Masculinities
The expansion of one's conception of masculinity -- or of a man's perceptions of himself as a man -- can take place offline or online. Or not. The web seems to offer a wide range of ideas about what masculinity is and what it means to be male, but the existence of these ideas doesn't necessarily mean that any individual is going to encounter or explore a space that will stretch their thinking. Representing three very different ideas about what it means to be a man are the Dull Men's Club, Bullz-eye.com, and Manhood Online.
The first, although tongue-in-cheek about it, conceptualizes masculinity (or at least dull masculinity) as loving stability and order. They are celebrating only the mundane, but in doing so are sometimes achieving a depth of knowledge not usually sought -- like what percentage of airport baggage carousels turn clockwise. These subjects are not all as dull as the site proclaims them to be -- but there's no adrenaline here. As the FAQ says, though, "Dull men don’t want to change." This site is unlikely to bring about "uncertainty and even anxiety" in anyone, and although it may help someone come to terms with being dull, it is more likely to be seen as a wholesome diversion than an identity catalyst.
Bullz-eye.com also seems more likely to reinforce a previously held conception of masculinity than to challenge a visitor in any meaningful way. The front page of the site is littered with images of models, cartoons, and TV shows, as well as ads for hair loss prevention products, The Ultimate Panty Remover (absinthe, that is), and various sports, dating, and product sites. It's fairly clear what image of masculinity the page's creators have, summed up on their FAQ with, "We like beautiful women, baseball, road trips, rock-n-roll, anything with a remote control, entertainment and ripping on each other." While some of their material might be offensive, there's nothing shocking or challenging here. This is a fairly mainstream view of masculinity, readily available in print and on television.
Manhood Online is the only one of these three sites to attempt to challenge visitors perceptions of manhood. There's talk here about differences in male and female experiences of the world, the impact of absent fathers on families, homophobia, and male touching. The idea here, as stated in their Editorial Platform, is the fostering of the emergence of "a more exuberant and loving kind of man". This space, unlike the two sites catering to men as they are, seems to be directed toward men who are growing. However, it seems unlikely that a man committed to the masculinity illustrated by Bullz-eye.com, or even a Dull Man, would be interested in exploring Manhood Online in any depth -- precisely because it might lead to the kind of discomfort Horsley discusses.
Certainly Manhood Online offers an anonymous way to explore issues many men may not feel comfortable exploring in their "real lives", and such exploration may eventually lead to "a greater level of self-awareness and personal freedom". It doesn't appear, though, that there is any reason to believe that all online constructions of masculinity will lead to this sort of growth or increased awareness. To the contrary, many sites simply reinforce the existing ideas.
The first, although tongue-in-cheek about it, conceptualizes masculinity (or at least dull masculinity) as loving stability and order. They are celebrating only the mundane, but in doing so are sometimes achieving a depth of knowledge not usually sought -- like what percentage of airport baggage carousels turn clockwise. These subjects are not all as dull as the site proclaims them to be -- but there's no adrenaline here. As the FAQ says, though, "Dull men don’t want to change." This site is unlikely to bring about "uncertainty and even anxiety" in anyone, and although it may help someone come to terms with being dull, it is more likely to be seen as a wholesome diversion than an identity catalyst.
Bullz-eye.com also seems more likely to reinforce a previously held conception of masculinity than to challenge a visitor in any meaningful way. The front page of the site is littered with images of models, cartoons, and TV shows, as well as ads for hair loss prevention products, The Ultimate Panty Remover (absinthe, that is), and various sports, dating, and product sites. It's fairly clear what image of masculinity the page's creators have, summed up on their FAQ with, "We like beautiful women, baseball, road trips, rock-n-roll, anything with a remote control, entertainment and ripping on each other." While some of their material might be offensive, there's nothing shocking or challenging here. This is a fairly mainstream view of masculinity, readily available in print and on television.
Manhood Online is the only one of these three sites to attempt to challenge visitors perceptions of manhood. There's talk here about differences in male and female experiences of the world, the impact of absent fathers on families, homophobia, and male touching. The idea here, as stated in their Editorial Platform, is the fostering of the emergence of "a more exuberant and loving kind of man". This space, unlike the two sites catering to men as they are, seems to be directed toward men who are growing. However, it seems unlikely that a man committed to the masculinity illustrated by Bullz-eye.com, or even a Dull Man, would be interested in exploring Manhood Online in any depth -- precisely because it might lead to the kind of discomfort Horsley discusses.
Certainly Manhood Online offers an anonymous way to explore issues many men may not feel comfortable exploring in their "real lives", and such exploration may eventually lead to "a greater level of self-awareness and personal freedom". It doesn't appear, though, that there is any reason to believe that all online constructions of masculinity will lead to this sort of growth or increased awareness. To the contrary, many sites simply reinforce the existing ideas.
posted by Julia @ 12:53 AM
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