I was watching one of my favorite T.V. shows and I realized that there are a lot of masculine aspects to this show whether it be a charachter that represents masculinity or a character that is the complete opposite of masculinity.
The creaters of the show seem to be telling a story of masculinity through its charachters. The characters of Steven Hyde, Michael Kelso, and Red Foreman. The character that represent the opposing role: the wimpy and easily made fun of are Fez and Eric foreman.
Hyde and Kelso are the epitome of masculinity. Hyde is the tough guy that drinks and breaks all of the rules. Kelso is the ladies man, who is not the brightest, but always seems to get what he wants. Red Foreman is the father that takes control over just about everthing. He using his yelling and sarcasm to enlist fear in his son and his sons friends. Each of these characters shows an idea of masculinity whether that definition being rebellious, flirtacious or feared.
The other characters, Eric and Fez, show an opposite idea of masculinity. Eric Foreman is the wimpy friend who is scared of his father and even sometimes scared of his friends. It seems like he is never the leader, he is the follower. Fez is the foreign exchange student who is often made fun of. He is not able to get a girlfirend and is often questioned on his masculinity.
Now, this show is a very popular show on T.V. My question is, do people realize what they are watching? They are watching the strong male characters who get their way. This is very rarely the case. Just because you are tough and feared, are you automatically popular? In a lot of cases no.
Then you think about, who would most male viewers want to be like? The tough character or the wimpy submissive character? More guys would gravitate towards the tougher character for the simple fact that they would most likely emulate them.
The female characters also play an important role in this idea. The character of Donna, who is also Eric's girlfriend, comes off as a very tough woman. She would be the one that "wears the pants in the relationship'. By having a strong woman paired up with not as strong of a man, is this saying something about his masculinity? Absolutly. By portraying this relationship on such a popular show, it is showing that a man is not a real man if he has a strong partner. Although, it shows a positive role for females, it doesn't necessarily give a strong role model for males in relationships.
Next time you watch a show, think about how the characters play a role in how you think about femininity and masculinity. Jackson Katz wrote, "The poses we strike and the images we create can tell us a great deal about what's going on in individual men's lives and in our culture as a whole." He is saying that our portrays of media say something about our culture and how we think. Media plays a strong role in how we think and how we act as females and males.
By watching this show you see both masculine men and submissive men. You also see strong women and feminine women. So the question is, who do you want to be like after watching this show?
I feel as though the roles in this show are moderately appropraite for the time frame in which this show is cast. I definitely feel that Red Forman was type cast as the perfect example of what it means to be a father in the 1970's. I totally agree with your analysis of the show! Fantastic!
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