The Mask You Live In Analysis

The Mask You Live In is a documentary about the way that society raises boys incorrectly and the consequences that come with it. It starts with the way society views masculinity. As a society, we are very hyper-feminine and hyper-masculine. We tell boys that to be a”real man” they must be aggressive, violent, and tough. This leaves boys from a very young age without a way to express themselves emotionally. All children, no matter their gender, start as a blank slate. but from the start society treats them differently. They are dressed different, they get different toys, their rooms are painted different colors are physical examples, but the way we treat little boys are girls are very different as well. We call little girls princesses and little

The biggest culprits are video games, movies and television, rap music and rappers, and porn. 31% of men and boys claim to be addicted to video games. The more addictive video games are the more violent ones. Boys can come to idolize their video game characters who are normally aggressive, violent and can not express themselves in a healthy manner. A study by the surgeon general shows that violent video games will make boys more aggressive and less sympathetic to other people's pain. Violence in movies will also do that, but more importantly, the movies only portrait three stereotypes as “real men”. First is the silent but deadly. He is aggressive, violent and does not express any emotions; he is a James Bond type character. Secondly, there is the superhero. He is also aggressive and violent, but he possess some skill to make him more violent and better than other men. Lastly is the man-child. He is not aggressive or violent, but he proves his masculinity through doing stupid things like partying, excessive drinking, drugs and the objectification of women. Though most music does not spread great messages for young children, the rap industry is currently the worst and the most influential on boys. It associates being a real man with fame, power, money, excessive drinking, drugs and having sex with lots of women. Finally, porn is a huge contributor to the masculine identity currently being forced on boys,

It will take a large effort for many different people. Mothers need to stay in touch with their sons because boys with a healthy relationship with their mothers are less likely to be involved with crime. Secondly, fathers need to be good role models for their sons and embrace their emotions and not try and squash them. After media, a boy's second biggest influence on what he perceives a man to be is his father or a father figure in his life. On a similar note, coaches need to realize they are the father figure to these boys and they need to enforce not only athleticism but good values like teamwork and friendship. Without good coaches, sports can not grow one's character. Finally, us as a society need to put a media with more realistic people, both men, and women. This can teach our young children how the world really is and try and push some good messages through