and they assert that control by using violence to create a fear. When men feel emasculated, which they often do in relationships, things take a turn for the worse. The most interesting part of the whole thing is relationships are supposed to be a place where one another connect. They are supposed to be vulnerable to each other but yet many men are still unable to do this. This shows that the idea of being the most masculine is embedded deep inside and is almost like a disease whose symptom can become domestic violence.

    Read More

  • Are We all Simply Serial Killers or Are Serial Killers Different from the Rest of Us?

    2023 Words  | 5 Pages

    “‘Instrumental’ violence, however, murder for a purpose, - political power, rape, sadistic pleasure, robbery, or some other base gratification – remains the domain of the male. After all, every male is a potential killer in the form of a warrior – and he only becomes a murderer when he misuses his innate physical and socialized capacity to kill for ignoble, immoral, and impolitic reason. While the male is built and programmed to destroy, the female nests, creates, and nurtures. Or so the story goes”.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Socially Constructed Body

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    Men prove their masculinity by acting tough and joking about hardships or danger proving dominance. The stigma of men walking away from a fight not being honorable is an example the authors used to portray that being passive is far from being masculine. Although women have been observed to take into healthier lifestyles they still succumb to the problems of eating disorders and binge drinking in their college years. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are issues linked to the western cultural ideals for beauty and many of the times women will find themselves having a hard time reversing such a disorder or even being

    Read More

  • Hegemonic Masculinity in American Society

    1499 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... E Glenn, and Nancy B Sherrod. The psychology of men and masculinity:Research status and future directions. New York: John Wiley and sons, 2001.

    Read More

  • Men as Victims

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    As it is in the case of the majority of violent crimes, (Davies and Rogers, 2006) perpetrators of violent crimes, and especially sexual assault related crimes exert additional force by threatening the victim or their families. Male victims also must contend with an additional sense of shame and embarrassment in being identified with a crime that has been typically portrayed in the media as happening to women. This places men at a disadvantage in the reporting process, because their safety and the safety of others is compromised further if the crime is not reported. (Messerschmitt, 2009)

    Read More

  • Masculinity

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the chapter masculinity for all their Greer state the expression “ how to make a man of [someone]” (p.731) it then states that when a “boy” into manhood it is normally when they join into a paramilitary organization such as scout movement, cadets, school officer training corps. In program such as these they’re taught how to take a punishment “like a man”. (P.732) They get used to be rough, and tumble. When a young man is learning about masculinity he has to learn to be courageous and strong. Eventually later in life they start to learn that “a man is supposed to be unflinching, and as hard in every sense.” (P.732) It is said that “Real men do not fuss or scurry” (P.732). Men should not have to always stick to theses standards. They should feel as if they can be upset when it if they need to be, even if that means being upset in front of a crowd. It doesn’t make you any less of a man. But women do need a strongman when the time is appropriate....

    Read More

  • Gender and Serial Killers

    2475 Words  | 5 Pages

    Jurik, Nancy C. and Russ Winn. 1990. “Gender and Homicide: A comparison of Men and

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Toxic Masculinity And Murder

Open Document