Stereotypical Representation of Men in Cartoons

“I'm a man who believes that I died 20 years ago. And I live like a man who is dead already. I have no fear whatsoever of anybody or anything.” is a quote from Malcolm X.

But what does it really mean? What does it mean to be truly fearless? What would a man have to do in order to become fearless? Must all men really fear nothing?

Well, in all honesty no. Men do not have to be fearless, they expected to but they don’t have to. Being fearless makes us over confident and will make to under estimate a situation or any person

This kind of masculine representation is portrayed by the media and is seen in many action-adventure characters in films and cartoons, however, there are some that stands out among the others are; Batman and superman. Greetings all, let me first say this, the media is changing and creating the representation of what it means to a man. The action and adventure filmed series depicts a young man who has dedicated his life to an endless crusade, a war on all criminals in the name of his murdered parents, who were taken from him when he was just a child. Since that tragic night, he has trained his body and mind to near physical perfection to be a self-made Super Hero. As a little boy, Bruce Wayne is shocked to see his parents, the physician Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha Wayne, being murdered by a mugger in front of his very eyes. This is a key factor that makes him fit the strong silent stereotype. The tragic loss of his parents also drives him to fight crime in Gotham City as Batman. Although is he is good through and through, he is rarely seen to show any signs of emotion. Media representations of men have developed and changed overtime due to the constant cultural and sociological changes in society. The media is portraying this representation through well-known cartoons such as Batman, cartoons like Batman are enforcing the ideology that men must be brave, defeat their enemy’s and show no emotion. The younger generation are being brainwashed from these cartoons.

Many media representations of men concentrate on stereotypes portrayed by the media through cartoons. Current media representations of masculinity are brainwashing and damaging our younger generation, this can be seen through various cartoons and films. An example of this is Batman. The well-known superhero is known to rarely show any sign of emotions. This stereotype reinforces the assumption that men and boys should always be in control, and that talking about one’s feelings is a sign of weakness. It is evident that Batman adopted these traits due to the fact that he had lost his parents from an early age. An article from AZERNEWS states that kids who watch cartoons 3-4 hours a day are prone to violence. Experts have also suggested that children that watch cartoons full of violence tend to be nervous, aggressive and belligerent. Furthermore, these children are described as impatient and disobedient; neither qualities a man should strive for.

From his blue uniform to his flowing red cape to the 'S' shield on his chest, Superman is one of the most immediately recognizable and beloved DC Super Heroes of all time. The Man of Steel is the ultimate symbol of truth, justice, and hope in Metropolis. He is the world's first Super Hero and a guiding light to all. Another common media representation of male stereotypes is portrayed in Superman. Some might consider superman an ideal cartoon for their young boys to watch, however, this is clearly not the case. An article from Pacific Standard showed that pre-schoolers were interviewed separately and were asked to identify their favourite superhero, and to explain why they liked him or her best. The results showed that pre-schoolers who were highly engaged with superheroes were more likely to be physically and relationally aggressive one year later, even after controlling for initial levels of physical and relational aggression, and their exposure to other aggressive media.

Media representations of men have developed and changed overtime due to the constant cultural and sociological changes in society. Modern day media representations of masculinity are enforcing the ideology that men must be brave, defeat their enemy’s and show no emotion. The younger generation are being brainwashed from well-known cartoons such as Batman. Television begins to play a more important role for 3-6-year-old children. Little viewers not only watch television like before but also start to 'apprehend' what they see and obtain information. Parents actually often are not aware of the severity of the situation. They choose an easy way to entertain their kids when they are busy with domestic affairs or daily chores and activities. Without the supervision of their parent’s children tend to watch cartoons all day long. Adults may be completely unaware that this might have a certain impact on the child's psychological development.

In order to lessen the amount of influence a cartoon has on a child, parents must consistently supervise and monitor their children when they are watching cartoons.