Directions: Please answer all the questions below in a post on your blog, and be sure to label this post as Blog Post 15.
1) Which was the one assignment that was fun to do and why?
Talking about the worse date and relating it to "Whos Cheap and "The double binds of masculinity". It's fun relating past experiences to the readings we do because It makes them much easier to understand, was also fun listening to my classmates's stories.
2)What was the one assignment that made you learn about something? What was the "something" you learned?
Double Binds. I learned alot about what society expects out of men and how we need to find a balance between the gentleman and beast part of us. Though I still find it ironic how society pressures boys to stay away from girls until their teenage years, then pressure them to mix together.
3) What was the one assignment you did not care for? Why?
Does the first research paper count? Probably because I picked political based articles in a mens magazine, and then was told to use them for a paper related to masculinity. It's my fault for not seeing it coming..
4) Do you think, overall, Blogger was a useful tool for this class? In what ways?
Yes, it was an incredibly useful tool. Though truth be told, it did take some getting used too, coming right out of highschool I don't really expect teachers to check my work while I'm at home. But yes, it's a much more simplier way to get work done and have everything organized.
5) Describe a type of assignment or task that we did NOT do that you either did on your own, OR would have liked to have done, or a TYPE of assignment you would have liked to have done more of?
Actually, I started watching a few bromances, 40 Year Old Virgin, Role Models and it actually makes the reading more understable relating it too the films. Even though normally I don't like learning through film, I think that it would work wonders for a topic like this which focuses on our society and it's effects on us.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Final Draft. Research Paper #2
Dimitrios Tsoukalas
English 101.0800
Miss Bogacka
December 10 2010.
Men have been sharing homosocial bonds between themselves since the beginning of mankind. It's not uncommon to hear two men going out to spend the day fishing or watching a football game together. This bonding is common and we consider it normal. But mens homosocial bonds aren't only used to strengthen friendship between men, but through David Grazian's article "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activitiy", Micheal Flood's "Men, Sex and Mateship: How homosociality shapes men's heterosexual relations" and Scott Kiesling's article "Homosociality in Men's Talk: Balancing and Recreating Cultural discourses of Masculinity" it's seen that men's homosocial bonds are also used to create and strengthen their heterosexual bonds. Through the use of wingmen, a male needing an audience and the feeling of being a part of a group one can see all these promote homosocial bonds but indeed are what cause the heterosexual relationship to occur.
The process of having and being a wingman gives a man the opportunity to create a heterosexual bond. A wingman is someone who will cover another men when he wants to talk to a girl who isn't alone. To even have someone a man can trust to be his wingman, he needs to have homosocial bonds with other men to begin with. As Grazian says
"the wingman serves multiple purposes; he provides validation of a leading man's trustworthiness, eases the interaction between a single male friend and a larger group of women, serves as a source of distraction for the friend or friends of a more desireable target of affection, can be called on to confirm the wild claims of his partner, and perhaps the most important, helps motivate his friends by building up their confidence. "
Men need the assistance of other men in order to create their heterosexual bonds. In Grazian's article, in the ritual of "Girl Hunting" the men who assist, are known as the wingmen. A wingman's homosocial bonds with another man is what drives him to help that man, even if there is no direct reward for a wingman, most of them do it because they're helping a friend get a date; which is the masculine thing to do.
A man feels that the majority of his masculinity is based off of what "the boys" think, that includes heterosexual bonds. In Flood's article a young boy was asked of what does he enjoy the most, and that boy started explaining a very stereotypical masculine fantasy. But what stroke Flood as odd, was I thing the boy said at the end, " 'If the boys could see me now'. Thus, 'the boys' are the imagined audience for this man's sexual achievements, their collective male gaze informing the meaning of his sexual relations". This boy's heterosexual desire was fueled by what he thought would give him respect from the boys, it was based on the homosocial bonds he had formed with "the boys". Men's homosocial bonds determine what they consider as masculine. It's the people men hang around who make them who they are, their masculinity is based off them.
A man without other men to base his masculinity off of is hopeless, men strive to be homosocial and form groups with other men as Scott Fabius Kiesling's article explains. Men's masculinity though as shown in our society, isn't based off of homosocial bonds, but heterosexual bonds. "Homosociality is where we might find the male version of the female double bind: To be a man is to be powerful, and to be powerful in the current gender order, is in part, to be heterosexual. Affiliation can be equated with dependence, so homosociality is almost by definition not masculine." Even though men attempt to create homosocial bonds, our society tells us to go for the heterosexual bonds because it's considered more masculine. Which could be one of the reasons why adolscents and teenagers homosocial bonds are mostly about getting heterosexual bonds, as seen in Grazian's "The Girl Hunt", and Flood's article.
Masculinity in young men is unstable, and can be changed in many ways. With the help of homosocial bonds, a man is able to see what other men are like and turn himself into the man he wants to be. Homosocial bonds boost a man's confidence as well, and a man with a good amount of self confidence is able to have heterosexual relationships easier, feel masculine and be the kind of man he wants to be. Once a man is confident, theres nothing that can stop him.
Flood, Micheal. "Men Sex and Mateship: How homosociality shapes men's heterosexual relations". Feminisms : An international Woman's and Gender Studies Conference. University of Queensland. 12-16 July.
Grazian, David. "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". Men's Lives 8th Ed. Ed. Micheal Kimmel and Micheal S. Messner. New York" Allyn and Bacon 2010.
Kiesling, Scott. "Homosociality in Men's talk: Balancing and Recreating Cultural Discourses of Masculinity". University of Pittsburgh.
English 101.0800
Miss Bogacka
December 10 2010.
Men have been sharing homosocial bonds between themselves since the beginning of mankind. It's not uncommon to hear two men going out to spend the day fishing or watching a football game together. This bonding is common and we consider it normal. But mens homosocial bonds aren't only used to strengthen friendship between men, but through David Grazian's article "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activitiy", Micheal Flood's "Men, Sex and Mateship: How homosociality shapes men's heterosexual relations" and Scott Kiesling's article "Homosociality in Men's Talk: Balancing and Recreating Cultural discourses of Masculinity" it's seen that men's homosocial bonds are also used to create and strengthen their heterosexual bonds. Through the use of wingmen, a male needing an audience and the feeling of being a part of a group one can see all these promote homosocial bonds but indeed are what cause the heterosexual relationship to occur.
The process of having and being a wingman gives a man the opportunity to create a heterosexual bond. A wingman is someone who will cover another men when he wants to talk to a girl who isn't alone. To even have someone a man can trust to be his wingman, he needs to have homosocial bonds with other men to begin with. As Grazian says
"the wingman serves multiple purposes; he provides validation of a leading man's trustworthiness, eases the interaction between a single male friend and a larger group of women, serves as a source of distraction for the friend or friends of a more desireable target of affection, can be called on to confirm the wild claims of his partner, and perhaps the most important, helps motivate his friends by building up their confidence. "
Men need the assistance of other men in order to create their heterosexual bonds. In Grazian's article, in the ritual of "Girl Hunting" the men who assist, are known as the wingmen. A wingman's homosocial bonds with another man is what drives him to help that man, even if there is no direct reward for a wingman, most of them do it because they're helping a friend get a date; which is the masculine thing to do.
A man feels that the majority of his masculinity is based off of what "the boys" think, that includes heterosexual bonds. In Flood's article a young boy was asked of what does he enjoy the most, and that boy started explaining a very stereotypical masculine fantasy. But what stroke Flood as odd, was I thing the boy said at the end, " 'If the boys could see me now'. Thus, 'the boys' are the imagined audience for this man's sexual achievements, their collective male gaze informing the meaning of his sexual relations". This boy's heterosexual desire was fueled by what he thought would give him respect from the boys, it was based on the homosocial bonds he had formed with "the boys". Men's homosocial bonds determine what they consider as masculine. It's the people men hang around who make them who they are, their masculinity is based off them.
A man without other men to base his masculinity off of is hopeless, men strive to be homosocial and form groups with other men as Scott Fabius Kiesling's article explains. Men's masculinity though as shown in our society, isn't based off of homosocial bonds, but heterosexual bonds. "Homosociality is where we might find the male version of the female double bind: To be a man is to be powerful, and to be powerful in the current gender order, is in part, to be heterosexual. Affiliation can be equated with dependence, so homosociality is almost by definition not masculine." Even though men attempt to create homosocial bonds, our society tells us to go for the heterosexual bonds because it's considered more masculine. Which could be one of the reasons why adolscents and teenagers homosocial bonds are mostly about getting heterosexual bonds, as seen in Grazian's "The Girl Hunt", and Flood's article.
Masculinity in young men is unstable, and can be changed in many ways. With the help of homosocial bonds, a man is able to see what other men are like and turn himself into the man he wants to be. Homosocial bonds boost a man's confidence as well, and a man with a good amount of self confidence is able to have heterosexual relationships easier, feel masculine and be the kind of man he wants to be. Once a man is confident, theres nothing that can stop him.
Flood, Micheal. "Men Sex and Mateship: How homosociality shapes men's heterosexual relations". Feminisms : An international Woman's and Gender Studies Conference. University of Queensland. 12-16 July.
Grazian, David. "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". Men's Lives 8th Ed. Ed. Micheal Kimmel and Micheal S. Messner. New York" Allyn and Bacon 2010.
Kiesling, Scott. "Homosociality in Men's talk: Balancing and Recreating Cultural Discourses of Masculinity". University of Pittsburgh.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Rough First Draft: Research Paper #2
Dimitrios Tsoukalas
English 101.0800
Miss Bogacka
December 5 2010
Men have been sharing homosocial bonds since the beginning of man. It’s not uncommon
to hear two men going out to spend the day fishing or watch the football game together. This
bonding is common in our society and we consider it normal. But homosocial bonds don’t only
play the role of strengthening friendship between two men, but at the same time, it shapes their
masculinity and gives them the confidence to go after a woman. Since their masculinity is
ensured by bonding with another man, heterosexual bonds become much more easier to pursue.
Homosocial bonds between men is what creates and strengthens men’s heterosexual bonds.
Young men, who do not have a confident grasp on their masculinity yet, in order to prove
themselves, partake in a ritual called the girl hunt. This ritual involves all the men in their group
to try to get as many numbers from woman as possible in a social environment, such as a bar.
While the whole purpose of this may be to get the number of the women, half the time the whole
process isn’t even about the numbers. But rather to prove to themselves and their group that by getting these phone numbers they’re masculine. By sharing these homosocial bonds, men
become more confident, which results in better heterosexual bonds with this confidence. The
whole practice of wingmen during the girl hunt, the idea that a few of your friends are going to
help you get a girl, it’s an extreme boost to your masculinity. As well as strengthening the
homosocial bonds between them.
Men through the media are raised to believe differently though when it comes to
heterosocial bonds. A man who has a lot of homosocial bonds is considered masculine, while a man with a lot of heterosocial is considered to be on the boundary of homosexual. Also, in the
media’s definition of a real man, being homophobic is also considered masculine. The medias
definition of a man plays a big role on a few young men who have no homosocial bonds to
determine their own masculinity. Instead they attempt to take the medias masculinity which in
return is empty because it offers them no confidence. Masculinity without confidence is
pointless, because it is confidence that makes your masculinity. Homosocial bonds shape
confidence which is the key to the masculinity of a man as well as the key to
their heterosexual bonds which come later.
A man without confidence or the right sense of masculinity can’t become a right man,
example being Andy Stitzer from the 40 Year Old Virgin. This is a man who had his confidence
destroyed as a youth, but at the age of 40, told his friends about his problem and they all offered
to help. Through the homosocial bonds of these men trying to help a friend, Andy Stitzer turned
from a sexless man into a confident masculine man he was supposed to be. The homosocial
bonds by these men are what changed him, they boosted his confidence up to the part where they made him ask the woman out, start dating her, and finally, become sexual with her. Even a man who had reached the age of 40 and was not seen a man yet was able to regain his confidence and obtain his masculinity. Homosocial bonds can help any men’s masculinity. It also depends on
who the homosocial bonds are formed with and the person himself.
Masculinity in young men is unstable, and can be changed in many ways, though with the
help of homosocial bonds, a man confidence will rise, affecting his masculinity as well as his
heterosexual relationships, because just they fall along the same lines. If someone is a masculine
man, they’re confident about themselves. And once a man is confident, nothing can stop them.
Flood, Micheal. "Men, Sex and Mateship: How homosociality shapes men's heterosexual relations".. Feminisms: An international Women's and Gender Studies Conference. University of Queensland. 12-16 July
The 40 Year old Virgin Dir. Judd Apatow Pref. Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd. Universal Pictures 2005.
Grazian, David. "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". Men's Lives 8th Ed. New York: Allyn and Baron 2010.
English 101.0800
Miss Bogacka
December 5 2010
Men have been sharing homosocial bonds since the beginning of man. It’s not uncommon
to hear two men going out to spend the day fishing or watch the football game together. This
bonding is common in our society and we consider it normal. But homosocial bonds don’t only
play the role of strengthening friendship between two men, but at the same time, it shapes their
masculinity and gives them the confidence to go after a woman. Since their masculinity is
ensured by bonding with another man, heterosexual bonds become much more easier to pursue.
Homosocial bonds between men is what creates and strengthens men’s heterosexual bonds.
Young men, who do not have a confident grasp on their masculinity yet, in order to prove
themselves, partake in a ritual called the girl hunt. This ritual involves all the men in their group
to try to get as many numbers from woman as possible in a social environment, such as a bar.
While the whole purpose of this may be to get the number of the women, half the time the whole
process isn’t even about the numbers. But rather to prove to themselves and their group that by getting these phone numbers they’re masculine. By sharing these homosocial bonds, men
become more confident, which results in better heterosexual bonds with this confidence. The
whole practice of wingmen during the girl hunt, the idea that a few of your friends are going to
help you get a girl, it’s an extreme boost to your masculinity. As well as strengthening the
homosocial bonds between them.
Men through the media are raised to believe differently though when it comes to
heterosocial bonds. A man who has a lot of homosocial bonds is considered masculine, while a man with a lot of heterosocial is considered to be on the boundary of homosexual. Also, in the
media’s definition of a real man, being homophobic is also considered masculine. The medias
definition of a man plays a big role on a few young men who have no homosocial bonds to
determine their own masculinity. Instead they attempt to take the medias masculinity which in
return is empty because it offers them no confidence. Masculinity without confidence is
pointless, because it is confidence that makes your masculinity. Homosocial bonds shape
confidence which is the key to the masculinity of a man as well as the key to
their heterosexual bonds which come later.
A man without confidence or the right sense of masculinity can’t become a right man,
example being Andy Stitzer from the 40 Year Old Virgin. This is a man who had his confidence
destroyed as a youth, but at the age of 40, told his friends about his problem and they all offered
to help. Through the homosocial bonds of these men trying to help a friend, Andy Stitzer turned
from a sexless man into a confident masculine man he was supposed to be. The homosocial
bonds by these men are what changed him, they boosted his confidence up to the part where they made him ask the woman out, start dating her, and finally, become sexual with her. Even a man who had reached the age of 40 and was not seen a man yet was able to regain his confidence and obtain his masculinity. Homosocial bonds can help any men’s masculinity. It also depends on
who the homosocial bonds are formed with and the person himself.
Masculinity in young men is unstable, and can be changed in many ways, though with the
help of homosocial bonds, a man confidence will rise, affecting his masculinity as well as his
heterosexual relationships, because just they fall along the same lines. If someone is a masculine
man, they’re confident about themselves. And once a man is confident, nothing can stop them.
Flood, Micheal. "Men, Sex and Mateship: How homosociality shapes men's heterosexual relations".. Feminisms: An international Women's and Gender Studies Conference. University of Queensland. 12-16 July
The 40 Year old Virgin Dir. Judd Apatow Pref. Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd. Universal Pictures 2005.
Grazian, David. "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". Men's Lives 8th Ed. New York: Allyn and Baron 2010.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Preliminary Thesis and Annotated Bibliography for Research Paper #2
Dimitrios Tsoukalas
English 101.0800
Date: December 2 2010
Preliminary Thesis and Annotated Bibliography for Paper #2
Preliminary Thesis: Men need homosocial bonds with other men to be successful in their heterosexual relationships.
Grazian, David. "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". Men's Lives 8th Ed. New York: Allyn and Baron 2010.
In this article, Grazian describes about the nightlife ritual of girl hunting. He describes the importance of Girl Hunting to the masculinity of adolescent men as well as the importance to a group of men.
Grazian is a studied man with a PH.D in sociology. The source relates the Girl Hunt to how it strengthens homosocial bonds between men and can be used to objectify woman, making it easier for a man to approach them. Unlike the other two sources, this source focuses on the girl hunt. All of Grazian's claims are backed up with information from other sources and he is not biased in what he says.
Even though Grazian focuses on the ritual of girl hunting, he relates it to the strengthening of homosocial bonds. The entire ritual of girl hunting is to get girls, but Grazian claims that through this procedure, men strengthen their own bonds and masculinity of themselves. This article has proved to be that men need other men to get a girl sometimes, with the example of wingmen. Men strengthen their homosocial bonds in order for one of them to get a heterosexual bond.
Flood, Micheal. "Men, Sex and Mateship: How homosociality shapes men's heterosexual relations". Feminisms: An international Women's and Gender Studies Conference. University of Queensland. 12-16 July.
In this article, Dr Micheal Flood explains the homosocial relationships between man and relates them to mens heterosexual relationships. He also mentions that male to male relationships prioritize over male to female relationships.
The source does have a decent amount of research done, if only on one group of males. I believe it can still be applied for the majority of men. Also, it explains basically everything I am expecting from a source, answering my thesis directly. Though, because the research is done on one group, it could biased.
The source talks about men's relationships to each other, and because of these relationships, they are able to think of girls as objects, because they think of themselves as real men. It's made me think that men are more shallow then I initially thought. In the source, an example is given that these men pick their friends over a female, and are thought of as weak if they pick a heterosexual bond over their homosocial.
The 40 Year old Virgin Dir. Judd Apatow Pref. Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd. Universal Pictures 2005.
This is a source which explains how a man who has given up on the sexual part of life, is influenced by his guy friends to try to get sexual again. With example it shows how homosocial bonds between men boost and create heterosexual bonds.
While this source might be a movie and the information not completely reliable, I think this source can be used as a good example though.
This movie's entire focus is making the 40 year old virgin, not a virgin. The way they do it though, is through homosocial bonding, the other men try to teach him and edge him to it. Which does work, cause he does end up in a sexual relationship with the woman he was after. But he wouldn't have done it without the support the men gave him.
English 101.0800
Date: December 2 2010
Preliminary Thesis and Annotated Bibliography for Paper #2
Preliminary Thesis: Men need homosocial bonds with other men to be successful in their heterosexual relationships.
Grazian, David. "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". Men's Lives 8th Ed. New York: Allyn and Baron 2010.
In this article, Grazian describes about the nightlife ritual of girl hunting. He describes the importance of Girl Hunting to the masculinity of adolescent men as well as the importance to a group of men.
Grazian is a studied man with a PH.D in sociology. The source relates the Girl Hunt to how it strengthens homosocial bonds between men and can be used to objectify woman, making it easier for a man to approach them. Unlike the other two sources, this source focuses on the girl hunt. All of Grazian's claims are backed up with information from other sources and he is not biased in what he says.
Even though Grazian focuses on the ritual of girl hunting, he relates it to the strengthening of homosocial bonds. The entire ritual of girl hunting is to get girls, but Grazian claims that through this procedure, men strengthen their own bonds and masculinity of themselves. This article has proved to be that men need other men to get a girl sometimes, with the example of wingmen. Men strengthen their homosocial bonds in order for one of them to get a heterosexual bond.
Flood, Micheal. "Men, Sex and Mateship: How homosociality shapes men's heterosexual relations". Feminisms: An international Women's and Gender Studies Conference. University of Queensland. 12-16 July.
In this article, Dr Micheal Flood explains the homosocial relationships between man and relates them to mens heterosexual relationships. He also mentions that male to male relationships prioritize over male to female relationships.
The source does have a decent amount of research done, if only on one group of males. I believe it can still be applied for the majority of men. Also, it explains basically everything I am expecting from a source, answering my thesis directly. Though, because the research is done on one group, it could biased.
The source talks about men's relationships to each other, and because of these relationships, they are able to think of girls as objects, because they think of themselves as real men. It's made me think that men are more shallow then I initially thought. In the source, an example is given that these men pick their friends over a female, and are thought of as weak if they pick a heterosexual bond over their homosocial.
The 40 Year old Virgin Dir. Judd Apatow Pref. Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd. Universal Pictures 2005.
This is a source which explains how a man who has given up on the sexual part of life, is influenced by his guy friends to try to get sexual again. With example it shows how homosocial bonds between men boost and create heterosexual bonds.
While this source might be a movie and the information not completely reliable, I think this source can be used as a good example though.
This movie's entire focus is making the 40 year old virgin, not a virgin. The way they do it though, is through homosocial bonding, the other men try to teach him and edge him to it. Which does work, cause he does end up in a sexual relationship with the woman he was after. But he wouldn't have done it without the support the men gave him.
Part 1 Of Research Paper #2: Research Paper Proposal
Tsoukalas Dimitrios
English 101.0800
Date: December 2 2010
Part 1 Of Research Paper #2: Research Paper Proposal
For my paper I'm going to be talking about men's relationship to each other, agree with David Grazian's article, "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". Men need the help of other men to get woman, it's a boost to their confidence and to their masculinity if they succeed, also provides them with wingmen who can offer their assistance.
Men are known for going girl hunting as a group, at least after girls that they want to show off. Men have been raised to feel that by getting a girl, they can feel good about themselves, that they are successful at being a man; By doing it with a group of men, they feel like they become better men themselves if they succeed with the girl hunting. "In fact, the statistical rareness of the one-night stand may help explain why successful lotharios are granted such glorified status and prestige among their peers in the first place." (Connell and Messerschimidt 2005:851)
I shall do my research by looking online through google scholar,and the cuny library resource center. The sources I'm considering are mostly articles written about my topic, or any other paper done on it. The information I'm looking for is mostly an explanation about the relationship of heterosexual men with another. Also, if the bond of "Bro's" is stronger then the bond of male-female.
English 101.0800
Date: December 2 2010
Part 1 Of Research Paper #2: Research Paper Proposal
For my paper I'm going to be talking about men's relationship to each other, agree with David Grazian's article, "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". Men need the help of other men to get woman, it's a boost to their confidence and to their masculinity if they succeed, also provides them with wingmen who can offer their assistance.
Men are known for going girl hunting as a group, at least after girls that they want to show off. Men have been raised to feel that by getting a girl, they can feel good about themselves, that they are successful at being a man; By doing it with a group of men, they feel like they become better men themselves if they succeed with the girl hunting. "In fact, the statistical rareness of the one-night stand may help explain why successful lotharios are granted such glorified status and prestige among their peers in the first place." (Connell and Messerschimidt 2005:851)
I shall do my research by looking online through google scholar,and the cuny library resource center. The sources I'm considering are mostly articles written about my topic, or any other paper done on it. The information I'm looking for is mostly an explanation about the relationship of heterosexual men with another. Also, if the bond of "Bro's" is stronger then the bond of male-female.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Quick Write (Fathering: Paradoxes, Contradictions, and Dilemmas)
After reading the article and relating it to the picture, it seems that the two men in the picture are basically complete opposites of what the article is talking about. It seems that while men are encouraged to take a larger part in the upbringing of a child, they are supposed to do it while retaining their fatherhood. Fatherhood in the article is described as upholding the certain duties, rights and activities a man should take. In the picture, the two men are carrying the child instead of the mother, which relating in the article is not fatherhood at all, their feelings are more maternal then paternal.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Final Draft Research Paper #1
Dimitrios Tsoukalas
Magdalena Bogacka
English 101
28/11/2010
Masculinity comes in many forms; From the retrosexual male which is the strong, self supporting man from the past, to the metrosexual male, one who can show their emotions and dress fashionably. For most men in this day and age, both of these masculinities are seen as normal and masculine. But for a political leader, which masculinity is seen as more efficient for a leader to possess, a man that is controlling, ruthless and aggressive or a man who sees does not require things to be his way, a man who reasons things out and uses his head rather then his fist. Of course, a political leader needs compromise, intelligence and a passion for their work, but those are just a few of the many masculine traits expected from a leader.
Gentlemens Quarterly in the past year has published numerous articles related to the masculinity showed off by political leaders old and new, giving harsh criticism and respects where needed. To begin with, for a men’s magazine to even publish these stories, it’s apparent that common men are interested in such articles. These men can be seen as role models to common men, and by determining their masculinity and success, one can tell whether or not that masculinity is compatible with their job. The political leaders masculinity is one thing which determines their decision making, which affects the people in return depending on their decisions.
Men whos masculinity is being a minimalist, dominant as well as ignorant, now these are not the qualities you expect from even a common man, but all these qualities are what made up Donald Rumsfeld, Bushes secretary of defense. He was a man who followed the old tradition of a man, one who wants to be in control of everything, the leader of the pack; One who would not listen to the opinion of others as well as being prepared before making a decision. He was a political leader who faced extreme criticism. People were calling for his head and wanted him fired, in his term, Rumsfeld was faced with declining public support for the war, and mostly because his decisions were done without preparation, without a plan. (CNN News) Rumsfeld’s masculinity isn’t one that adapts well with the political world, people do not want an ignorant leader.
A man who has an a less traditional masculinity on the other hand, someone who is able to think before they make decisions, listen to other peoples ideas and work together with others is seen as someone who is more able to make decisions for people, someone people actually want to lead for them. Now while this man is not in the position of Rumsfeld, Dr Zekebig is a man who is senior counselor to the recent health care bill. Apart from being there cause of his intelligence, Dr Zekebig is an open-minded man, whos sole goal is to make a health care bill accessible to most people. A man whos passion is not for himself, a man who cares for the people he is leading, that’s the kind of masculinity people look for in a leader.
Unlike a common man whos masculinity is not judged only once, but constantly throughout their lifetime, political leaders only get their first impression. The previous president, George Bush was an ignorant man who answered every question given to him without thought. Yet, he did have the masculinity to reform, though, unlike a normal man, a leader is not given that second chance. A leader needs the correct masculinity from the start, because they cannot right the wrong they might cause during that reforming period. While the masculinity to be able to reform and adapt is good in a leader, there is a limit to how much reforming and adapting a person can do within a certain amount of time. You only make a first impression once.
Masculinity is something every man creates for themselves from the time there a child, though through the influence of the media, family and friends, it changes. President Obama’s masculinity is one of intelligence,quick thinking, and focus. He’s also able to perceive everything with the writers eye, basically, comprehend everything with a literature view. Also to note, Obama’s public approval rating has gone up recently, remaining at a much higher percentage then president Bushes at this time of his presidency. (NYC Daily News) The proper masculinity of a leader should be a masculinity which is able to look into the future, work for that future, be optimistic and happy, and above all, not remain ignorant. Because in this day and age, especially for a political leader, intelligence is power.
The masculinity required for a leader to have, is less forgiving then that required of a common man, the leader has to be vigilant, intelligent, aware, cooperative, optimistic yet realistic. In our past, we have had leaders be likewise, but also had leaders who were the opposites. To be a leader, you do not need to have all these, but to be a successful leader, one that other men can look up too and be proud, one that can lead it’s people to prosper, that leader, has to contain all the masculinities a real man should have.
Draper, Robert "And He Shall Be Judged. (Donald Rumsfield)". GQ (May 2009) October 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Draper, Robert "Barack Obama's work in the progress". GQ (Nov 2009) October 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Mark, Kirby "And Now A Word From The White House's Other Emanuel". GQ (June 2009) October 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Draper, Robert "The Prez and I (George W. Bush)". GQ (Jan 2009) October 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Corky, Siemaszko "President Obama's approval rating climbs to 47% despite midterm massacre of Democrats" NY Daily News (Nov 9 2010) November 28 2010. Web
Frank Sesno "Rumsfeld: Criticism 'goes with territory' " CNN (Sept 29 2006) November 28 2010. Web
Magdalena Bogacka
English 101
28/11/2010
Masculinity comes in many forms; From the retrosexual male which is the strong, self supporting man from the past, to the metrosexual male, one who can show their emotions and dress fashionably. For most men in this day and age, both of these masculinities are seen as normal and masculine. But for a political leader, which masculinity is seen as more efficient for a leader to possess, a man that is controlling, ruthless and aggressive or a man who sees does not require things to be his way, a man who reasons things out and uses his head rather then his fist. Of course, a political leader needs compromise, intelligence and a passion for their work, but those are just a few of the many masculine traits expected from a leader.
Gentlemens Quarterly in the past year has published numerous articles related to the masculinity showed off by political leaders old and new, giving harsh criticism and respects where needed. To begin with, for a men’s magazine to even publish these stories, it’s apparent that common men are interested in such articles. These men can be seen as role models to common men, and by determining their masculinity and success, one can tell whether or not that masculinity is compatible with their job. The political leaders masculinity is one thing which determines their decision making, which affects the people in return depending on their decisions.
Men whos masculinity is being a minimalist, dominant as well as ignorant, now these are not the qualities you expect from even a common man, but all these qualities are what made up Donald Rumsfeld, Bushes secretary of defense. He was a man who followed the old tradition of a man, one who wants to be in control of everything, the leader of the pack; One who would not listen to the opinion of others as well as being prepared before making a decision. He was a political leader who faced extreme criticism. People were calling for his head and wanted him fired, in his term, Rumsfeld was faced with declining public support for the war, and mostly because his decisions were done without preparation, without a plan. (CNN News) Rumsfeld’s masculinity isn’t one that adapts well with the political world, people do not want an ignorant leader.
A man who has an a less traditional masculinity on the other hand, someone who is able to think before they make decisions, listen to other peoples ideas and work together with others is seen as someone who is more able to make decisions for people, someone people actually want to lead for them. Now while this man is not in the position of Rumsfeld, Dr Zekebig is a man who is senior counselor to the recent health care bill. Apart from being there cause of his intelligence, Dr Zekebig is an open-minded man, whos sole goal is to make a health care bill accessible to most people. A man whos passion is not for himself, a man who cares for the people he is leading, that’s the kind of masculinity people look for in a leader.
Unlike a common man whos masculinity is not judged only once, but constantly throughout their lifetime, political leaders only get their first impression. The previous president, George Bush was an ignorant man who answered every question given to him without thought. Yet, he did have the masculinity to reform, though, unlike a normal man, a leader is not given that second chance. A leader needs the correct masculinity from the start, because they cannot right the wrong they might cause during that reforming period. While the masculinity to be able to reform and adapt is good in a leader, there is a limit to how much reforming and adapting a person can do within a certain amount of time. You only make a first impression once.
Masculinity is something every man creates for themselves from the time there a child, though through the influence of the media, family and friends, it changes. President Obama’s masculinity is one of intelligence,quick thinking, and focus. He’s also able to perceive everything with the writers eye, basically, comprehend everything with a literature view. Also to note, Obama’s public approval rating has gone up recently, remaining at a much higher percentage then president Bushes at this time of his presidency. (NYC Daily News) The proper masculinity of a leader should be a masculinity which is able to look into the future, work for that future, be optimistic and happy, and above all, not remain ignorant. Because in this day and age, especially for a political leader, intelligence is power.
The masculinity required for a leader to have, is less forgiving then that required of a common man, the leader has to be vigilant, intelligent, aware, cooperative, optimistic yet realistic. In our past, we have had leaders be likewise, but also had leaders who were the opposites. To be a leader, you do not need to have all these, but to be a successful leader, one that other men can look up too and be proud, one that can lead it’s people to prosper, that leader, has to contain all the masculinities a real man should have.
Draper, Robert "And He Shall Be Judged. (Donald Rumsfield)". GQ (May 2009) October 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Draper, Robert "Barack Obama's work in the progress". GQ (Nov 2009) October 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Mark, Kirby "And Now A Word From The White House's Other Emanuel". GQ (June 2009) October 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Draper, Robert "The Prez and I (George W. Bush)". GQ (Jan 2009) October 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Corky, Siemaszko "President Obama's approval rating climbs to 47% despite midterm massacre of Democrats" NY Daily News (Nov 9 2010) November 28 2010. Web
Frank Sesno "Rumsfeld: Criticism 'goes with territory' " CNN (Sept 29 2006) November 28 2010. Web
Friday, November 12, 2010
Worst Date
It started as a normal date, the only thing that sucked was that we had nothing to talk about,I mean apart from the movie. She was a girl I thought I liked, but I guess it was only the appearence. I mean, be honest, how fun is it talking to a girl when you can't think up anything to talk about, it's just akward silence. You can't really talk much to a girl if there is nothing under all the makeup.
First Draft of Research Paper #1
The common man has long been seen as being ignorant and helpless when it came to politics and major issues occuring in this world, they either never had to power to do anything, or refused to do anything because they didn't find it important enough to waste they're time on. Yet, in the recent years men are becoming more and more involved in the politics of today. Men want to know what is going on around them, and who is running everything at the top. The men's magazine GQ "Gentlemen's Quarterly" for instance, has started publishing an increasing number of political articles in their magazine for the past few years, seeing that men's interests is started to involve politics in the recent years.
Gentlemens Quarterly in the past year has published quite a few articles relating to the horrors and the accomplishments caused by the men who run our politics, the magazine itself is trying to show the men of today that this is something you want to know, should know, and is important to know. Because by knowing what kind of person was able to be a success and not, we're able to not repeat the mistake of voting for the non-successful ones.
In "And He Shall be Judged (Donald Rumsfield)", we have an article speaking about the ignorance and incompetence of George Bushes secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfield. He was an ignorant men who was in charge of our military, and because of his ignorance, did much more then his fair share of mistakes. He was a man who wanted to be in control of everything, but at the same time, a minimalist, a man who didn't want to do anything that he didn't think was needed. Donald Rumsfield was a disaster. For an article like this to be published, it shows that men want to know what went wrong during the years of George Bush's presidency, they want to understand what kind of men we're leading our country and why we ended up with this recession.
In recent years, men have been more focused on what is happening with our laws, in this article "And Now A Word From The White House's Other Emanuel", basically, this article talks about an interview with Dr Zekebig, an extra senior counselor for the health bill plan. Who talks about the progress of the plan and that he believes changes are a part of good planning. Men don't want to sit around and wait for the universal health plan to come, they want to know exactly how it's going and what kind of person is in charge of it. They want to see the change instead of waiting for it to come.
In the october issue of GQ, an article was published called "The Prez and I (George W. Bush)" in this article, Draper talks about what exactly was going on during the Presidency of Bush in the whitehouse. Draper talks about the pressure the president went throught he changes which occured in him. How he started reading everything he could to get a grasp on what he could do to fix the problems which had been caused during his presidency. Again, men are intrugied in what happened during Bush's presidency, and this article talks about what was going on in the president himself.
In the november issue though, it seems that the focus has left the mistakes Bush has caused, and instead turned to our new president, Barack Obama. What kind of person he was, the things he's accomplished and the aura he has given out his entire life. Basically, he shows Obama in a positive light, claiming he is the first president since Roosevelt who is able to see things with the writers eye. Unlike Bush who gave answers without thinking, Obama is able to comprehend and analyze every situation. Men after reading about the faults of Bush, now want to read our new leader, I mean what better way to know how our President is then by learning about his past.
Robert Draper is a corrospondent for Gentlemens Quarterly and has been writing political articles constantly for Gentlemens Quarterly, every month there is at least one article from this man in the magazine, Robert is a man who has been writing about politics almost his entire life, and in the recent years, his number of articles have increased including a book he has written on George Bush's presidency. Because his number of articles have increased recently, it's proof that the interest of men have increased relating to politics in the recent years.
Draper, Robert "And He Shall Be Judged. (Donald Rumsfield)". GQ (May 2009) Octomber 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Draper, Robert "Barack Obama's work in the progress". GQ (Nov 2009) Octomber 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Mark, Kirby "And Now A Word From The White House's Other Emanuel". GQ (June 2009) Octomber 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Draper, Robert "The Prez and I (George W. Bush)". GQ (Jan 2009) Octomber 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Gentlemens Quarterly in the past year has published quite a few articles relating to the horrors and the accomplishments caused by the men who run our politics, the magazine itself is trying to show the men of today that this is something you want to know, should know, and is important to know. Because by knowing what kind of person was able to be a success and not, we're able to not repeat the mistake of voting for the non-successful ones.
In "And He Shall be Judged (Donald Rumsfield)", we have an article speaking about the ignorance and incompetence of George Bushes secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfield. He was an ignorant men who was in charge of our military, and because of his ignorance, did much more then his fair share of mistakes. He was a man who wanted to be in control of everything, but at the same time, a minimalist, a man who didn't want to do anything that he didn't think was needed. Donald Rumsfield was a disaster. For an article like this to be published, it shows that men want to know what went wrong during the years of George Bush's presidency, they want to understand what kind of men we're leading our country and why we ended up with this recession.
In recent years, men have been more focused on what is happening with our laws, in this article "And Now A Word From The White House's Other Emanuel", basically, this article talks about an interview with Dr Zekebig, an extra senior counselor for the health bill plan. Who talks about the progress of the plan and that he believes changes are a part of good planning. Men don't want to sit around and wait for the universal health plan to come, they want to know exactly how it's going and what kind of person is in charge of it. They want to see the change instead of waiting for it to come.
In the october issue of GQ, an article was published called "The Prez and I (George W. Bush)" in this article, Draper talks about what exactly was going on during the Presidency of Bush in the whitehouse. Draper talks about the pressure the president went throught he changes which occured in him. How he started reading everything he could to get a grasp on what he could do to fix the problems which had been caused during his presidency. Again, men are intrugied in what happened during Bush's presidency, and this article talks about what was going on in the president himself.
In the november issue though, it seems that the focus has left the mistakes Bush has caused, and instead turned to our new president, Barack Obama. What kind of person he was, the things he's accomplished and the aura he has given out his entire life. Basically, he shows Obama in a positive light, claiming he is the first president since Roosevelt who is able to see things with the writers eye. Unlike Bush who gave answers without thinking, Obama is able to comprehend and analyze every situation. Men after reading about the faults of Bush, now want to read our new leader, I mean what better way to know how our President is then by learning about his past.
Robert Draper is a corrospondent for Gentlemens Quarterly and has been writing political articles constantly for Gentlemens Quarterly, every month there is at least one article from this man in the magazine, Robert is a man who has been writing about politics almost his entire life, and in the recent years, his number of articles have increased including a book he has written on George Bush's presidency. Because his number of articles have increased recently, it's proof that the interest of men have increased relating to politics in the recent years.
Draper, Robert "And He Shall Be Judged. (Donald Rumsfield)". GQ (May 2009) Octomber 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Draper, Robert "Barack Obama's work in the progress". GQ (Nov 2009) Octomber 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Mark, Kirby "And Now A Word From The White House's Other Emanuel". GQ (June 2009) Octomber 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Draper, Robert "The Prez and I (George W. Bush)". GQ (Jan 2009) Octomber 15 2010. General Onefile. Web
Friday, November 5, 2010
Blog Post #8
Title of the movie: Wedding Crashers
Director: David Dobkin
Actors/Performers (at least two): Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn
Distributor: New Lines Cinema
Year: 2005
Medium: Film
1) How do the main male characters behave in the movie towards other male characters? Toward female characters? Do you consider their behavior masculine? Why? Explain.
For the majority of the movie, the main characters treat the men as obstacles and the women are the targets of their whole procedure, the purpose for them to crash weddings is to get girls basically. In my opinion their behavior is not masculine with the idea that they think of women as objects instead of actual people, but seeing it from societies view of masculinity, men are supposed to be players, so I guess they are masculine in societies view.
2) Does the movie place more emphasis on the relationship/bonds between males or between males and females? Are there any connections between the movie and what David Grazian discusses about males behavior in "The Girl Hunt: Urbon Nightlife and Performance of Masculinity a Collective Activity"?
Well, the purpose of the movie is that Owen Wilson (John Beckwith) who falls for a woman at a wedding can try to get together with her, but unlike the other times, he thinks he's in "love", while Vince Vaughn (Jeremy Klein) ends up being tortured by another woman who he finally ends up falling for, even though the friends are constantly bickering for the help of one another, I believe the relationship of the women with the men is shown better through the movie. David Grazian talks about men playing a game related to the number of women when they go clubbing, basically, these two do the same with women just at weddings.
3) What seems to be the ultimate message of the film? In other words, what ideas about men and masculinity do you, the viewer, walk way with from this film?
The movie is about two men, who crash one of the biggest weddings in the century, and in that wedding, one of them (John Beckwith) tries to get a specific girl, and in doing so, he gets his friend (Jeremy Klein) mixed up in the family of the girl John Beckwith is after,
Director: David Dobkin
Actors/Performers (at least two): Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn
Distributor: New Lines Cinema
Year: 2005
Medium: Film
1) How do the main male characters behave in the movie towards other male characters? Toward female characters? Do you consider their behavior masculine? Why? Explain.
For the majority of the movie, the main characters treat the men as obstacles and the women are the targets of their whole procedure, the purpose for them to crash weddings is to get girls basically. In my opinion their behavior is not masculine with the idea that they think of women as objects instead of actual people, but seeing it from societies view of masculinity, men are supposed to be players, so I guess they are masculine in societies view.
2) Does the movie place more emphasis on the relationship/bonds between males or between males and females? Are there any connections between the movie and what David Grazian discusses about males behavior in "The Girl Hunt: Urbon Nightlife and Performance of Masculinity a Collective Activity"?
Well, the purpose of the movie is that Owen Wilson (John Beckwith) who falls for a woman at a wedding can try to get together with her, but unlike the other times, he thinks he's in "love", while Vince Vaughn (Jeremy Klein) ends up being tortured by another woman who he finally ends up falling for, even though the friends are constantly bickering for the help of one another, I believe the relationship of the women with the men is shown better through the movie. David Grazian talks about men playing a game related to the number of women when they go clubbing, basically, these two do the same with women just at weddings.
3) What seems to be the ultimate message of the film? In other words, what ideas about men and masculinity do you, the viewer, walk way with from this film?
The movie is about two men, who crash one of the biggest weddings in the century, and in that wedding, one of them (John Beckwith) tries to get a specific girl, and in doing so, he gets his friend (Jeremy Klein) mixed up in the family of the girl John Beckwith is after,
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Ven Diagram
Theroux
-Believes that men willingly follow the ignorant manliness stereotype society gives to them.
-Believes that being a man is insulting.
-Believes that a man is ignorant due to the violence of sports and the way he is raised.
-Says nothing about the superiority of men to women.
Marable
-Believes that society has forced black men to follow the black stereotype given to them.
-Believes that black men have been more insulted throughout the past.
-Believes that black men are ignorant due to their ancestors lives as slaves.
-Believes that because a black woman was able to live with they're children, black woman are more able to raise a family then a black man.
Similarities of the two.
Marable
-Said in the article, black woman had it much easier then black men, due to the fact that a black woman could become a mistress to a white man if anything and we're able to surpass the slavery boundary if anything.
Theroux
-Says that if women think they have it hard, that's nothing compared to being a man, having to deal these stereotypes and how your judged if you wanna do something different from the manliness view, like how Theroux wanted to be a writer.
Writing Citied
Marable, Manning "The Black Male: Searching beyond Stereotypes" Men's Lives 5th Edition. Eds. Micheal S Kimmel and Micheal S. Messner.
New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2001. 17-23. Print
Theroux, Paul "The Male Myth." Across Cultures: A Reader for Writers. 7th Edition. Eds. Sheena Gilliespie and Robert Becker.
New York: Pearson and Long Man, 2008. 101-104. Print
-Believes that men willingly follow the ignorant manliness stereotype society gives to them.
-Believes that being a man is insulting.
-Believes that a man is ignorant due to the violence of sports and the way he is raised.
-Says nothing about the superiority of men to women.
Marable
-Believes that society has forced black men to follow the black stereotype given to them.
-Believes that black men have been more insulted throughout the past.
-Believes that black men are ignorant due to their ancestors lives as slaves.
-Believes that because a black woman was able to live with they're children, black woman are more able to raise a family then a black man.
Similarities of the two.
Marable
-Said in the article, black woman had it much easier then black men, due to the fact that a black woman could become a mistress to a white man if anything and we're able to surpass the slavery boundary if anything.
Theroux
-Says that if women think they have it hard, that's nothing compared to being a man, having to deal these stereotypes and how your judged if you wanna do something different from the manliness view, like how Theroux wanted to be a writer.
Writing Citied
Marable, Manning "The Black Male: Searching beyond Stereotypes" Men's Lives 5th Edition. Eds. Micheal S Kimmel and Micheal S. Messner.
New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2001. 17-23. Print
Theroux, Paul "The Male Myth." Across Cultures: A Reader for Writers. 7th Edition. Eds. Sheena Gilliespie and Robert Becker.
New York: Pearson and Long Man, 2008. 101-104. Print
Friday, October 15, 2010
Part 1 Research Paper
The thesis to my Report Paper is
Men are getting more interested into the world around them, more interested in the government, and more interested in what it does. They don't want to remain ignorant anymore.
Draper, Robert “And He Shall Be Judged.(Donald Rumsfeld)”. GQ (May 2009)October 15 2010. General OneFile. Web
In this article, Robert explains the ignorance and the incompetence of Bush’s secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld. In the article, he explains how this man used the same method as the crusaders to influence his soldiers as the war in Iraq took place. Even though many other military leaders were against it, this man decided to go with it, never thinking about the consequences. Robert goes on explaining how Rumsfeld needed to be in control of everything, how he influenced many decisions of George Bush, and how he never allowed assistance from other people. How could the president not remove a military leader who says “When I need your help, I’ll ask for it”.
Because in this article, men are trying to understand what happened during Bush’s presidency, instead of trying to remain ignorant, for a magazine putting it in, it’s obvious men want to know what went wrong during those years, hopefully to not repeat those same mistakes and cause another recession. For people who say most men are ignorant, for a magazine which features clothes to add something like this in it, I’d have to say otherwise.
Rumsfeld is a man who is trying to be in control of everything, which is the old stereotype of men, wanting to be dominant. Yet in this article, while this man is trying to be in control of everything, it shows that a man with power isn’t the kind of man you should strive to be. In the article, an official says “threw sand in the gears like Rumsfeld” while others just call him another reason Bush was a disaster. Being a minimalist isn’t a quality men want, and through Rumsfeld you can easily understand why.
Draper, Robert “Barack Obama’s work in progress”. GQ (Nov 2009)October 15 2010. General OneFile. Web
The entire article focuses about Obama’s life before he became president, the things he’s accomplished, and the aura he has given out his whole life, people call him the only writer since Teddy Roosevelt able to perceive things with a writer’s eye. He is able to comprehend and analyze every situation on the spot. Even foreigners can see the difference between Obama and Bush just by speaking to him.
Obama is a man who uses his intelligence in order to pursue what he wants. He’s a kind of man other men should look up too, this article focuses on exactly how Obama was before he became president, and even at an earlier age, someone can see that he was something above average, he can be viewed as a good role model and for this magazine to feature something like this, people want to know what kind of person our president was, and is.
Obama had the characteristics of a leader from an early age, he’s been a reader since youth, and it’s helped him see things with the writer’s eye. A man should be one who works for his future, try to be optimistic and happy, and above all, not remain ignorant, Obama is a man other people can aspire to become, and he’s gotten so far because of his studies as a youth.
Mark, Kirby “And Now A Word From The White House's Other Emanuel". GQ (June 2009)October 15 2010. General OneFile. Web
This article is mostly based on the universal health plan of the government. They added Dr Zekebig as another senior counselor for the health care bill, and with 2 counselors, the health care is looking more positive than ever. Also, it shows that Zekebig is an open-minded person who says his book isn’t the only way to healthcare, changes will be made and he’s trying to make sure it doesn’t go too bad.
This source shows the success of a man in trying to create a bill to benefit people as a whole, also in the article, it shows the man that can tell what’s important, as well as open-minded, he realizes his way isn’t the best way possible and is willing to let it change.
This is a man who should be seen as a man with his priorities straight, I don't want to be the kind of idealist who says, "My way or the highway." That is ridiculous. My way is not the only way to get to universal coverage. He’s open-minded and on the point, which are traits all men should have in this day and age.
Draper, Robert "The Prez and I (George W. Bush)". GQ (Jan 2009) October 15 2010. General OneFile. Web
This article is based on Draper trying to write about what changes occured to George Bush from the start during the end of Bush's presidency, in this article, he is not supporting Bush, but at the same time, not really insulting him.
Draper is trying to explain everything without having a one sided view, explaining the ignorance Bush held when he started the presidency, answering questions without even giving it thought, to the aged man he became at the end. He's trying to explain that even though we suffered through that presidency, so did the president. For this kind of article to be in a men's magazine, it shows that men are interested in such a topic, they want to know what kind of leader Bush really was, to make sure they don't have to go through that kind of presidency again. Unlike years ago when men didn't care about anything except food on the table, men now want to know exactly what is going on by our government, and what went wrong, to ensure they don't vote for it again.
Because blogspot Doesn't let me underline, Italics will replace all the underlines, Sorry.
Men are getting more interested into the world around them, more interested in the government, and more interested in what it does. They don't want to remain ignorant anymore.
Draper, Robert “And He Shall Be Judged.(Donald Rumsfeld)”. GQ (May 2009)
In this article, Robert explains the ignorance and the incompetence of Bush’s secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld. In the article, he explains how this man used the same method as the crusaders to influence his soldiers as the war in Iraq took place. Even though many other military leaders were against it, this man decided to go with it, never thinking about the consequences. Robert goes on explaining how Rumsfeld needed to be in control of everything, how he influenced many decisions of George Bush, and how he never allowed assistance from other people. How could the president not remove a military leader who says “When I need your help, I’ll ask for it”.
Because in this article, men are trying to understand what happened during Bush’s presidency, instead of trying to remain ignorant, for a magazine putting it in, it’s obvious men want to know what went wrong during those years, hopefully to not repeat those same mistakes and cause another recession. For people who say most men are ignorant, for a magazine which features clothes to add something like this in it, I’d have to say otherwise.
Rumsfeld is a man who is trying to be in control of everything, which is the old stereotype of men, wanting to be dominant. Yet in this article, while this man is trying to be in control of everything, it shows that a man with power isn’t the kind of man you should strive to be. In the article, an official says “threw sand in the gears like Rumsfeld” while others just call him another reason Bush was a disaster. Being a minimalist isn’t a quality men want, and through Rumsfeld you can easily understand why.
Draper, Robert “Barack Obama’s work in progress”. GQ (Nov 2009)
The entire article focuses about Obama’s life before he became president, the things he’s accomplished, and the aura he has given out his whole life, people call him the only writer since Teddy Roosevelt able to perceive things with a writer’s eye. He is able to comprehend and analyze every situation on the spot. Even foreigners can see the difference between Obama and Bush just by speaking to him.
Obama is a man who uses his intelligence in order to pursue what he wants. He’s a kind of man other men should look up too, this article focuses on exactly how Obama was before he became president, and even at an earlier age, someone can see that he was something above average, he can be viewed as a good role model and for this magazine to feature something like this, people want to know what kind of person our president was, and is.
Obama had the characteristics of a leader from an early age, he’s been a reader since youth, and it’s helped him see things with the writer’s eye. A man should be one who works for his future, try to be optimistic and happy, and above all, not remain ignorant, Obama is a man other people can aspire to become, and he’s gotten so far because of his studies as a youth.
Mark, Kirby “And Now A Word From The White House's Other Emanuel". GQ (June 2009)
This article is mostly based on the universal health plan of the government. They added Dr Zekebig as another senior counselor for the health care bill, and with 2 counselors, the health care is looking more positive than ever. Also, it shows that Zekebig is an open-minded person who says his book isn’t the only way to healthcare, changes will be made and he’s trying to make sure it doesn’t go too bad.
This source shows the success of a man in trying to create a bill to benefit people as a whole, also in the article, it shows the man that can tell what’s important, as well as open-minded, he realizes his way isn’t the best way possible and is willing to let it change.
This is a man who should be seen as a man with his priorities straight, I don't want to be the kind of idealist who says, "My way or the highway." That is ridiculous. My way is not the only way to get to universal coverage. He’s open-minded and on the point, which are traits all men should have in this day and age.
Draper, Robert "The Prez and I (George W. Bush)". GQ (Jan 2009) October 15 2010. General OneFile. Web
This article is based on Draper trying to write about what changes occured to George Bush from the start during the end of Bush's presidency, in this article, he is not supporting Bush, but at the same time, not really insulting him.
Draper is trying to explain everything without having a one sided view, explaining the ignorance Bush held when he started the presidency, answering questions without even giving it thought, to the aged man he became at the end. He's trying to explain that even though we suffered through that presidency, so did the president. For this kind of article to be in a men's magazine, it shows that men are interested in such a topic, they want to know what kind of leader Bush really was, to make sure they don't have to go through that kind of presidency again. Unlike years ago when men didn't care about anything except food on the table, men now want to know exactly what is going on by our government, and what went wrong, to ensure they don't vote for it again.
Because blogspot Doesn't let me underline, Italics will replace all the underlines, Sorry.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Final Draft
Dimitrios Tsoukalas
Professor Bogacka
English 101.01
October 7 2010
Advertisements are usually a bunch of lies or stereotypes used to brainwash people into believing that they need a certain product. Advertisments play on your insecurities and your upbringing by making the consumer feel inferior, and they are made to believe that the product will remove they're weaknesses and insecurities. Most people fall under that consumer category because they are unable to realize the actual meaning of the advertisement. In terms of masculinities, men are supposed to feel like a man in our society and in order to do so, they need to follow what is given to them in advertisements, because if they don't, then they're manliness will be questioned.
In my advertisement by Giorgio Armani, a semi naked man is shown lieing on a sort of cloth. This is a direct contradiction of what a man is normally seen doing, yet in this contradiction, the same stereotype can be seen. The man is clean cut, well groomed, and most of all attractive, something which not everyone is, and many are insecure about. The advertisment plays with this insecurity and shows that the attractive man uses this product, so if the consumer uses it, they may fool themselves by thinking that they are attractive. It's the most common trick to use because in this day and age, many men feel like they're being constantly judged by woman, and in order to feel secure, this productwill make them like the guy in the advertisement.
Another important factor of my advertisement is the man’s glance. The model is looking directly at the consumer in this advertisement, but it's the way his looking at the consumer, something else which follows the common stereotype. The man is known for having a specific purpose in an advertisement, and as much as a contridiction to men advertisements this one is trying to be, it's the same thing as most mens advertisements. The way he is looking as the consumer isn't one of lust or just a blank stare, the model is giving a glance, one that feels the consumer with mystery or admiration. This glance could possibly be making the common consumer think that the model could be cool and against by getting this product, they could be this cool man in this advertisement.
Since advertisements have been using the same marketing tricks to brainwash people, it's apparent that it actually works. In order to prevent this people need to understand what goes on in their minds while they watch these advertisements, and try to understand their insecurities, if a person can learn to appreciate themselves, they won't want to be that attractive and cool person shown to them. They'll be happy with the person they are, because either way, those products won't change who you truly are, they'll just make you hide yourself under society's ideals.
Work Citied
Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani. Advertisement. Gentlemen’s Quarterly. (2002):N.p.
Print.
Professor Bogacka
English 101.01
October 7 2010
Advertisements are usually a bunch of lies or stereotypes used to brainwash people into believing that they need a certain product. Advertisments play on your insecurities and your upbringing by making the consumer feel inferior, and they are made to believe that the product will remove they're weaknesses and insecurities. Most people fall under that consumer category because they are unable to realize the actual meaning of the advertisement. In terms of masculinities, men are supposed to feel like a man in our society and in order to do so, they need to follow what is given to them in advertisements, because if they don't, then they're manliness will be questioned.
In my advertisement by Giorgio Armani, a semi naked man is shown lieing on a sort of cloth. This is a direct contradiction of what a man is normally seen doing, yet in this contradiction, the same stereotype can be seen. The man is clean cut, well groomed, and most of all attractive, something which not everyone is, and many are insecure about. The advertisment plays with this insecurity and shows that the attractive man uses this product, so if the consumer uses it, they may fool themselves by thinking that they are attractive. It's the most common trick to use because in this day and age, many men feel like they're being constantly judged by woman, and in order to feel secure, this productwill make them like the guy in the advertisement.
Another important factor of my advertisement is the man’s glance. The model is looking directly at the consumer in this advertisement, but it's the way his looking at the consumer, something else which follows the common stereotype. The man is known for having a specific purpose in an advertisement, and as much as a contridiction to men advertisements this one is trying to be, it's the same thing as most mens advertisements. The way he is looking as the consumer isn't one of lust or just a blank stare, the model is giving a glance, one that feels the consumer with mystery or admiration. This glance could possibly be making the common consumer think that the model could be cool and against by getting this product, they could be this cool man in this advertisement.
Since advertisements have been using the same marketing tricks to brainwash people, it's apparent that it actually works. In order to prevent this people need to understand what goes on in their minds while they watch these advertisements, and try to understand their insecurities, if a person can learn to appreciate themselves, they won't want to be that attractive and cool person shown to them. They'll be happy with the person they are, because either way, those products won't change who you truly are, they'll just make you hide yourself under society's ideals.
Work Citied
Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani. Advertisement. Gentlemen’s Quarterly. (2002):N.p.
Print.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Assignment Paper #1 Brainstorming Phase.
Advertisments use that mindset that you were raised to believe to their advantage to sell products. By changing the name of perfume to cologne and passing it off as a manly product, you can start selling woman products to males eliminating the femininity of it all. So, if a product loses it's manliness and feminineness by it's name and spotlight being changed, then what makes a product manly or feminine.
My advertisment shows a semi naked man using cologne, lieing down in almost the same fashion that you would see a woman lieing down in the similar advertisement, but unlike a woman, the man looks like he is deep in thought, trying to understand a problem of some sort. I'd have to say the advertisment is trying to sell you that a man should be in thought, always trying to find a solution to any problem that may come up.
While he's also in deep thought, the man is semi naked and you can see that he is fairly built. So one can say that the advertisment is also trying to sell to you the fact that a man should care about his body. Just as a woman cares for her waist, to be a man, you need to show that your strong and built.
Finally, the man has the average messy-clean hairstyle with a good looking face, so the only thing that comes to mind, maybe a man should be good looking for others. An ugly man isn't a man unless he has a face like the guy on this advertisment. Masculinity is based on the same things that make a woman feminine in this advertisement, body, mind and looks, so in this sense, there both the same. The advertisment shows masculinity as a good looking guy with a sharp mind, which is one of the most common views of masculinity.
My advertisment shows a semi naked man using cologne, lieing down in almost the same fashion that you would see a woman lieing down in the similar advertisement, but unlike a woman, the man looks like he is deep in thought, trying to understand a problem of some sort. I'd have to say the advertisment is trying to sell you that a man should be in thought, always trying to find a solution to any problem that may come up.
While he's also in deep thought, the man is semi naked and you can see that he is fairly built. So one can say that the advertisment is also trying to sell to you the fact that a man should care about his body. Just as a woman cares for her waist, to be a man, you need to show that your strong and built.
Finally, the man has the average messy-clean hairstyle with a good looking face, so the only thing that comes to mind, maybe a man should be good looking for others. An ugly man isn't a man unless he has a face like the guy on this advertisment. Masculinity is based on the same things that make a woman feminine in this advertisement, body, mind and looks, so in this sense, there both the same. The advertisment shows masculinity as a good looking guy with a sharp mind, which is one of the most common views of masculinity.
Answer to advertisment question
2) My advertisement agrees entirely with what Bordo is saying in this quote, the man product being advertised is perfume, yet for men, the name change suggest that it's less feminine, cologne. The perfume for men which most people barely associate to the same degree. To further prove this, the advertisement shows a *Superior* man using the perfume, in the same fashion that most female perfumes show a *Superior* female using the perfume. How can a name change make something so different? Because most people don't wanna admit the similarities because it'll hurt their masculinity.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Male Privilage Checklist #29.
"I can be loud with no fear of being called a shrew. I can be aggresive with no fear of being called a bitch."
Well, from this privilage, it shows that white males can get away with more things without being classifed or insulted. The thing is though, in this day and age, no one would insult someone for being loud, while if your being aggresive, a male might not be called a bitch, but neither would a woman be called a dick. (Excuse my language.) It's an outdated privilage even if it ever was a problem.
Well, from this privilage, it shows that white males can get away with more things without being classifed or insulted. The thing is though, in this day and age, no one would insult someone for being loud, while if your being aggresive, a male might not be called a bitch, but neither would a woman be called a dick. (Excuse my language.) It's an outdated privilage even if it ever was a problem.
What causes it?
The change a person goes through from an infant to an adult, what happens to the childhood innocence? Why does a person give up their dreams as an adult?, and why do many people go against what they know is the right thing to do? While we know no person is born evil, why do they do evil actions? The human nature is a perculiar thing, we can't tell whether the things a person does is due to the corruption of other people, or just the human nature itself.. What do people think about these questions?, and can we answer them?
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