Core Response

Susan Jeffords gives an interesting account on the shift of white male masculinity within popular Hollywood films in her article the “Terminal Masculinity: Men in the early 1990s.” She uses the well-known Disney princess film, Beauty and the Beast to help introduce the notion of a shift in male masculinity from the "hardened, muscle-bound, domineering man of the eighties into the considerate, loving, self-sacrificing man of the nineties" with Gaston depicting the 80s and the Beast defining himself as the male image of the 90s (Jeffords, 153). Having this deep analysis on the film and how Belle only serves as a tool for the Beast to complete his character arc from a selfish "beast-like" male to a loving and kind-hearted individual was extremely interesting considering I grew up watching Disney princess films and it never dawned on me the hidden meanings that could possibly be embedded into them. I liked how Jeffords explains Disney's hidden meaning on male masculinity stating that we shouldn't breed men to try and attain a macho hardened image and have that be the sole definition of what is masculine or manly. This relates to the popularity with a recent live action remake of Beauty and the Beast “because that tale helps to forward the image of unloved and unhappy white men who need kindness and affection, rather than criticism and reform, in order to become their ‘true’ selves again” (Jeffords, 148). I like her analysis on the issue of male masculinity because I feel like although it's popular opinion that women have the primary pressures of maintaining their physical appearance, men also undergo a pressure to appear masculine and assertive of their place as a man. This is why we have such issues with rape and situations of men having to feel the need to assert themselves as alpha or macho to others or women in order to confirm and be content with their identity as a man. If we continue to perpetuate this idea of an unhealthy image of masculinity to the growing youth we are sure to see their behavior in the future become evident of their aggressive ways.