Television is a huge influence on our culture. It influences our opinions on everything from shampoo to the Presidency. TV says a lot about manhood, and what it’s saying isn’t very accurate.
The following examples are funny in individual scenes or gags – I laugh at them- but if you look at them as a small part of a much larger pattern you’ll understand what I’m talking about, and hopefully see the danger they pose our society’s understanding of manhood.
1. Women Make Men Miserable
From Henny Youngman’s “Take my wife. Please,” to today’s modern sitcoms, a common theme on TV is that women nag men, and men spend all of their time trying to find ways to avoid upsetting or angering their wives.
Wives make men miserable, so men are always looking for ways to escape to the Lake or their Man Cave, but inevitably, their wife finds them and ruins their fun.
I think this perception creates men that avoid commitment, treating women as disposable because getting attached will mean certain doom.
It’s too bad, because this isn’t true for all women. A good woman is a great partner for a man. Together they can work, raise a family, and fight through life.
Sure, some guys have naggy wives, but I blame the guy in those situations; they should have been more wise about who they married. If you’re patient, and if you’re a guy worth marrying, you can find a woman who is a partner in life, not an enemy.
2. Fatherhood is a Drag
Another common theme on TV is that children end the fun in a man’s life. Men are afraid of pregnancy, and even more afraid of children. The theme is that children force men to settle down and end all of their fun. The real problem children cause for men on television and movies is that they have to accept responsibility.
To be sure, you can’t be a father and do everything you did before you had children. But the fun doesn’t go away, it just changes. Raising children is hard work, but very rewarding. Kids make better men.
3. Manhood is Defined by Sex
How many times have you heard losing one’s virginity referred to as “becoming a man”? This is common, especially in father/son exchanges on telelvision. Also, a guy’s masculinity is gauged by how many women he has bagged.
On Television, the ultimate expression of manhood is sex, and that’s a load of bunk. It’s no way to measure manliness.
How many of us can think of a guy who parties with the ladies on the weekends but still lives in his parent’s basement? That’s not a man in my book.
Manhood is much more about taking responsibility for one’s life than it is about what you do with the opposite sex. It’s about providing for a family, investing in children, and looking out for others.
4. Men are just Bumbling Goofballs
How many shows and commercials feature a strong, wise wife alongside an irresponsible bungler of a man? You know the type: the husband hatches some hair-brained plan to make money, and when the wife discovers it he’s busted and she saves the family finances. Some clear examples of this type are The King of Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond.
Television shows like to make husbands the butt of their jokes, and sometimes it’s funny, but it’s become more than that. It’s the norm, the new perception of what manhood is: a joke.
This becomes much more clear when we turn the image around. Do you ever see a comedy where the wife messes things up, while the husband talks sense and corrects her? No way! That would be offensive and sexist …and I’m not being sarcastic. If it’s not okay to portray women that way, then why men?
Conclusion
We need to find a more positive image for men than what is being portrayed by modern media. When will this change? What do you think about this list? Leave a comment; I’d love to hear what you think!
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