Tough Guise 2 Essay

881 Words2 Pages

My sister Sydni and I watched the documentary Tough Guise 2 together, and we both really liked the movie. It hits hard to see how societal expectations drive men to escalate violence to prove their manliness and affirm their identity. Sydni and I already knew that men are more aggressive due to our psychology classes, but it was new to hear it described as "redemptive violence" to reclaim manhood. Sydni found it interesting and noted that "we can't please everyone" and there is a male identity crisis, men re-evaluating what it means to be men. She also used the term "toxic masculinity," and I agree with her that men face unreasonable expectations of how to live. Sydni and I liked seeing the layers of this violence issue and the changes in masculinity as society changes. The film did a great job breaking down the …show more content…

Although my brothers were tough on judo and Boy Scouts, I did not feel that they fit the aggressive manly stereotypes and I liked them so much more than the “dumb jock” characters I would see in the media. I also saw the vulnerable sides of them and their empathy, and our parents always encouraged us to share our feelings, ask for help, and support each other. I think that more families should be like this, so frankly I get annoyed when men are villainized or objectified, and I have a big problem with the idea that men should hide their feelings and suffer in silence. People want to act tough to prove that they are manly or assert their place in the world as a racial or socioeconomic minority, and I want to show them that peaceful conversations can be honorable and productive. Similar to concerns about class, race, and immigration, people want to affirm their gender and be respected as the person that they are. We all want to feel supported and know that we will not be bullied for things outside of our

Open Document