Heterosexuality and Homophobia: “…men should avoid being gay or perceived as being gay.”.In media, men are less likely to be shown engaging in an active parenting role compared to female characters (4.5% compared with 7.7%). Rigid masculine gender roles: “Men should engage in stereotypically masculine activities and embrace stereotypically masculine roles.”.Male characters are likely to be shown as unusually muscular in media. Physical Attractiveness: “A man should be physically attractive, but effortlessly so…”.
Men on television are less likely to show emotions compared to the female characters, including empathy. Acting Tough: “A man should always defend his reputation and be willing to use physical aggression to do so.”.Self Sufficiency: Men should figure things out on their own without the help of others.
These pillars are reinforced and sometimes created by media tropes seen in film, advertisements and on television. The report If He Can See It, Will He be it? Representations of Masculinity in Boys’ Television identifies popular stereotypes or pillars that reflect culturally around the world how men are stereotypically supposed to act.
