Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity
The question that really comes out of this is ‘why are boys behaving in this way?’ ‘Why is 90% of violence committed by boys and men?’ It’s not just in these few places (like video games or movies) but it’s in what passes for normal culture. It is part of the normal training and conditioning and socializing of boys and men. That’s a point that a lot of people don’t want to hear, but if you look at the culture these kids are immersed in, violence is a normal, natural part, not just of the world, but of being masculine or being a male person in the world. It’s not just in these few places (like video games or movies) but it’s in what passes for normal culture. It is part of the normal training and conditioning and socializing of boys and men. That’s a point that a lot of people don’t want to hear, but if you look at the culture these kids are immersed in, violence is a normal, natural part, not just of the world, but of being masculine or being a male person in the world.
In this innovative and wide-ranging analysis, Jackson Katz argues that widespread violence in American society, including the tragic school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, Jonesboro, Arkansas, and elsewhere, needs to be understood as part of an ongoing crisis in masculinity. This exciting new media literacy tool– utilizing racially diverse subject matter and examples– will enlighten and provoke students (both males and females) to evaluate their own participation in the culture of contemporary masculinity.
Watch the full documentary now
I just finished watching “Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity”. I love the title of it and think it’s really creative. I understand the overall idea speaking out against violence and not being necessarily influenced by what is in the media, but I think the film stretched a few things.
Growing up, I played video games, had a BB gun, played with G.I. Joe toys, was into “professional” wrestling, played sports, and watched movies with guns and violence in them.
I think the main thing, from what I know from myself and my friends growing up, is whether the parents are involved with their children. Today, a lot of parents are too busy watching Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, Jon and Kate +8, etc., and know more about the lives of people on tv, than they do their own children living in their house.
Is the media to blame? As Jackson Katz said, sure it is partly. But how does this media get to the kids? Either the parents are allowing it, or the parents don’t know/don’t care the kids are doing it.
What are images? why do we create all these images of each-other,to be normal, to be tough, to be nice, being beautiful; you are smart, you are dumb?
Thank you Jackson! I’ve been teaching women’s and girl’s self defense for over a decade and know that without your hard work and others like you e.g. Don McPherson, “Men Stopping Rape” etc my work is a futile effort. We live in a society that pigeonholes men and women into two very distinct boxes creating a recipe for violence. Until all of us are free to express a full range of emotions and qualities there will never be peace. Two thumbs up.
It’s called testosterone. Seriously, this guy is a dip****. The whole masculinity portion in male society goes ALL the way back to ancient times and is nothing new. Look at ancient Greek and Roman portrayals of men, they are nothing really different then what they are now. Guys will be guys, and they always will be. This guy needs to get over himself and realize this.
Gee, Samurai, I’m wondering if you’re only looking at part of history here. Men also wrote epic poems of love. Men wrote legendary books about forgiveness and mercy. Men wrote and acted out sonnets of love and devotion, they painted flowers, they embraced other men, and mourned deeply.
Furthermore, if we’re going to take ancient Greek and Roman portrayals of men as infallible and unchangeable then I suppose it’s time we all embraced pedophilia. Since it was considered normal for young boys to have homosexual relationships with much older men, why don’t we consider it normal now? If it was, indeed, so great.
Things change, dear. Societies and cultures move on. It’s time you did too, or at the very least, accept it.
No one in the black community is a ‘poser’. It is kill or be killed. You look angry because you are angry. People fvck with you all day every day no matter where you go unless you do have people who watch out for you. So no one is giving a ‘tough guy pose’. That’s bs. You fight until you die and you die fighting and you aren’t posing. You are tough because like me, you were the runt and everyone beat you. I use to kill animals with my bear hands who didn’t obey me when I was a kid because I was on the bottom of the totem and there was no one to beat but the harmless and defenseless. I grew up so full of hate my mother had to leave the home once I was old enough to fend for myself because my brother and I would never stop fighting each other.
good written quietsamurai
I still deal with it. I bouncer at a bar and there is a cop there who thinks it’s fun to back hand swat me in the groin and I can’t get him to stop. It always seems someone wants to set up a pecking order. Yea men wrote love letters and sonnets, but some of those men were at war. Those who didn’t go to war were hanged, so what choice did most men have that were soft, sweet and considerate but be called *** by the more brutal ones and subdued. I have seen this happen in 9th grade, where a kid was tender and he didn’t want to fight and got raped for it. Most barbarians come in and take your home, wife, land and life when they perceive you as soft. They believe in survival of the fittest so men like Adolph Hitler are the epitome of their outlook on life, but when men like him win they cry foul.
Have you ever considered the fact that violence is a necessity in a man’s life. It will most likely occur in his life, and he needs to get used to it. And you don’t have to e violent to be engaged in violence. Violence will come to you.
People attack people, countries attack countries. It doesn’t matter if you’re violent or not. Violence will come to you.
So why not be ready for it?
@quietsamurai
Do you really want the Greeks/Romans to be your measure of societal norms? Well, then be prepared to start having sex with little boys…
@somedude
Is that seriously your argument? You are arguing that the status quo is a natural occurence?
@Lass
“Do you really want the Greeks/Romans to be your measure of societal norms? Well, then be prepared to start having sex with little boys…”
“Is that seriously your argument? You are arguing that the status quo is a natural occurrence?”
This is just pathetic. Using cheap sophisms in one comment, and calling me out for not-serious-enough argument.
It’s completely irrelevant if this “status quo” is natural occurrence or not. We have ability to change nature. Some people just don’t want to. And there’s nothing you can do about it.
Let’s say I didn’t like what you said to me and I punch you in the face. What do you do? Call your mom, police, punch me back, run?
Let’s say I’m a real *******. I punch few other people around me, cause I didn’t really like how they looked at me when I broke your nose.
How will society respond to a guy like me? No education, no preventive measures, no punishment will ever completely eliminate violence. Do a research on life in prison. Very few convicts get a lifetime, most get out hurt someone again. They know they’ll end up in prison again. They don’t care.
Its in our genes to be violent. I hate the fact that the world has become so metrosexual and soft. I am a United States Marine, and I have seen the true face of humanity. If you haven’t had water or food in a week I bet a million dollars you would fight for it. Why are most people so disconnected from what humans really are? I watched this, and this guy is soft. All he does is focus on the media, there are no scientists to back this up. Even a person with half a brain should know that the media is filled with half truths. I have seen what humans really are. The reason that humans dont have fangs or claws, is because we are the cruelest animal.