When considering being a women, most people know that being a women is something really difficult especially when it comes to body image and how to act around others, in other words the saying “act like a lady” is something women should “live by”. But when someone is so wrapped up in the issues that being women arise, we tend to forget the issues that men face every day.
In the first text by Micheal Kimmel “Masculinity as Homophobia” one sentence really caught my attention. “Our fear is the fear of humiliation, we are ashamed to be afraid…”. I personally find this sentence really describes what is being stated in the text. Men are scared to be ridiculed for not being masculine enough, they think that showing emotion or being put in a vulnerable position makes them less of a man. I think that that is something that men have to face everyday, that showing emotion makes them “weak”, that they always have to be the brave hero. Kimmel focuses on how men should act a certain way to be portrayed as “real” men. Society has a definition of what a man should just, just like society has a definition for women. They both have roles that they should be fulfilling, but with that comes more issues. When young boys, they are told to not cry to not be called degrading names. This only is the starts of how gender roles come about.
Bell’s “Understanding Patriarchy” gives a similar images to Kimmel’s. “Lifestyle feminism ushered in the notion that there could be as many versions of feminism as there were women.”. I think she is trying to compare both feminism and say that we have come a long way, and that men should do the same. There are different types of masculinity out there, just like women. Hooks used compassion as a tool of understanding what she is trying to say.
In my opinion, I think men have a hard time (sometimes) grasping onto concepts like homophobia since some men are not conformable with their sexuality. Some men think being different makes you less of a men. I sincerely hope men can redefine the meaning of masculinity for the greater good of people around them. I think men should not feel uncomfortable expressing their true and genuine selves. Men should be proud of who they are and not feel the need to feel a certain way because that is what society says. Things like homophobia and racism all grow stronger in places of hate, we should learn to love ourselves and others to diminish the acts of hate and hate felt in hearts.
Alternatives 