Trends in Male Stardom: Contemporary Types of Masculinity - Coursework Example

Trends in Male Stardom: Contemporary types of masculinity Introduction According to Jack Kerouac, (1976, p.2), “Sex is the one and only holy important thing in life”. The concepts of sexuality are changing day by day. People in the past were more interested in heterosexual activities, whereas present generation is increasingly interested in homosexual activities. The concepts such as masculinity and femininity are highly associated with human sexuality. Masculinity and femininity are socially constructed rather than biologically construct. At the same time, these things have relationships with both socially-defined and biologically-created factors. People are using these concepts in order to segregate male characteristics from female characteristics. It should be noted that males and females are physically different even though they may have similar elements of mental power and abilities. In other words, the body shape, strength and overall appearances of males and females are entirely different. The body of the males is stronger than that of the females normally. Because of the stronger body power, and abilities, the looks and appearances of the males are different from that of females. In order to segregate the male characteristics from female characteristic, society has formulated concepts such as masculinity and femininity. The concepts about masculinity and femininity are changing day by day because of the rapid changes that are taking place in the life styles, life attitudes and life philosophies of the people. Traditional concepts about masculinity were related to a set of attributes, behaviours, and roles generally associated males. At present many of the females try to imitate males in their appearances, looks and attitudes. Same way, there are some males who like to behave like females. Masculinity is an important thing in the film world. It is an accepted fact that the heroes in films especially, the heroes who perform herculean tasks should have strong characteristics of masculinity. The audience or viewers will never accept a hero with feminine nature performing risky activities. As per modern trends, if a hero performs a villainous activity, viewers may accept it. Such things were unacceptable to the people in the past. Because of the changes that are taking place in the concepts about male stardom, the concepts about masculinity are also changing. This paper analyses the contemporary types of masculinity taking some of the most popular heroes in American film industry. Russell Crowe and masculinity Russell Crowe is one of the most famous Hollywood celebrities at present. He was a “centripetal force in muscular entertainments like "Romper Stomper," "L.A. Confidential," "The Insider" and "Gladiator,". He has made a reputation playing characters who are as likely to suffer bruising unhappiness as to dole it out” (Dargis, 2001). The current world is filled with a lot of unhappiness about many things. In social, professional and personal lives, people are facing different types of unhappiness. Therefore, modern generation have a habit of adorning people who are able to come out from their unhappy life. In other words, heroes who are able to solve life problems are more acceptable to modern generation than heroes who perform superhuman activities. Heroes like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were more acceptable to the people in the past because of their superior abilities in fighting, and defeating enemies. It should be noted that these heroes were either excellent in performing martial arts or in performing fighting scenes. However, modern generation have already realized the meaninglessness in adorning such celebrities. Russell Crowe like Heroes is catching their attention at present. In short, ability to solve problems is a newly attached element on masculinity in the contemporary society. Mr. Crowe, 36, has assumed a range of roles throughout his 11- year film career, from horse wrangler to sensitive plumber, but hes become famous for a procession of tough, at times brutal men, all securely out of touch with their feminine side. With a face as coiled as his fists, he has resurrected a soulful, often tragic masculinity not seen on American screens since the he-man martyr years of the 1970s, when the likes of Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and even Sylvester Stallone made a last stand for heroic masculinity, however pathological(Dargis, 2001). Masculinity was usually associated with victory in the past. In other words, it was unacceptable for the people in the past to accept an incident in which the hero fails. At the same time, modern generation is ready to accept even the failure of the hero, if the incident is realistic. It should be noted that Russell Crowe has done many films in the recent past in which he became a tragic hero at the end. He was able to establish himself in the minds of the audience even though he was a symbol of tragic masculinity in many of his recent films. It is evident that the public is more realistic at present compared to the public in the past. Crowe’s mannerism and charming voices helped him a lot in giving a new twist to the concepts of masculinity. Beautiful voice is one of the most attractive masculine elements for many of the modern people. A sexy hero with a feminine voice cannot catch the attention of the modern people. Same way, a sexy heroine with a male voice may fail to gather public attention. In short, voice plays an important role in the making of a hero with adequate masculine characteristics. “Mr. Crowe isnt just an anomaly, hes an avatar — a guy whos deadly serious about being a man, whether hes reducing men to meat in "Gladiator" or taking on the tobacco industry in "The Insider" (a role for which he received his best actor Oscar nomination last year)”(Dargis, 2001). Seriousness is another element of masculinity in the contemporary world. Casual approach is common among modern generation. As a result of that, modern generation often faces many problems in their life. Only after facing the problems, modern generation think about how silly the activities they were performed. At the same time, modern generation has the ability to respect people who take their life and activities seriously. Mr. Crowe’s charm, his effortless smile, "emotional purity and young mans exuberant physicality are helping him very much in becoming a symbol of masculinity in the present world (Dargis, 2001). Crowe is an actor who is refrained from showing unnecessary emotions while performing serious activities. He performs every activity like a male. As a male, he believes that emotion should not conquer his wisdom. In fact his flexibility as an actor is helping him very much in establishing himself as a symbol of masculinity. “Theirs is an extreme masculinity, a sort of maximum maleness that appears to have carried over to Mr. Crowes personal exploits, which, from his brawls to his romantic entanglements, have provided tabloid fodder for years”(Dargis, 2001). Many of the modern heroes have the habit of behaving diplomatically in front of the public even though they behave indecently in their private life. Such heroes were able to cultivate a fake identity in the minds of the people. In other words, their exact personality will be entirely different from the one they demonstrate in front of the public. They wanted to avoid negative publicity. That is why they keep a dual personality; one in personal and another in professional lives. At the same time, Russell Crowe is not afraid of negative publicity. He has the courage to reveal controversial opinions in front of the public. In other words, he is ready to express his opinions freely irrespective of whether these opinions are acceptable or not acceptable to the public. For example, “When a British journalist, who interviewed Mr. Crowe around the time of the release of "Romper Stomper" in Great Britain, asked the actor about the films homoerotic subtext, the Australian replied, "Well, youd know more about that, mate, being English" (Dargis, 2001). In fact these open outbursts never spoiled Crowe’s popularity or stardom. Clint Eastwood and masculinity “Eastwoods endurance is one of the rare phenomena that make me genuinely hopeful about men. Its not just that he proves that you can be awesome when youre eighty. He proves that its possible to be open-minded and creative and daring and still hold on to the old virtues” (Marche, 2010). Even though Eastwood is extremely older compared many of the modern celebrities, he is adorned by many of the upcoming generation or the generation Y. In other words, Eastwood has something to offer, not only to the older generation but also to the modern generation. His open minded approaches and creativity in acting are attracting both younger and older generation equally well. He is not an actor who relies on traditional acting methods. In every new film he acted, he was able to produce some magical moments which were loved by the people. In fact, Eastwood is able to redefine some of the traditional elements of masculinity. It should be noted that majority of the heroes in the past and present are not ready to act in roles that may spoil their reputation as an actor. Such heroes are not ready to come out from their celebrity shell. However, Eastwood is different in this regard. He never bothered about his image while acting in films. What his character does in the film was only of secondary importance for him. The ability to act in films outside the stardom is definitely segregates Eastwood from other actors. “Clint Eastwood almost always — are canny enough to deliver their masculine prerogative with a knowing wink, evidence that the smartest old dogs can learn new tricks” (Dargis, 2001). Eastwood’s body language is different from that of other celebrities. It should be noted that communication usually occurs through two channels: verbal and nonverbal. Eastwood use nonverbal channels more than verbal channels to communicate his elements of masculinity with the people. His looks, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contacts speak volumes about his masculinity. According to Cornell (2009), the pressing elements of masculinity are visible in the ideas of revenge, violence, moral repair, and justice. In his opinion, “Eastwood grapples with this involvement of masculinity in and through many of the great symbols of American life, including cowboys, boxing, police dramas, and ultimately war-perhaps the single greatest symbol of what it means (or is supposed to mean) to be a man” (Cornell 2009). Many of the films of Eastwood remind us about the profound moral and ethical issues related to masculinity. For example, homosexuality was unacceptable to the public until few decades before. Homosexuality was neither a masculine nor a feminine characteristic. In fact, it is a biological or behavioural characteristic. Eastwood was able to connect such moral issues with masculinity. Brad Pitt and masculinity Perhaps no other Hollywood actor was able to connect sexual attributes with masculinity just like Brad Pitt. Pitt is labelled as the sexiest actor in the Hollywood for the last 20 years. This is a guy who has transitioned from heartthrob to cool dad completely seamlessly, and even when he’s being ridiculous he’s kind of being awesome. People talk about their Nick Offermans and their Jon Hamms when it comes to overwhelming masculinity, and rightly so. There’s something to be said though about the longevity and the adaptability of Brad Pitt’s manliness. Pitt always seemed to be on the verge of a long sigh, inhaling deeply in through his mouth and exhaling through flared nostrils (Ruecker, 2013). Even when taking a breath, Brad Pitt reveals his masculinity. He has his own style of breathing that attracts many people. Even after crossing the 50 years old mark, Brad Pitt still remains as a massive symbol of masculinity. His younger looks attracted many in the past, but his elder or older looks are attracting many at present. In other words, Brad Pitt was able to reveal his masculinity through different ages. As in the case of Eastwood, Brad Pitt is also able to reveal his masculinity through nonverbal channels. Even without uttering a word, Pitt is able to create the sense that he is a leader rather than a follower. “This is body language that yells “I’m in charge mofos” or “I’m the manager of this team, deal with it” or “I’m the fittest guy in this club” or “I’m the master of this house”(Ruecker, 2013). His gregarious looks and appearances help him a lot taking the lead role while participating in a group activity. Pitt’s voice is helping him a lot in establishing himself as a leader while acting in films. No complex makeups are necessary for Brad Pitt to act the role of a leader in films. His voice supports his body language in establishing himself as a leader in films. It is possible for Brad Pitt to control his voice properly as per the needs of the situations in films. His voice is flexible enough to “handle the serious poetry of a movie from someone like Terence Malick and also the insane dialogue of a guy like Quentin Tarantino, transitioning from 1940s southern general to post-war suburban scary dad as though no effort is required” (Ruecker, 2013). In short, Brad Pitt is able to reveal his masculinity both verbally and nonverbally. Daniel Craig and masculinity A discussion about the trends in Male Stardom: and contemporary types of masculinity cannot be completed successfully without a mention about the James Bond films. No other films series has successfully portrayed masculinity just like James Bond films. So many actors have so far acted the role of James Bond in Bond films. Daniel Craig is one among them. Daniel Craigs first appearance as James Bond took place in the 2006 film Casino Royale. This film was totally different from the previous James Bond films. The director tried to give an entirely different face and appearance to James Bond through this film. That is why Daniel Craig was selected for this film even though there were many other actors who already acted as James Bond. “In fashioning and refashioning his identity, the film demonstrates a masculinity that is fluid, and made more so by the frequent references to water. Bonds gender identity is unsettled and is repeatedly affected by his identification with traditionally feminine attributes and connotations” (Cox, 2014). In most of the other James Bond films, the character of James Bond was extremely stubborn. However, in this film, the director tried to present a fluid or flexible James Bond. Craig’s flexibility in acting helped him a lot in living up to the expectations of the director of this film. Bruce Willis and masculinity Bruce Willis is a symbol of masculinity in America at present because of his successful appearance in Die Hard film series. The role of John McClane, the fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series was safe in the hands of Bruce Willis. According to Carroll (2003, p.54) “studies in the film field pay specific attention to the Herculean physical performances and spectacular body appearances of starring characters such as John McLane in the Die Hard series”. Bruce Willis has a good physique and the abilities to perform difficult tasks. Good physique is definitely an element of masculinity. It was so yesterday, it is so today and it will be so tomorrow. It is impossible to think about masculinity in a female’s body. Masculinity rests only in the male bodies. “An analysis of Die Hard 2 highlights the movie director’s focus on physicality in action heroes such as John McLane, and the way they display the body of their hero forms a vital ingredient of a film’s visual effects” (Gates 2006, p. 58). In the film, Die Hard 2 portrays the heroic acts made by John McLane to save his wife from the hands of terrorists. Bruce Willis was able to perform these heroic acts perfectly. Heroism is definitely an element of modern masculinity. Modern generation adorns celebrities who perform heroism in films. At the same time, unrealistic heroism and performances are unacceptable to current generation. It should be noted that the audience accepts heroism when male characters in films perform it. On the other hand, female heroism are less acceptable to audiences. This is because of the notion that males are much stronger than females both physically and mentally. “Indeed, the extant studies and research from a feminist perspective clearly states that the physical masculinity of an action hero gives a preferential tone for the action narrative”(Carroll 2003, p. 79). Bruce Willis was able to perform the role of an action hero in the film Die hard 2. Aggression is another masculine characteristic revealed by Bruce Willis through the Die Hard 2. “The audiences of this movie will not find it difficult to spot the genre of the movie as male-driven. This is prominent in the presentation of the lead hero as a macho man”(Milestone & Meyer 2012, p. 50). In this film, Bruce Willis was able to demonstrate excellent abilities to wrestle his enemies. He had shown no mercy towards his enemies. His aggression, physique and power pack performances have helped him to become a symbol of masculinity in modern America. John McLane’s (Bruce Willis) ability to withstand physical assaults with his hard male body attracted many Americans. In other words, Americans believe that a healthy body is definitely a symbol of masculinity even at older ages. “Despite the ageing protagonist’s physical prowess, most reviewers and critics greeted the Die Hard series with a great deal of passion and acclaim. This is due to John McLane’s ability to withstand physical assaults with his hard male body, irrespective of his age”(Berg 2002, p. 80). Conclusions The perceptions about stardom and masculinity are changing in the contemporary American social life. Many of the elements that are considered as the elements of masculinity in the past are no more enjoying the same status now. At the same time, many new elements have been attached to the concept of masculinity at present. In any case, a strong physique, aggression, body languages, attractive voices, ability to overcome difficult situations etc are some of the major elements of masculinity at present. References Berg, C.R. 2002, Latino images in film: Stereotypes, subversion, and resistance, University of Texas Press, Austin, TX. Cornell, D. 2009. Clint Eastwood and Issues of American Masculinity. [Online] Available at: http://muse.jhu.edu/books/9780823246830[Accessed 11 December 2014] Cox, K. 2014. Becoming James Bond: Daniel Craig, rebirth, and refashioning masculinity in Casino Royale (2006). Journal of Gender Studies. Volume 23, Issue 2, 2014 Carroll, B.E. 2003. American masculinities: A historical encyclopedia, The Moschovitis Group, New York. Dargis, M. 2001. Russell Crowes Special Brand of Masculinity. The New York Times. March 4, 2001 Gates, P. 2006, Detecting men: Masculinity and the Hollywood detective film, State University of New York Press, New York. Kerouac, J. 1976. On The Road. Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (December 28, 1976) Marche, S. 2010. Why Is Clint Eastwood Still the Man. [Online] Available at: http://www.esquire.com/features/thousand-words-on-culture/clint-eastwood-masculinity-1110 [Accessed 11 December 2014] Milestone, K. & Meyer, A. 2012. Gender and popular culture, Polity Press, Cambridge. Ruecker, D. 2013. 5 Things Brad Pitt Has Adopted That Have Made His Masculinity Incredibly Intimidating [Online] Available at: http://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/brad-pitt-masculinity-intimidating/[Accessed 11 December 2014] Read More