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Fraternity From Hell
License To Misbehave
by Elaine Gilmartin
Animal House remains the standard bearer of fraternity movies. Just recently, star Tim Matheson was in my town after a theatre showing of the iconic film and spoke about his experiences on set, about his life and his new book, Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches.
Comedy has a way of normalizing behavior that would otherwise be dubious at best. In light of our current global trajectory, both the incoming Trump administration and the overreaching influence of the tech bros, it would seem wise to delve into the more nefarious aspects of small, homogenous, exclusive groups in power.
Masculinity is embedded into the very foundation of the American fraternity culture, and this masculinity tends to take on a more toxic nature. Fraternal organizations have served as a haven for young men that support the development of hegemonic masculinity-dominating other social groups-and hypermasculinity, which is viewed here as an overemphasis and exaggerated adherence to the traditional male gender roles established by an outdated societal view.
Hypermasculinity is often associated with aggression towards women and other men who violate the traditional gender norm, heightened risk-taking behaviors, drugs, alcohol, large number of sexual…
