Monster Masculinity: Honey I'll Be in the Garage Reasserting My Manhood
I was expecting this article to be about a macho man asserting his manhood. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was not. It was an article about how gender roles have changed in the last few decades and about how the author uses two popular TV shows to satisfy his wanderlust and keep his man desires.
Tragos (2009) starts out by saying “I’m the comic victim of two American myths,” which are his desire to be both a settled down person and a person who travels the road to different places. He has a family and a tenured teaching position. His traveling the road is mostly to Home Depot as opposed to the open road. He reconciles his two desires by building a hot rod in his garage and watching his two favorite shows – Monster Garage and American Chopper.
New contemporary gender roles require women to be strong and beautiful and men to be strong and sensitive. The new roles are creating a double burden for men and women because it still requires them to keep their traditional roles while adding some of the characteristics of the opposite gender. Merging some of these gender expectations may lead to the feminization of the masculine culture. The popularity of “lad mags” like Maxim and Stuff, the TV shows Monster Garage and American Chopper, music videos, and lyric sheets are showing signs of chauvinism and retrograde sexism (Tragos, 2009).
Years ago, women were expected to be beautiful and sexy, and some of that was based on their appearance and social standing. Men were forced to think about their own identities as women became more strong and independent. A woman today is strong and beautiful; her femininity is expressed through her dress, speech, dependency, and sensitivity to others. As feminism increased, some thought it made women masculine. Men learned to accept the new women as long as they still satisfied man’s beauty requirements (Tragos, 2009).
The video game about Lara Croft satisfies today’s image of a woman being strong and beautiful. Smart, independent, and with a great figure, she is cast as the picture of contemporary femininity. TV sitcom has changed over the years from showing the perfect mother images of June Cleaver and Donna Reed to mothers such as Roseanne Conner, Jill Taylor, Deborah Romano, Clare Huxtable, and Lois Wilkerson. The 1950s and 1960s mothers were always dressed nicely with aprons and were subservient. The more modern sitcom mothers wore jeans, took power from their husbands, and worked. This shift led to TV fathers as being less authoritative, less masculine, and being fearful of their wives (Tragos, 2009).
The man today is very different from the man of your father’s time. There is a code of conduct that men should have certain postures and attitudes at all times. Some believe that there is a set of characteristics that include aggression, dominance, and competitiveness. On the other hand, the new man needs to be both strong and sensitive. The new man embraces his feminine side without losing his masculinity (Tragos, 2009).
There is a new term called metrosexual. The most popular definition is that of a straight, urban male, who shows his feminine side, indulges in expensive haircuts, designer suits, and face creams. In the past, men were well groomed but did not spend a lot of time being concerned with their appearance. There are quite a few men’s magazines that help men with fashion, fitness, trends, and beauty products. The popular TV show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was devoted to helping ordinary men become the metrosexual. Hypermasculinity attempts to teach a man how to be a man. Through the pop culture of magazine covers, pop music lyrics, music videos and the TV show The Man Show, chauvinism was and is being promoted (Tragos, 2009).
Two reality shows have given men a new way to bond and to generate their masculine role. Monster Garage and American Chopper are shows generated from the ideas of men returning from World War II. These men used their skills and need for speed leftover from the war to search junkyards for parts and jalopies to build hot rods and recreate supercharged imitations of machines they operated during the war. The initial building of these creations was not to impress women but to impress other men. These hobby led to magazines, bike and car clubs, and to NASCAR. Monster Garage and American Chopper satisfy a traditional notion of masculinity (Tragos, 2009).
Monster Garage is about bike builder Jesse James who has lots of tattoos. The format of this show is that Jesse and his crew take something ordinary and turn it into a monster creation such as a Ford Mustang hot rod lawnmower or a Mini Cooper snowmobile. With a limited amount of money and time, the team builds something and on the last day they have a race. American Chopper features the Teutul family of father and two sons who also have tattoos. Building expensive themed bikes is this show’s format. Part of the draw of this show is how the family interacts. This show features a lot of technical talk and could serve as instructions on how to build bikes. But most importantly, both shows allow men to enjoy time in the garages with men doing men stuff away from women (Tragos, 2009).
I must admit that I found this article hard to follow at times. Overall, it was an entertaining article about how men and women’s roles have changes over the last few decades. I do not think that the author minds the changes at all. I think men still desire some alone men time to enjoy traditional men stuff. The garage satisfies this desire and allows them creativity. The two popular shows on the Discovery Channel indulges the author’s wanderlust and restores his masculinity.
References
Tragos, P. (2009). Monster masculinity: honey, I’ll be in the garage reasserting my manhood. Journal of Popular Culture, 42(3), 541-553. Retrieved January 6, 2010, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/TRAGOS_PETER.pdf?issn=00223840&issue=v42i0003&article=541_mmhibitgrmm.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Assignment 4-1
Everyone is aware of the earthquake and devastation in Haiti. At 5:53 pm January 12, life changed forever for the people in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. It was estimated that 50,000 people were immediately killed. Another 250,000 or more were injured. Most of the buildings were damaged and unsafe (Meadows, Smolowe, Tresniowski, & Dyball, 2010).
In their efforts to help, ordinary people became heroes. Dr. Victor Lajam from the Dominican Republic opened his border clinic to injured Haitians. He went to Port-au-Prince to volunteer his time and experience. This Harvard-educated cardiologist worked long hours without sleep, without anesthesia for amputations, and without proper equipment to help wherever he could (Meadows et al, 2010).
Dr. Frantz Beneche, a general practitioner from Orlando, received word that his mother had died. By the time he was able to arrive in Port-au-Prince, his mother had been pulled from her house alive. He stayed in the city to help treat survivors along with other doctors (Meadows et al, 2010).
Other selfless stories were uninjured people who volunteered at the hospitals and set broken limbs by pulling the bones back in place and splinting with cardboard, sharing the little bits of foods and water they had with others who had none, and helping dig for survivors. One remarkable story was of a 12-year old who lost his parents. He found an elderly widow who became homeless. They joined forces to care for each other and set up a tent for shelter. Others around them gave them food and soap (Meadows et al, 2010).
This article showed that the people of Haiti were able to pull their resources together and share what little they had with those around them. Heroes do not have to be characters in movies or books. They do not have to be rich and famous. A hero is someone who is willing to help in a disaster, will share what little they have, and not put themselves first.
References:
Meadows, B., Smolowe, J., Tresniowski, A, & Dyball, R. (2010, February 1). Heartbreak & courage. People, 73, 48-59.
In their efforts to help, ordinary people became heroes. Dr. Victor Lajam from the Dominican Republic opened his border clinic to injured Haitians. He went to Port-au-Prince to volunteer his time and experience. This Harvard-educated cardiologist worked long hours without sleep, without anesthesia for amputations, and without proper equipment to help wherever he could (Meadows et al, 2010).
Dr. Frantz Beneche, a general practitioner from Orlando, received word that his mother had died. By the time he was able to arrive in Port-au-Prince, his mother had been pulled from her house alive. He stayed in the city to help treat survivors along with other doctors (Meadows et al, 2010).
Other selfless stories were uninjured people who volunteered at the hospitals and set broken limbs by pulling the bones back in place and splinting with cardboard, sharing the little bits of foods and water they had with others who had none, and helping dig for survivors. One remarkable story was of a 12-year old who lost his parents. He found an elderly widow who became homeless. They joined forces to care for each other and set up a tent for shelter. Others around them gave them food and soap (Meadows et al, 2010).
This article showed that the people of Haiti were able to pull their resources together and share what little they had with those around them. Heroes do not have to be characters in movies or books. They do not have to be rich and famous. A hero is someone who is willing to help in a disaster, will share what little they have, and not put themselves first.
References:
Meadows, B., Smolowe, J., Tresniowski, A, & Dyball, R. (2010, February 1). Heartbreak & courage. People, 73, 48-59.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What a surprise to discover that January 25’s People cover story fit our discussion of stereotypes. Heidi Montag is a 23 years old actress who appears on The Hills. She had 10 different plastic surgeries in November on the same day. Two of the surgeries, nose and breast, were to change previous surgeries.
Her reasoning for have the surgeries – she felt insecure around the other celebrities. She saved three years to be able to mold herself to fit the stereotype actress. She even suggested that she is planning her next surgery to get bigger breasts and states that she plans to have surgeries as she gets older for maintenance. I really do not understand why someone so slender would need bigger breasts because the new ones she just got are size DDD. It is so oblivious that they are fake. She is beginning to look like Pamela Anderson even down to the hair color.
A comparision of her before and after pictures do show her as more mature looking, but I think that she actually looks older than 23 now. I realize that to succeed in Hollywood you do have to be beautiful. It seems to me that Heidi is obsessed with fitting the stereotype of Hollywood and looking perfect. She says that she is doing this to look more beautiful.
I think that the magazine gave the wrong message to young girls when they printed this article. Not everyone can afford to have plastic surgery. Heidi indicates that this makes her feel better about herself. This is a prime example of the media sending the wrong message and of stereotyping yourself to be like everyone else. Unless she is a good actress, all the plastic surgery will not help her succeed.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Icon Analysis
I chose three people that I admire. All three were not born into well-known families and have managed to reach icon status by hard work. They have been profiled on TV news shows, magazines, and talk shows. Their backgrounds are varied. One is a writer, one is an actor/politician, and one is a businessman.
J. K. Rowling was a single divorced mother with a big idea. She wrote her first book and struggled to have it published. No one could have imagined how this type of book would appeal to the masses. Harry Potter quickly became popular with the young people. The popularity of the books led to a movie deal and the rest is history. I would guess that the Harry Potter series is one of the most successful series because it appeals to all ages. J. K. Rowling has managed her success very well mostly out of the harsh spotlight and lives a normal life.
I have been a great fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger since he appeared as Conan the Barbarian. He could not even speak English well at that time and was terrible actor, but he fascinated me. My favorite movie was Commando. The thing that most impresses me about him is that he came to America with practically no money and a few body building contest wins. He appeared rather dumb at first. He quickly proved to be smarter than he seemed. He took the money that he made, invested wisely, and turned it into a fortune. Along the way, he married into the Kennedy family and got into politics. He is in his second term as governor of California. This just goes to show that America is the land of opportunity. With determination and hard work, you can be successful. He fooled everyone that thought he was dumb and had the last laugh.
What started as a new item and hobby in school has lead to a life-long project for Bill Gates. He is a Harvard College dropout who has made millions with a concept he and a friend thought up in their late teens and early twenties. Microsoft is practically a household name and changed the face of business. My greatest respect for him comes from his ability to give back to the community. He and his wife have a foundation that donates millions to projects such as world health and education.
J. K. Rowling was a single divorced mother with a big idea. She wrote her first book and struggled to have it published. No one could have imagined how this type of book would appeal to the masses. Harry Potter quickly became popular with the young people. The popularity of the books led to a movie deal and the rest is history. I would guess that the Harry Potter series is one of the most successful series because it appeals to all ages. J. K. Rowling has managed her success very well mostly out of the harsh spotlight and lives a normal life.
I have been a great fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger since he appeared as Conan the Barbarian. He could not even speak English well at that time and was terrible actor, but he fascinated me. My favorite movie was Commando. The thing that most impresses me about him is that he came to America with practically no money and a few body building contest wins. He appeared rather dumb at first. He quickly proved to be smarter than he seemed. He took the money that he made, invested wisely, and turned it into a fortune. Along the way, he married into the Kennedy family and got into politics. He is in his second term as governor of California. This just goes to show that America is the land of opportunity. With determination and hard work, you can be successful. He fooled everyone that thought he was dumb and had the last laugh.
What started as a new item and hobby in school has lead to a life-long project for Bill Gates. He is a Harvard College dropout who has made millions with a concept he and a friend thought up in their late teens and early twenties. Microsoft is practically a household name and changed the face of business. My greatest respect for him comes from his ability to give back to the community. He and his wife have a foundation that donates millions to projects such as world health and education.
The cover story of this week’s issue of People Magazine is about Kate Gosselin. The divorce was final at the end of 2009. Now, Kate is planning on moving on with her life. She reinvented herself by having hair extensions to change her looks. TLC is working with her to develop another project.
When the reality show about her and Jon started on TV, I occasionally watched it. It was a nice show about raising kids and the funny things they did on a day-to-day basis. The dialog between Jon and Kate was amusing at first. After a while, Kate seemed to be so negative on camera when she talked about Jon and what she thought was his faults. I stopped watching at that point. It was no big surprise when they broke up.
Some people find the dirty details of celebrities or wanna-be celebrities like Kate interesting. Kate certainly has aired her dirty laundry in public and attempted to make it seem like most of their problems was Jon’s fault. I am struggling to understand why magazines and TV shows are still so interested in her and Jon. They are a couple who made money by parading their children on camera. Both made quite a bit of money and now are trying to keep their careers alive. As far as I am concerned, Kate is not really part of pop culture anymore. I hope that People Magazine does not feature her anymore because nothing she does is entertaining. I have no plans to watch any new show that features Kate.
When the reality show about her and Jon started on TV, I occasionally watched it. It was a nice show about raising kids and the funny things they did on a day-to-day basis. The dialog between Jon and Kate was amusing at first. After a while, Kate seemed to be so negative on camera when she talked about Jon and what she thought was his faults. I stopped watching at that point. It was no big surprise when they broke up.
Some people find the dirty details of celebrities or wanna-be celebrities like Kate interesting. Kate certainly has aired her dirty laundry in public and attempted to make it seem like most of their problems was Jon’s fault. I am struggling to understand why magazines and TV shows are still so interested in her and Jon. They are a couple who made money by parading their children on camera. Both made quite a bit of money and now are trying to keep their careers alive. As far as I am concerned, Kate is not really part of pop culture anymore. I hope that People Magazine does not feature her anymore because nothing she does is entertaining. I have no plans to watch any new show that features Kate.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
I have been a subscriber of People magazine for about 15 years. This gives me my weekly dose of what is going on the entertainment business, popular culture topics, and other human interest stories. There are some popular topics that do seem to be covered too much, but for the most part, I really enjoy getting my magazine each week.
The cover story for the January 11 issue featured Kevin Jonas and his new bride, Danielle Deleasa. For those who do not keep up with what is popular with the teenage crowd, Kevin Jonas was the guitar player for The Jonas Brothers. They have been popular on the Disney Channel for the last couple of years. The band consisted of Kevin who was the oldest, Joe, and Nick. I was never a big fan of this group’s music, and I am not sure how many hit songs they had. The Brothers were good looking, and their music was definitely made for the teen group. It seems that I read not too long ago that Nick was recording solo and the brothers had no immediate plans to record together. Like most bands or singers that are popular with the teen group, I expect that they will not be part of the pop culture too much longer unless their music matures a lot. Remember the Hansen Brothers or the New Kids on the Block?
Being a popular item with the teen girls must pay well because their wedding would have cost a lot. Held December 19 during a blizzard at Oheka Castle in New York, the pictures in the magazine show it was a fairytale wedding. Kevin even sent his bride a real pair of glass slippers made in her shoe size. The bride wore a Vera Wang ball gown fit for a princess, and the groom wore Brooks Brothers. Including 400 guests, the cocktail hour featured a casino complete with Rat Pack impersonators. I found it surprising that the first dance was not their music. They danced to “Only You Can Love Me This Way” by Keith Urban. The teen girls probably drooled over the seven pages of pictures of the fairytale wedding.
Weddings are wonderful events, and I guess have unlimited funds probably makes them even better. I personally think that this was a little too much. The Jonas Brothers have always appeared on their TV show and in magazines as the boy-next-door type of guys. The wedding did not fit the image that they projected. This splashy display certainly shows that at least one of the brothers has grown up.
References:
Cotliar, S. (2010, January 11). Kevin Jonas says “I do.” People, 73, 59-64.
The cover story for the January 11 issue featured Kevin Jonas and his new bride, Danielle Deleasa. For those who do not keep up with what is popular with the teenage crowd, Kevin Jonas was the guitar player for The Jonas Brothers. They have been popular on the Disney Channel for the last couple of years. The band consisted of Kevin who was the oldest, Joe, and Nick. I was never a big fan of this group’s music, and I am not sure how many hit songs they had. The Brothers were good looking, and their music was definitely made for the teen group. It seems that I read not too long ago that Nick was recording solo and the brothers had no immediate plans to record together. Like most bands or singers that are popular with the teen group, I expect that they will not be part of the pop culture too much longer unless their music matures a lot. Remember the Hansen Brothers or the New Kids on the Block?
Being a popular item with the teen girls must pay well because their wedding would have cost a lot. Held December 19 during a blizzard at Oheka Castle in New York, the pictures in the magazine show it was a fairytale wedding. Kevin even sent his bride a real pair of glass slippers made in her shoe size. The bride wore a Vera Wang ball gown fit for a princess, and the groom wore Brooks Brothers. Including 400 guests, the cocktail hour featured a casino complete with Rat Pack impersonators. I found it surprising that the first dance was not their music. They danced to “Only You Can Love Me This Way” by Keith Urban. The teen girls probably drooled over the seven pages of pictures of the fairytale wedding.
Weddings are wonderful events, and I guess have unlimited funds probably makes them even better. I personally think that this was a little too much. The Jonas Brothers have always appeared on their TV show and in magazines as the boy-next-door type of guys. The wedding did not fit the image that they projected. This splashy display certainly shows that at least one of the brothers has grown up.
References:
Cotliar, S. (2010, January 11). Kevin Jonas says “I do.” People, 73, 59-64.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Pop Culture is what is new, exciting, and popular at this time. Some things that are part of pop culture fade away quickly such as clothing and hairstyles. Other things that are new and popular became a way of life forever such automobiles cell phones.
Something becomes pop culture based on promotion to the masses. In today’s society, TV, radio, computers, and cell phones or Blackberries promote things quickly to the public. Movies, TV programs, CDs, fashion, and other items can become instant hits in an incredible amount of time. But on the other hand, just because something is well known, it does not guarantee that everyone will love it. Pop culture is a matter of taste to each individual person.
Something becomes pop culture based on promotion to the masses. In today’s society, TV, radio, computers, and cell phones or Blackberries promote things quickly to the public. Movies, TV programs, CDs, fashion, and other items can become instant hits in an incredible amount of time. But on the other hand, just because something is well known, it does not guarantee that everyone will love it. Pop culture is a matter of taste to each individual person.
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