Damsel and the Dangerous

Perry spoke about the different masculinities within our culture. Hegemonic masculinity is the most valued in a patriarchal culture, which is apparent in the above GQ magazine cover. LeBron James brute strength and size is hyper contrasted by Gisele’s skinny frame. The article shown involving LeBron is not about how he became what he was, but instead about the secrets of having the best bodies. The men of the country have this idea that in order to be strong they have to be like LeBron. The odds are completely against the men. To be born with the genes to receive his body are 1 in a million.

Complicit masculinity does not question the hegemonic masculinity and by not questioning it, it does not help it. These are the boys who know they can never become like LeBron, but either try their best to receive a physique like LeBron’s within their own frame, which perpetuates the idea that one always has to strive to reach that masculinity. Marginalized masculinity is with men of color and disabilities. Generally these men are not considered the hegemonic masculinity, which is unfair because their masculinity should be respected as well. Men of color’s bodies, like LeBron’s, are often admired, but not found often in television, like Perry was saying about the O.C. Subordinate masculinity is antithetical to masculinity. It is effeminate and gay, which is the opposite of the hegemonic masculinity. I think this is unfair in everyway. The idea of masculinity needs to be rethought because every man is just as masculine as the next. It is just as terrible a problem as body image for girls.