I’m going to be honest with you. I haven’t had what you could describe as a stellar week. I didn’t do very well on a quiz and I got lost driving around the city – I didn’t ask for directions. Then to make matters worse, OSU lost the football game. Now I have all this pent up aggression and I don’t know what to do about it except take it out on those around me. I feel completely powerless without the advice of others, which I begrudgingly accept after being bothered about it. I was really beginning to worry about my worsening condition until television explained it for me with crystal clarity. I am an American guy.
It might seem trivial to complain about the way guys are portrayed in the media, but hear me out. I’ve found that men on television and in movies don’t really resemble men in real life. That in and of itself isn’t bothersome, because a great deal of television is fiction. I have yet to hear anyone complain, however, about the way men are portrayed these days by the media. We’re bombarded by the stereotypes everywhere we go, and to be honest, it is starting to get to me.
If I were an outsider, lacking any knowledge about our society, I would come away with some interesting notions about men. We are stubborn and quick to be angry. We are also loud and profane. We don’t care for our children as we should, and us men folk need to be harassed into doing anything in the best interests for ourselves or our family. Indeed, throughout television history, nearly every notable male lead, from Archie Bunker to Homer Simpson, has embodied these characteristics to some degree. In commercials, it is perfectly acceptable for women to criticize and harangue men, but the reverse would never be tolerated. “Sex and the City” was permissible, but again, I don’t think the American public would tolerate the same premise with men. I also don’t think we’ll ever see “Desperate Husbands” on any channel on American television – for which I am thankful.
I’ve found the husband characters usually gets it the worst. I have always thought that “Everybody Loves Raymond” could have been more aptly titled “Ray Messes Up and Is Scolded.” From what I have seen, the program usually revolves around Ray being unable to admit something, or hesitant to do something. He absorbs a barrage of abuse from the people who love him for a half an hour before doing what he set out to do in the beginning. The same it true in “King of Queens” and pretty much every other show of its genre.
To be honest, I find Peter from “Family Guy” is hysterical. I understand that characters are only written that way for comic relief. “The Drew Carey Show” would not be as much fun to watch with a scholarly, sober lead. My only criticism is that there could be some balance. We men should unite and take to the streets and demand a better image, but then we would need to get off of the couch.
Ian Dick is a senior in biology and psychology. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
