Although Channing Tatum’s rock hard abs and chiseled features may have inspired a movie franchise, his contribution to the constant presence of hypermasculinity in American media may be posing sincere threat to the men in our lives. Male celebrities like Tatum are the shining example of how America likes its men, or at least the ones who we want to give our money, attention and devotion to.
Physically fit, broodingly handsome, stoic and detached, the media’s presents buff male celebrities like him as the quintessential men, while placing little emphasis on anything beyond their physique. These portrayals highlight the warped standards hypermasculinity and gender roles present and have contributed to a lack of appreciation for the more “feminine” characteristics that men possess. Male standards in America ask far too much, or in some regards, ask far too little.
The rough and tumble treatment of young boys from an early age enforces the “boys don’t cry” mentality prevalent in most American families. Phrases like “man up” or “grow a pair” are told to young males in an attempt to shame their more vulnerable emotions, like sadness, jealousy, sympathy, weakness, and fear. Such expressions subconsciously strip men of their natural tendency to show emotion and enforce the sexist double standard that emotions are flaws typical of women. In school, boys who do not engage in the stereotypical pursuit of physical dominance and athleticism, or chose to spend their time engaging in more cerebral, artistic or academic activities can be shunned or mocked by their peers. Men who are openly in touch with their emotions are frequently victims of uneducated homophobic profiling.
This policing of men’s brains throughout their formative years can lead to a lack of expression in terms of what men are feeling. Males are unable, or afraid, to communicate what is on their mind, a necessary aspect of maintaining good mental health. Boys are also indirectly taught that they m ust live up to the masculine, gruff men they see on TV and magazine covers, a goal unattainable in reality. The pressures of maintaining the macho-man, breadwinner persona imposed by gender roles contributes to heightened stress and mental strain in men.
Men who suffer from mental disease are far more unlikely to seek professional help than their female counterparts. According to a 2009 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 17.2% of women in the U.S. utilized mental health resources, while the amount of men using such services was nearly cut in half at 9.2%. This is due to an internalized fear of showing “weakness” by reaching out for mental health care, a result of years of being told that emotion was synonymous with feminine vulnerability.
Unfortunately, the destructive loop of male insecurity and emotional confinement has fatal ends. The suicide rate for American males in 2013 was about 4 times higher than that of women, and a whooping 77.9% of suicide victims are male, according to a report by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Besides suicide, the stress put on men by untreated mental disorders contributes to the shorter average lifespan of men in comparison to women. Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders can contribute to many severe health issues including heart disease, the number one killer of men in the U.S.. Men silently suffering from eating disorders or addiction can face even worse, fast acting medical problems.
The deadly cycle of hypermasculinity in America must be put to an end by raising emotionally conscious children, ones who are aware of the fictitious nature of the gender roles seen in the media. Mental help and the communication of feelings must also be stripped of it’s negative, feminine connotation. The mental health epidemic of U.S. men is yet another example of the long reaching effects of gender stereotypes, and proof that no one truly benefits from the system of sexism that pervades American culture.
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