prepare a presentation from research paper

Nothing left to do, but buy some shells for my glock  Why? so I can rob every known dope spot I got 19 dollars and 50 cents up in my pocket with what?  With this automatic rocket  Gotta have it to pop it, unlock it, and take me up a hostage  (Snoop Dog, from Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told, Priority Records 1998)

As we learn of the latest shootings in Orlando, Florida, we see once again that it is an angry male who is responsible. We learn that this Arab American, born in the U.S., has expressed hatred toward America and has claimed to be influenced by the group Isis, a very violent terrorist group. We also learn he was abusive toward his wife. For no recognized reason except to cause great pain and get attention, he opened fire on a nightclub and killed 49 people and injured many more. What could lead him to such an action? The media blames radical Islam, but he is still just another angry young man who feels entitled to use violence to get attention or take control with a gun to get what he wants. When you look at such murders in America, almost always the attacker is a man. Why is this never presented as a male issue? Instead it is framed as a gun control problem or a mental illness problem, but never a problem with the way masculinity is idealized in media (Hurt and Katz). The film, “Tough Guise, Teaching Violent Masculinity as the Only Way to Be a Man” by Byron Hurt and Jackson Katz presents the way media presents masculinity as being associated with dominance, control, and violence. There is so much violence used in media that it sends the message the only way to be a real man is to take control and dominate others, often with a weapon.

It is hard to ignore that mass shootings have become too common in the United States, although they are seen in other places like Paris and Belgium. Rachel Kalish and Michael Kimmel study the situation. They report that the “culture of hegemonic masculinity available to young American men encourages the use of violence to avenge a perceived challenge to their masculine identity” (452). When someone has lost a sense of power or masculinity as promoted by media, the committing of violence likely helps them achieve a sense of power. When it is combined with the suicide of the offender, this can make the violence seem even more potent say Kalish and Kimmel. In fact, many of the mass shootings end in suicide. Most of these killers seem prepared for that, and it is part of their overall plan. Kalish and Kimmel say it is important to notice that the shooters are not just misguided youth. They are boys who seemed to feel they have been wronged by the world. The authors say this is not such an uncommon feeling among teenagers. But what makes these shooters different is a sense of entitlement, a sense that using violence is okay. The wronged feeling is likely based on humiliation and a threat to the boy’s sense of identity and masculinity. Kalish and Kimmel argue, “For many men, humiliation must be avenged, or you cease to be a man. Aggrieved entitlement is a gendered emotion, a fusion of that humiliating loss of manhood and the moral obligation and entitlement to get it back. And its gender is masculine” (453).

Mike Bartolotta also emphasizes that men are the main people who commit violence, and they are also the main victims of violence except for rape. But no one talks about violence as a male problem. Bartolotta introduces Byron Hurt and Jackson Katz who have both made films about male violence. Their movies together are “Tough Guise, 1 and 2.” The movies evaluate the relationship between pop-culture and the masculine identity that is idealized. The idealized men are seen as in control and having power over everything and everyone around them. The authors specifically argue that shootings in Arkansas, Jonesboro, and Columbine should be seen as symptoms of a masculine identity in crisis.

Our male or female identity is based on gender roles. Gender roles are not the same as biological sex. When children are born, they are taught what their society accepts as what it means to be a man or woman. What is seen as normal behavior or ideal behavior depends on the culture. So, gender is a social construct, an attitude shaped by what is presented in the society. One of the most powerful enforcers of identity is what is seen in movies, television or advertising. The images and discourse presented in media sends messages to boys and girls like “boys don’t cry” or “boys who cry are sissies,” “girls need to be pretty to be liked,” and much more. For the most part, popular culture in media will present the dominant discourse about gender says Stacy Sinclair and Brent Taylor. They claim that “…dominant discourses reflect prevailing ideology, including popular norms, values, and beliefs and are so persuasive in a community that they are completely taken-for-granted about how life should be lived. These dominating discourses shape every aspect of human functioning embracing thought, behavior and affective responses” (398). Sinclair and Taylor say the discourses found in a society are left unchallenged for the most part. So, they become seen as natural and what it means to be a man or woman. Maria Garner talks about hegemonic masculinity. In other words, one view of masculinity comes to dominate all others. She says the culture or society sexualizes people, but studies of sexualization have generally emphasized women, girls and young people. But there are not many researches done on sexualization of boys and men. The author says her “viewpoint explores sexualisation as a problematic cultural context for gender equality and ending violence against women and girls, and raises a series of questions for related research agendas. It offers a reflection on what can be gained by turning the gaze away from young people, women and girls onto men and masculinities and exploring sexualisation in the broader context of gender relations and cultural production” (325). Sexualization, then, is associated with power, gender, everyday experience and identity. The media reinforces this sexualization.

James Hamblin writes about the latest shooting in Florida. Hamblin claims that in order to reduce such violence, we have to understand the emotion of hatred involved. The common factor of such killings, more than race, nationality, political association, or mental illness is that they are men. The Orlando shooter had a history of anger and aggression. He showed anger at work and he was reported for abusing his wife who had to escape from her home to get away from him. The author says, the “national attachment to dominance models of manhood is a major reason why we have so much violence” (1). The culture of violence being seen in places like the U.S. is being called “toxic masculinity.” James Hamblin reports toxic masculinity is “a specific model of manhood geared towards dominance and control. When men seek that control—when we feel it’s our due—and don’t achieve it, we can resent and hate. Toxic masculinity sets expectations that prime us for disappointment. We turn that disappointment on ourselves and others as anger and hatred” (Hamblin 1).

Hamblin says that discussions of male violence are often dismissed because men say, I am not violent, and only some men are so violent. But Hamblin says that while it is true that not all men are violent, there is too much violent behavior from men. Masculinity is not always violent or toxic, for sure. But he also believes the problems with masculinity in a country like the U.S. is why Isis can recruit men and get them to commit such violence as seen in Orlando or San Bernadino. He argues, but “Toxicity of anything in life is only ever a matter of context. And today’s context is one where a dangerous, militant sect is trying to radicalize volatile people who live in the country where weapons are the most plentiful in the world. Today’s context is that on top of all that, there are men who are full of insecurity and expected to express themselves only in certain, limited ways” (Hamblin 2).

Sam Femiano and Mark Nickerson of the Center for Media Literacy describe sexualization as sexual stereotyping which begins early in people’s lives. For example, boys learn what it means to be a man from family and peers. These ideas are then reinforced and supported by media messages. The most common traits for men that are promoted are bravery, being adventurousness, being able to think rationally, and being strong and effective. Men are expected to be independent and able to take charge. They are supposed to be strong and silent. At the same time, boys are often rejected who show qualities that are not considered manly, like showing emotions of fear, hurt, confusion or despair. Men are taught to be competitive, but they are not taught how to love in a nonsexual way, to have friendships or to solve conflicts without violence (Famiano and Nickerson 2). These limited masculine standards put pressure on boys, and if they do not live up to them, they can be bullied and become targets of discrimination. FAmiano and Nickerson say this narrow limit also keeps men from living up to their full potential as human beings. Media reinforces these stereotypes by showing men having these limited traits. If less manly, the characters are generally a source of humor. The authors say that in watching television, people need to become more aware of how TV “treats male characters, how we relate to the characters, and how these characterizations influence our ideas about masculinity and the real men of all ages who star in our own lives” (2).

In addition to stereotypes on television, millions of people go to the movies or rent videos of the the ‘action-adventure’ films, starring men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Christian Bale and Matt Damon. FAmiano and Nickerson believe that because women have risen to more power and men feel their power has been diminished in the workplace among other places, Adding to this inventory of images are the music video industry and the widespread practice in advertising to stress gender difference, implicitly and even explicitly reaffirming the ‘natural’ dissimilarities of males and females. Men feel less empowered. Add to that the media presentations of military and sports ideals, that all promote the ‘ideal masculinity’. FAmiano and Nickerson state, “magazine and television advertisements aimed at men are rife with advertisements featuring violent male icons, such as football players, big-fisted boxers, military figures and leather-clad bikers. Men’s sports magazines and televised sporting events carry millions of dollars’ worth of military advertisements” (2). At the same time “Young males confronted with generational crises everywhere find themselves on the receiving end of music videos produced by numerous male artists who perform working-class or urban ‘rebel’ masculinity that embodies all sorts of violent angers and resentments and seek validation in the defiance of mainstream social conventions” (Famiano and Nickerson 2).

Rap music and hip hop music are extremely popular with young people today and have been for the last two decades. But this music is another aspect of media where violence is promoted. The music and music videos present the big music stars as thugs and gangsters. There are actually different categories for violent rap songs:

Violent hip-hop generally falls into three distinct categories: gun clapping, physical beating, or slasher flick-style horrorcore songs. M.O.P., Grand Daddy I.U. and Big L prefer to reign down hot lead on all "foes and enemies," while Kool G Rap and The Convicts subscribe to the belief that a punch in the face can solve all of the world's problems. Meanwhile, serial killers and cannibals are the violent protagonists of choice for Esham, Gangsta N.I.P. and the Gravediggaz.  (Ettelson 1)

Not only is violence a common message, there is a lot of violence toward women as part of the music. Considering millions of young men love this kind of music, what does it teach about how to be a man? Since gender roles are part of a culture, then the amount of violence in popular culture in America obviously has an effect. In the same way women are taught they must be thin to be considered beautiful, men are taught they need to be in control and dominant in order to be considered masculine. The messages about violence begin at an early age, as soon as young people become familiar with video games. There are many that show the male characters using violence to get the reward.

It is not just movies, television and music videos that reinforce violent masculinity. Even advertisers do so. As reported by Peter Kareithi, “Military and sports have always been a staple source of the symbolic image system of violent masculinity. Uniformed soldiers and players as well as their weapons and gear appear frequently in media content from computer games and magazines to movies and television, and in advertisements of all sorts. Advertisers, for instance, often use these signifiers in numerous creative ways to make their products appear manly” (1). The worst ads I have seen are for Dolce and Gabanna where they show men being dominating and threatening violence toward women.

There is a lot of violence in America, and many people will blame how easy it is to get guns, but there must be other reasons as well. Guns have always been easy to obtain in the U.S. It is actually harder to get guns now then in the past. So why has violence gone up? Mass shootings have become common in the U.S. Why more now than a few decades ago? Of course, many people will have different opinions about violence in America. Hurt and Katz say that until we frame the issue in a new way, nothing will change. This is an important issue in America right now. Over 14,000 people are murdered in this country every year. That is much more than any other advanced country. “America’s gun murder rate is more than 25 times the average of other developed countries” (“Gun Violence by the Numbers” 1). It is like a war on America’s city streets. If America is to help stop this most terrible reality about its culture, it needs to look at the whole picture and ask the hard questions—What is it about American culture that sets it apart? One answer is that the high amount of violence in popular culture of all forms—movies, video games, music, music videos, television and more—has a powerful but negative influence on the attitude about men’s use of violence to get what they want.

If this violence is to be reduced, taking guns away is not really the answer. The way boys are sexualized needs to change more. There are programs developed to try and do this. Educators in America and other places need to pay more attention to the problem of male violence and accept that it is a gender issue, not a gun issue.

Refrances: Bartolotta, Mike. "Tough Guise: Violence, Media And The Crisis In Masculinity." Afterimage 37.2 (2009): 63. Academic Search Premier. Database. 12 June, 2016.

Ettelson, Robbie. “The 25 Most Violent Rap Songs of All Time.” 13 May, 2013. Web.

“Gun Violence By the Numbers.” Everytown.org. 2014. Web.

Hamblin, James. “Toxic Masculinity and Murder.” The Atlantic. 16 June, 2016. Web 17 June, 2016.

Femiano, Sam and Mark Nickerson, How do Media Images of Men Affect Our Lives?. Center for Media Literacy. 2016. Web 17 June, 2016.

Fruhwirth, Jesse. "Male Call." Bitch Magazine: Feminist Response To Pop Culture 63 (2014): 34-39. Academic Search Premier. Database. 14 June, 2016.

Garner, Maria. "The Missing Link: The Sexualisation Of Culture And Men." Gender & Education 24.3 (2012): 325-331.Academic Search Premier. Database. 12 June, 2016.

Kalish, Rachel, and Michael Kimmel. "Suicide By Mass Murder: Masculinity, Aggrieved Entitlement, And Rampage School Shootings." Health Sociology Review 19.4 (2010): 451-464. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17, June 2016.

Kareithi, Peter. “Hegemonic masculinity in media contents.” Game Research, Web. 17 June, 2016.