Core Response: Hard Bodies

I had never really thought about the cultural relevance of someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger representing so much about male identity in the 1980’s until reading into Jefford’s theory. Originally I just thought of Arnold as a really sexualized body builder that was the idealized male form at that time, coinciding with GI Joe’s and other masculine superheroes.

I had never really thought that he could be a mirror to the resurgence of masculinity in association with family values and fear that were brewing during the Reagan administration. She went into detail stating that because it was the Reagan era of family values and the added iconography of Reagan being a masculine American protector, it made someone like Arnold the perfect front man to idolize during that time. 

Many of these films had similar story structures and themes. A very traditionally strong man is thought to not express his emotions, resulting in his overall arch, which would be him being exposed as someone who is vulnerable and desires emotional intimacy. Jefford explains that in Terminator 2, a large part of his switch from hard body to paternal figure has a lot to do with seeing his own vulnerabilities and innocence in a kid. 
 After a few years, this trend of hard body films started to slow down but later came back  in shows like 24 with Kiefer Sutherland. 24 came out just after 9/11 and revolved around Jack Bauer (Sutherland) who was a rogue agent breaking the law to in an effort to protect the United States from terrorism. He played a hardened everyday hero who was risking his family and life for the protection of the United States. This show that really spoke the patriotism that was so present after 9/11.