Evolution of Masculinity in Film

1664 Words7 Pages
Evolution of Masculinity In film “Terminal Masculinity: Men in the Early 1990s” by Susan Jeffords shows the transformation from 80s “hard body” men which is the typical man’s man, physically strong, aggressive, and unemotional, and who does not rely on the support of family or loved ones. As for in 90s films there is a change of heart for the male making him a “new man”. That he is actually more complex, and that men start to show more of an emotional side. In 90’s films Jeffords explains that because of events that have molded his life and how he was raised, the man of the eighties in fact does have feelings toward people that influence him such as family and children. But possibly have been too busy with their jobs, working and trying to be the “man of house”, that they don’t have time to spend with children nor do they understand how to relate to a woman. Most of men in the 80s were so unhappy, lonely, and often in pain that they hid behind confrontational violence. That it is not men’s fault that they were so emotionally detached from others. It is because of how they were raised, nobody had taught them otherwise. Boyz N the Hood and Four Brothers shows prime examples of Jeffords Terminal Masculinity, and the ways masculinity evolved within 80’s “hard body” film to 90’s film “new man”. The movie Boyz N the Hood directed by John Singleton is about a poor community in Los Angeles and the relationships between these three boys. Trey is one of the main characters he lives with his single working mother. After Trey gets into trouble at school his mother decides to send Trey to live with his father. Furious Styles, father of Trey, teaches him discipline and what it takes to become a man. Trey befriends two neighborhood boys Doughboy and Ricky. Doughboy and Ricky live with their single mother; these two brothers come from two different fathers. The

More about Evolution of Masculinity in Film

Open Document