What do we learn about styles of contemporary masculinity from superhero movies?

Running Head: What do we learn about styles of contemporary masculinity from superhero movies?
What do we learn about styles of contemporary masculinity from superhero movies?
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What do we learn about styles of contemporary masculinity from superhero movies?
Masculinity refers to the set of qualities, attributes and roles attributed with the male gender, and the habits and personality traits considered desirable in men. Following in the footprints of feminist scholarship, during the last decade, there has been an increasing number of studies proposing and concluding that heterosexual masculinity associated with brawn and brute strength is a social construct in a similar way as femininity is associated with meek and fragile women. It is in the process of being critically analyzed and deconstructed from the natural gender identity it was considered previously, into a variety of levels of social and political affairs and media influence. It is no longer seen as a real and unified position, but like feminism, an idea put into the mass`s head leading them to believe that something socially constructed is the natural way of life.
Masculinity has been exploring its own duality in all domains of life, from psychology to TV Series, contemporary literary works or superhero movies. Often, men are presented with two extremes of manliness. They can be either the jerk, or the hero who saves the damsel in distress. He can be either the muscular hunk, or the socially awkward boy with skinny arms. At one extreme, he can be the hyper-masculine person oozing sex appeal, or the failure with glasses. It is the existence of each of them in opposition to one another, which allows them to exist side-by-side (Brown). Like all gender roles, this idea is socially constructed too. The idea of masculinity, which seduces the opposite gender, is greatly influenced by the social media, including and principally through the mainstream Hollywood movies and television series (Cohan, 1997).
Since the budding days of Hollywood, its productions have made great contributions towards how the society sees masculinity. It has shifted and morphed along with the depictions in the movies, with some claiming that it is the cause for the changing perceptions while others claiming it as an outcome. Even after the Production Code system, which had earlier strictly defined the rules for gender portrayals, was replaced by the MPAA ratings system, the notions about sex-specific roles took a while to change.
While the blockbusters of 70`s and 80`s show muscular men rescuing the ladies, in every genre including superhero movies, the recent movies of the 21st century see a movement away from this traditional idea. When the "Superhero cinema" was born a little over a decade ago, the superhero image was completely modified, when the modern day superhero idols would resemble Peter Parker more than John Rambo.
Within this division of social media, superhero movies have played a great part in formulating the ideas of masculinity in a person`s mind. The reason for this is superhero movies are a great source of attraction to young kids particularly boys. They not only love to pass their time watching the superheroes save the world from the evil antagonists who have plans to destroy their beloved planet, but aspire to become just like them, buying their kits, and jumping from chairs. Thus the young, impressionable minds, very early on form a belief regarding what is the epitome of manliness, a large part of which is shaped by the same superhero movies. As Yann says in ‘Complex Masculinities: The Superhero in Modern American Movies`, we can witness an exponential increase in the number of movies made in the superhero genre in Hollywood. He proposes the masculinity associated with these characters with superhuman characteristics, is sought as a solution to the modern day issues including the "understanding of the multi-faceted problematic of masculinities" (Roblou, Yann).
The heroes in the blockbuster films have evolved from Maximus in Gladiator, with his sturdy body and strong-headed ways, to the skinny and geeky yet lovable portrayal of Peter Parker by Andrew Garfield. As put by someone wise "Smart is the new sexy". Superheroes of the last decade go for not only the dim-witted hunk with the six-pack, but now his aptitude matters equally, if not more.
Looking at the past few years in superhero films, we notice a trend with the exception of a few outliers. One of these might be The Expendables. The Expendables (2010) featuring Sylvester Stallone is often seen as a farewell to classic action movies. For many, it marks the downfall of the "testosterone-masculinity", symbolic of the changing trends. While previously, the heroes were macho and well built, heading straight out into the danger, now they are being replaced by superheroes in skin fitting costumes who go out at night wearing masks to fight crime. The most apparent reason for the action-piled movies being forced out of mainstream cinema, even though still loved by many, is the obvious inclination towards more relatable characters saving the day. The audience was not sufficiently convinced by the brief scenes of sentimentality amidst the jam packed action scenes previously depicted in similar action movies such as Rambo, and consequently the emergence of a common man fighting crime by night, and remaining "ordinary" by day was embraced with enthusiasm. This factor of him being ordinary and flawed just like any other person when the sun comes up and the mask comes off is what these movies rely upon to built the emotional connection between the audience and the hero. The fact that literally anyone can go out and save the day is what fuels their success. It would not be untrue to say that the Spiderman series was the first of many such superhero movies, which paved the way for superhero films worth several decades.
However, this disintegration of the typical notions of manliness is not restricted to the superhero genre. They extend far beyond. The depiction of the strong male accustomed to getting what he wants does not mix well with the modern female, free-willed and independent. Some of the recent romantic comedies, such as The Bounty Hunter, belonging to this genre have proven to be an epic fail. And hence, as ideas about femininity and its depictions in cinema have altered, so has masculinity.
The greatest of these changes however, is the casting of effeminate actors in the roles of superheroes. Whether it is the Spiderman series, Toby McGuire followed by Andrew Garfield or the most recent Superman film featuring Brandon Routh, this marks the trend of a change in the modern day superhero image. The classical concept of masculinity being synonymous to machismo is missing from these movies. Brandon Routh depicts an incredible version of an effeminate Clark Kent, with his introvert personality, and high-pitched voice. Meanwhile he relies on the talents of Superman to make him a powerful authoritative figure. While Peter Parker transcends the geek hero and proposes an alternative view, Superman grasps this opportunity to cast an unconventional Man of Steel contributing towards Hollywood`s move towards changing the stereotype associated with masculinity in superheroes. Some critics are of the view that these changes might be to keep in accord with the stereotypically geek audience. Whatever the reason, the brawny, All-American actors have been replaced by frail-looking, yet lethal boys with messy hair.
Amidst the changing trends, Spiderman can perhaps be called the pioneer in this regard. The first look at the latest superhero blockbuster, The Amazing Spiderman makes you appreciate his geeky good looks. A second look, perhaps a longer one makes you apprehend the difference his character, physique and persona has from the traditional superhero image almost 2 decades ago. It is definitely remarkable how the present-day superhero has mutated. Now, brains matter equally if not more than brawn, and the emphasis on brute strength as an essential component of masculinity has remarkably lessened.
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