I was flipping thru tv channels desperately trying to find anything worth watching, when I began realizing a disturbing prevalence in almost every story line.
Almost all men, especially in the leading roles, were shown as idiots. Bumbling, stumbling, over-emotional, effeminate. The few that did have any type of masculinity, talked in mono sylable grunts and given apish intelligence and mannerisms. The men are treated with such disrespect, disdain, and ridicule by girlfriends/wives, female coworkers and friends, and even their daughters.
One show, NCIS, did have a strong male lead, but it seems like the team needed a member that was a fool that was constantly derided by the female member and seemed only to accidentally be of help when he was.
Show after show after show, was like this.
We have not been to the movie theaters in a long long time, but I have to assume that this emasculization trend has reached the big screens as well.
I know what you are saying.. it's only tv
Growing up, my brother and I were not allowed to watch much television at all. It was pretty much limited to approved of children's shows and educational shows.
As a teen, I started watching tv downstairs in the basement after i was sure that my mom and dad would be in bed for the night.
Pretty much the only things on then, since we only had basic tv service, was talk shows that I have never been interested in or watched, old movies, and reruns of old tv shows.
Television, also, for me was exposure to men not my dad or my teachers. Handsome men playing the part of cowboys, gangsters, fathers in sitcoms, detectives, and so on and so on.
The memorable, remarkable, and very noticable distinction of men being strong, decisive, intelligent. Men with machismo and of noble character. Men who were in charge of the house and confident and competent in daily affairs.
Like many girls, specially with the inclinations of those reading this site, these old shows and movies became the fuel of all kinds of imaginative scenes and fantasies during budding curiosity and sexual awareness.
I would let my fingers and mind wander to fantasies being under the care and protection of those rugged hard macho cowboys.
Perhaps of the wisdom and guidance of many of the father figures of family shows
A femme fatale to a gruff no nonsense detective
And should I show disrespect or a bit too much sass and willfulness, taken in hand by the assertive strong man that would not hesitate to correct these errors when spanking such young ladies seemed quite the norm
rather than now spanking being associated with serial killers or women with mental illness.
I feel sorry for girls watching men protrayed as whiny, dumb, helpless, effeminate as they are today since it was watching the real men of older tv and films that made me realize the type of man I want.
Is it just American tv and such that has turned this way or is it the way of European tv as well? Can you think of any shows today that show men as they used to be portrayed? Girls can you remember being influenced and/or fantasizing of the men? Guys did you try to emulate them?
Thanks for noticing. The American male has been doomed since the appearance of Homer Simpson and Al Bundy became the common Hollywood depiction of men. :-(
ReplyDeleteI thought you might appreciate this quote:
ReplyDelete"In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."—C.S. Lewis, "The Abolition of Man"
ReplyDeleteah, so it has at last been noticed - women are taking over and they are getting their own back in spreading this calmnous portrayal of men
their influence is everywhere and well i suppose we asked for it
J
This is the price of being politically correct in everyday life. Just remember Amber that within every gentleman lurks his inner naughty devil self that truely wants to reveal his wicked naughty gentlemans' secrets to take all gorgeous sassy teasing wenches over the knee this instant and blush and caress those beautiful bouncing cheeks just because we love them so much! And while attempting to remain politically correct lest have our British friends aghast with this wicked American naughty devil's depraved heathen expressions - yeah right! - I refrained from using fannies, oops! ND =;)
ReplyDeleteAnd PS, I see our dapper gentleman and the Duke above are quite properly enjoying themselves! Ah the good old days, such lucky naughty devils! ND =;)
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Just some guy. I am glad you have joined us in some discussion :) I do in fact get the quote and understand it.
ReplyDeleteJ, it is indeed very noticed and I am not so sure it is a case of getting back. I will explain in a moment.
ND, I can certainly appreciate that, and I assure you that we ladies appreciate your effort.
Guys, this is a subject that is weighing on me quite a bit. I have come to think that this emasculation perpetrated thru the media could even be a concerted effort. As J said it might be a "getting back", but never has women been treated with the utter disrespect and ridicule that men are now. Quite the opposite actually. While maybe we were portrayed as damsels in distress and housewives and not allowed to vote (in many years past), women were always respected and honored and should any be insulted, the insulter usually got a fist in the mouth by men sticking up for them.
No, this seems to be an all out effort to portray masculinity as barbaric and unworthy and it has permeated to even schools I believe.
It is in my opinion a horrible trend and one I hope to hell will reverse and soon.
As a boy growing up in the fifties I have a lot of my ideas about men and women from old westerns. And the sight of a beautiful, uppity girl being taken across a handsome cowboy's knees for a good, hard spanking is still my idea of a good male/female relationship - especially if she realizes that she loves him after - or because of - the spanking, and he takes good care of her and kisses her and explains to her why she had it coming. To me a relationship that starts that way is still more romantic than anything else - especially if it is implied that she will be spanked again if she does not behave, and that she accepts it but still shows her spirit and freshness occasionally.
ReplyDelete