Wimps whiners weenies: men in movies today

More fundamentally, Hollywood isn't quite sure what a man is. Gender interchangeability is taken for granted in contemporary films. There are often no specifically male or female characteristics. Except for social conditioning, men and women are said to be emotionally and psychologically identical. Especially in movies set in the present or future, women must be physically and emotionally fearsome. A spate of recent films have starred women warriors (GI lane, Starship Troopers), female gunslingers (Bad Girls, The Quick and the Dead), women secret agents (Charlie's Angels), and female action heroes (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider).

If women must be men, what's left for men to be? In the real world, a man finds the ultimate expression of his identity in his relationship with a woman. A man (who is usually stronger and more able to endure physical hardship) is at his best when providing for, protecting, comforting, and loving a woman. If movie women are themselves fearless and indomitable, a strong man provides no contrast. All that's left for male characters is to wallow in their emotions, agonize over their fate, play the fool, and show their helplessness.

This may be what Hollywood wants, because it comports with its ideological vision. But it's not what the public wants. Even with popular stars and famous directors, movies with emasculated men tend not to do well at the box office. Still, the industry continues to churn them out.

When, on the other hand, Hollywood does supply a genuine heroic masculinity, the American masses come a flocking. Gladiator, with its noble Roman general, was a smash hit in theaters and is now the best-selling DVD of all time. Despite its power to affect popular attitudes, Hollywood doesn't seem to be changing many American minds about ideal male and female relationships.

How long will we have to wait before movies set in the present day are once again populated with real men--the kind we'd like our sons to emulate? Probably not until Hollywood begins to offer sympathetic portrayals of businessmen, born-again Christians, gun owners, and Republicans. In other words, not for a very long time.

This article is from a couple of years ago and laughable at best. These guys are the Alpha Males of the US socioeconomic system. I don't know about you, but it would seem to me, that these are the people who are fucking up the system. Slapping up strip malls as fast as possible because, relaxing pollution regulations in the interested of Big Business, Driving gas guzzling SUVs. These guys are throwback clowns that deserve to be made fun of.

To me the best representation of a Man is someone who fights the good fight with the best interest of all in mind, not just himself or his nuclear unit. Someone who on a daily basis, does what he says he's going to do, who does his best to be honest and straight forward. He treats everyone with respect, not just those of his socioeconomic class while igorning "them".

Masculinity is maturity and taking responsibility for your actions. A lot of the Laddie Mags that pose as representations of masculenity, are all about drinking, scamming chicks, style, sports and tales of adventure. Now I dig all that stuff, but that's not what makes me a man. It defines what kind of man I am, but other than the penis, what makes me masculine is that nearly indefinable quality of self awareness that balances all the parts, making a stronger whole.