The Achilles Effect: What Pop Culture Is Teaching Young Boys about Masculinity

The Achilles Effect: What Pop Culture Is Teaching Young Boys about Masculinity

A discussion of pop culture messages about masculinity, their impact on boys, and the benefits of introducing more gender balance to boys' lives. When most people think about gender stereotypes and children, they envision princesses, dolls, and pink clothing. Few consider the warriors, muscle-bound action figures, and T-shirts covered in graffiti and skulls that are assumed to signify masculinity. The pop culture environment that surrounds boys introduces them to a world where traditionally masculine traits-like toughness, aggression, and stoicism-are highly esteemed and where female influence is all but absent. The Achilles Effect explores gender bias in the entertainment aimed at primary school boys, focusing on the dominant themes in children's TV shows, toy advertising, movies, and books: gender stereotypes of both sexes, male dominance, negative portrayals of fathers, breaking of the mother/son bond, and the devaluing of femininity. It examines the gender messages sent by pop culture, provides strategies for countering these messages, and encourages discussion of a vitally important issue that is rarely talked about-boys and their often skewed understanding of gender. The Achilles Effect is a guide for parents, educators, and students who want to learn more about male and female stereotypes, their continued strong presence in kids' pop culture, and their effect on young boys. THE ACHILLES EFFECT What Pop Culture is Teaching Young Boys about Masculinity By CRYSTAL SMITH iUniverse, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Crystal Smith All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4502-8499-8 Contents Preface...................................................................................................1Introduction: Boys Will Be Boys...........................................................................9Chapter 1: Warriors, Wimps, Brats, and Clowns: The Impact of Male Stereotypes on Boys.....................21Chapter 2: Distant and Disappointed Dads: Pop Culture Lessons About Fatherhood............................43Chapter 3: Separating Boys from their Mothers' Influence..................................................57Chapter 4: Male Dominance and Lack of Female Heroes.......................................................69Chapter 5: Modern Day Warriors: Superheroes and Sports Stars..............................................85Chapter 6: Language and Communication.....................................................................109Chapter 7: What We Can Do About the Achilles Effect.......................................................125Chapter 8: Recommended Resources..........................................................................143References................................................................................................167Index.....................................................................................................209Endnotes..................................................................................................217 Chapter One Warriors, Wimps, Brats, and Clowns: The Impact of Male Stereotypes on Boys * * * I remember my first encounter with gender stereotypes in children's cartoons. The opening scene of an episode of What's New Scooby-Doo showed two boys looking up at a large roller coaster. When one expressed his fear of the ride, the other said to him with disgust, "Don't be a girl." The character's words hit me like a slap. Having previously limited my son's television viewing to the kind and gentle Bob the Builder and the educational Mighty Machines , I was quite unprepared for this abrupt change in tone. Despite my shock, I maintained my composure, calmly told my son that this program was inappropriate for him, then found something else for him to watch. (Sadly, television had become something of a necessity for my older son since the birth of my younger one, who was rather feisty and difficult to settle at nap time.) At that time I was not researching or even considering writing a book, which is why I lack a proper citation for the episode, but that scene was an eye-opener for me. I had always thought that gender stereotypes affected only girls and women. With that one sentence, I realized that boys could suffer just as much as girls from the harsh, gender-based judgments of others. The roller coaster scene became something of a catalyst for me. I began to look more closely at depictions of boys and men in children's popular culture and I discovered that kids' films, television, and books are rife with stereotyped male characters. These characters sustain and reinforce the brand of masculinity that first emerged in ancient hero stories and prevails still—one that assigns value to boys according to their level of manliness. Warriors, being the most stereotypically masculine, are considered the ideal, while more effeminate or soft boys are relegated to the bottom of the heap. These male types are juxtaposed agains