After watching the video interview with Terry Crews and
reading the essay written by Paul Theroux, I came to the conclusion that both
of these men clearly think there is a problem with feminism and masculinity and
the way we perceive and differentiate the two. I think that the two men are part
of the same conversation although they try to make their points in different
ways. While Terry Crews talks about his views using personal experiences and
more of a welcoming tone as he urges more men to step up and talk about the
problem, Paul Theroux uses a more harsh tone and in some ways is attacking men
to make his points about why he hates being a man. I thought the interview with
Terry Crews was a good way to try and get more men to speak about the subject
and I was easily able to stay focused as well as entertained throughout the
whole interview, admittedly I saw that the video was twenty minutes long and
thought I would only watch half and call it quits. On the other hand, I did not
agree with some of the things that Theroux stated in his essay, particularly
about high school sports. Having said that, I think the interview with Crews
was an all-around better way to talk about the problems with masculinity and
feminism. Terry couldn’t have stated it better when he was saying that not much
will change until we can start to see everyone as having equal value. Until then,
we’re just cutting the leaves off the tree and waiting for them to grow back.
I agree that both Crews have the same idea that society needs to redefine what we consider to be manhood and masculinity. However, I believe both men have very different “so whats” to say about it. Crews encourages men to step up against the idea that being a man means, never crying, never being scared, being emotionless, promiscuous and miserly. In this way they will be able fulfill necessary purposes in life rather than harping on false ideals of what manhood actually. The examples from his real life experiences allow him to talk about this issue in a broader context, in other words the larger conversation. On the other hand, Theroux illustrates the reputation men have in society, notably male writers. He makes a point to explain why he hates being a man because of the stigmas that comes with it. He expands this into a larger conversation about the masculinity of other male writers and notable men in general. He also goes on to explain the stereotypes of sports, which doesn’t necessarily contribute to the “so what” part of the conversation as much. Some parts of the essay seem to distract from the main purpose however. In the last section of the essay, he seems to emphasize not simply that being a man and matching the idealistic views of men is challenging, but that this is why men truly hate feminism. It is much harder to clearly define Theroux’s so what, however, it can be said that both understand the male burden so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are many American males like Paul Theroux and Terry Crew that have the perspective of believing that masculinity is a problem. Even though these two men have different perspectives about masculinity; at the same time they share similar ideas because they both talk about how masculinity can be harmful to individual men or men in society. It is often thought that men feel good being manly and masculine because in society they are considered superior. However, Paul apparently admits that he hates being a man for the reason that he hates being required to be manly. On the other hand, Terry Crew during his interview discusses man code and being manly. He mentions how there are men that have a mindset of manliness that allows them to think that it is okay to treat women like trophies and only use them as property. Having this mindset makes them feel more important because they are men. Some men allow themselves to follow the footsteps of other men even though they know those men are wrong. Since they feel that society accepts that attitude, they do not stand up and speak up about their real feelings. Men feel scared to show their real feelings. If we continue to have the negative perspective of manliness, it may cause the younger generation to have a worst reaction outcome causing them to harm themselves more. Therefore, I have concluded that masculinity is a problem because it harms men socially, mentally and emotionally.
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