The Real Man free essay sample

Men around the world are constantly kept in line, on what exactly a man is expected to be. This is policed through everyday living and society has zero tolerance for margin of error. However, this can have a great deal of psychological issues towards young boys as they go through this traumatic transition at a young age. Consistently ridiculed, and forced to behave certain ways preventing them from appearing feminine. The guidance stems from close relatives, peers, and even sports team directors such as coaches. â€Å"Boy’s don’t Cry, Take it like a Man, Size Matters, Nice Guys Finish Last† (Kimmel pg.609 Rereading America.) These are common phrases used by society (mostly men) to assist in guiding all men down a road of masculine behavior. It tells you what is and isn’t acceptable behavior for a man. You don’t cry because you appear weak, if you are small framed you are feminine like a girl; if you are too nice you will get taken advantage of. We will write a custom essay sample on The Real Man or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If you stray away from this outline you are labeled feminine or even to some extremes a â€Å"faggot.† This form of â€Å"The Guy Code† has become extremely prominent in today’s society because it declares a basic set of rules for all men to follow. â€Å"The Guy Code, a collection of attitudes, values, and traits that together composes what it means to be a man† (Kimmel pg.610 Rereading America.) â€Å"Boys learn that their connection to their mother with emasculate them, so they learn to push away from their mothers. It’s what turns those expressive five year olds into, sullen, withdrawn and despondent nine year olds† (Kimmel pg.615 Rereading America.) This transition between ages were we see children severely stray away from their mothers comes from activities such as school where children are constantly mimicking what they see. Such as dad’s telling there son’s not to be â€Å"sissy’s† or watching their older siblings become aggressive. These actions mold the youth into a senseless, deformed version of masculinity, even sometimes at the age of five. This stressful, rapid change in personality leaves some boys lost, confused or not accepted by others. â€Å"Boys are more prone to depression, suicidal behavior, and various other forms of out-of-control or out-of-touch  behaviors† (Kimmel pg.616 Rereading America.) As proven, younger boys growing up suffer from many traumatic experiences that can carry on into much more serious consequences originating from the conclusion of your masculinity. Young men including boys are taught these beliefs from surrounding men including their own family. â€Å"My older brother’s were always on my case, says Drew a twenty two year old College graduate† (Kimmel pg. 611 Rereading America.) Older siblings that are male are likely to not only bully younger siblings but there masculinity is challenged on a daily basis. Fathers tend to be extremely harsh with their son’s trying to groom the most masculine man they can. â€Å"Definitely my Dad, says Mike a twenty two year old college student. He was always riding my ass, telling me I had to be tough and strong to make it in this world† (Kimmel pg. 611 Rereading America.) Thoughts such as these are continuously racing then young men’s head, as they are raised and nurtured to constantly question their masculinity. It is common for many young men to join sports organizations as well as teams throughout schooling. â€Å"Warren a twenty one year old college athlete said, I think of my football coach, he’d completely humiliate us in front of team members, asking the team if we should kiss my boo boo, and refer to us as pansy’s to try and build up mental strength† (Kimmel pg. 611 Rereading America.) Acts such as these have been under constant scrutiny in today’s time due to extreme consequences including suicide. The most common occurrence to make recent headline involving Richie Incognito of the Miami Dolphins, (NFL) as he is currently in an investigation of â€Å"bullying† and potential death threats towards a teammate. Gender policing is constantly enforced not only by siblings, but mass media, as well as sports organizations. The psychological toll is diminishing the young minds of sports athletes, and even your every day men, this is an act that has been scientifically proven and immediate changes are needed to implement any further harm. The sooner young men can think clearly and make personal decisions about there masculinity, the faster we will see drastic change. It must start from the family level and work it’s way outward into the everyday public as well as sporting franchises. This in return will end the era of any man questioning their masculinity or gender role in today’s society.