Masculinities Viewed Through Cultural Crisis Masculinities can be defined from a myriad of perspectives, and so I reaffirm here what has been an obvious fact of life all along and should probably be a truism, that there are as many definitions of masculinity as there are people populating the planet. When the traditional cultural definition of masculinity contradicts what someone… Read More
Mark Twain On Propaganda While he does not use the word outright, his description is a dead-on description of our discussion, the application of propaganda to Goffman’s impression management in the frame analysis of small groups. Indeed, it’s still a “duck,” as they say. “In religion and politics, people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at… Read More
In The Company Of Men Analysis Neil LaBute’s In The Company of Men is described as black comedy. In some twisted universe, perhaps this is a comedy of a sort, but I see something else, perhaps several things. This is an exploration of masculinity, yes, but it is also an exploration of stereotypical locker-room, hate-filled testosterone-filled masculinity, one that describes men… Read More
The Debates I Would Like To See If only Mack Sennett were alive today to moderate and fact check. Oh, joy!… Read More
Ma Vie En Rose Analysis Ma Vie En Rose, directed by Alain Berliner, is a Belgium film produced in France. While this film is obviously in French, the surrounding set design embodies an “American” look and feel for most of the film. The characters also appear to be atypically “American” in their extreme negative reactions to Ludovic’s realization that he… Read More
Brokeback Mountain Analysis Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee, is a simple and complex love story between two people. It is simple because it has also been called a straightforward gay love story as well as a bisexual love story. While those points of view are valid on some level, this is a complex love story, because labeling… Read More
Murderball Analysis The documentary Murderball, directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro, is raw, visceral, violent, and beautiful. It is a story of a multi-dimensional masculinity and humanity told from several points of view. It embodies the expression, “in your face,” in that neither the filmmakers nor the subjects feel inclined to leave most topics… Read More
Reflections on bell hooks’ Where We Stand In order for propaganda to be effective, it must contain an element of perceived truth. Goebbels understood this, Karl Rove understands this, and bell hooks understands this as she abundantly explains in Where We Stand: Class Matters. The intent is to help us understand how and why we live in a class society. Analyzing every… Read More
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Analysis Tommy Lee Jones’ The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada begins as a story of honour between close friends and quickly devolves into multiple perspectives of an archetypal quest for masculine redemption and second chances. For Pete Perkins, the rancher and Melquiades’ best friend, Belmont, the local sheriff, and Norton, the border patrolman, each quest is… Read More
Boy A Analysis John Crowley’s Boy A tests our perceptions of social acceptance of a boy/young man (Eric/Jack) in arrested masculine development who has had few opportunities to properly mature outside of a prison/youth detention culture for fifteen years. Crowley contrasts this vis a vis Jack’s male co-workers and the masculinity of his girlfriend Michelle’s romantic advances as… Read More