James Bond is Out; Jake Peralta is In: Portrayals of Masculinity in Media
From James Bond to Indiana Jones, the representation of masculinity on our screens has a history of being… less than ideal. In a display of what is often referred to as “toxic masculinity” (a term which in and of itself has been deemed, um, toxic), the tough, stoic, emotionless man lives and breathes to exemplify the perfect male.
What does that look like? In Western culture, we define ideal masculinity as “related to toughness, stoicism, heterosexism, self-sufficient attitudes and lack of emotional sensitivity.” In other words, we want to see straight manly men doing tough manly things and don’t you even THINK about crying, man.
Men, and young men in particular, report feeling “isolated” and “paralysed” by the pressures of living up to these rules of masculinity, which, in reality, don’t reflect the average man at all.
Plagued by a perceived societal expectation to bottle their feelings like the ‘strong and silent’ Bond, these characteristics are “killing men through heart attacks or destroying their souls through depression”. Compared to women, men report significantly higher levels of isolation and loneliness, with men three times more likely to take their own lives because of it. These characteristics of traditional masculinity have literally been killing men, and yet, James Bond has No Time to Die in yet another instalment — he’s likely too busy keeping his non-existent emotions in check and reloading his gun.
For years, this version of manhood and culture of masculinity has lived comfortably on TV and movie screens, protected by, well, itself. Research surrounding the effects of masculinity and media found that young men have historically been cautious of supporting characters who don’t fit within the constructs of traditional masculinity.
But times are a-changin’.
These ideals of masculinity and gender constructs in general are a “psychological and socially constructed set of ideas that are malleable to change,” and several modern television shows are trying to do just that. Rather than rule out the traits of “toxic masculinity” as bad masculinity, there has been a shift towards broadening the representation of masculinity to reflect its true diversity. As the representation of men and masculinity broadens in the media, so too does the opportunity for people to see themselves reflected in it, fostering a sense of affirmation of their identity.
These modern TV shows — notably written by men themselves — are increasingly portraying diverse and complex representations of men across our TV screens, in a step towards a new, more inclusive, definition of masculinity.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
You maybe wouldn’t expect a TV show based on a group of law enforcement officers to be breaking down gender constructs, considering the long and damaging history of law enforcement and masculinity, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine isn’t pulling any punches.
The most physically strong and muscular character is unapologetically in tune with his emotions, and not afraid to be vulnerable. The man-in-charge is openly gay. The main character declares himself a feminist, consistently supports his female co-workers and is not afraid to be emotionally vulnerable. He is not possessive of his romantic interest. Rather, the show leaves her with the autonomy to be her own person. None of the characters jump to aggression or violence when angry, instead providing an example of how to use anger for positive action.
In a society where “young men and men in general never learn to deal with intimacy and fear, doubt, and genuine emotion,” Brooklyn Nine-Nine is proving that you can have all of those things and — still — be a man. This showcase of healthy and diverse masculinity within its male characters is a far cry from the male violence and aggression most often found at the centre of media culture.
Men who are loud and proud feminists, and are shown supporting, listening to and respecting women? On our TV screens? Who’d have thought! Maybe men really are multi-faceted humans and not just the tough-guy heroes as we’ve been led to believe.
Schitt’s Creek
Another TV show quietly tackling damaging portrayals of masculinity is Schitt’s Creek. One of the show’s main male characters, described as “somewhat effeminate”, unapologetically plays with the rules of masculinity. The character will sometimes wear more traditionally feminine style clothing (like skirts and jewellery), is just about as far away from tough and stoic as you can get, preaches feminism and is openly pansexual. His male partner likes sports, wears button-ups and is unflinchingly emotionally honest.
In a culture where “the most horrific insult is to be termed unmasculine”, the representation of a male character unafraid of femininity feels extremely important. What Schitt’s Creek can offer in its portrayal of two queer male characters — one who “looks” queer, and one who doesn’t — is a new zone on the spectrum of masculinity that isn’t often seen on our screens.
Gone are the days where every male character is more of the same — just a slightly different version of the same dude who’d rather get stabbed than be caught crying — and honestly, good riddance.
By placing an importance on actual representations of masculinity in all its varied, diverse and multifaceted forms, shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Schitt’s Creek are starting to make those malleable changes to the longstanding and damaging social constructs. By using the humble TV screen to bring visibility to a much more real showcase of masculinity than we’re used to, our ideas of masculinity are slowly but surely changing.
Here’s to hoping that the next generation of Jake Peraltas have the TV switched to the right channel.
