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Essay / Success, Six Packs, and Loneliness: Modern-Day Masculinity
Society's understanding of masculinity is changing, redefining culture and challenging long-held beliefs. What does it mean to be a man? My interpretation may differ from yours or that of someone from 50 years ago, in today's society the perception of masculinity is changing and redefining itself. Society has taught us that being a man means being masculine, not showing emotion, being skilled in manual labor, and that men and boys should master every sport they can. This perception has placed men in a box from which it is difficult to escape. Men in the media, like actors and men used in advertising, are constantly under pressure to ask themselves: am I man enough? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe “Man Box” The “Man Box” is the set of societal beliefs that put pressure on men to that they are a certain way: being tough, not showing emotion, being the breadwinner, always in control, using violence to solve problems, and having many sexual partners. The “Man Box” is alive and well in Australian society. A study by Jesuit Social Services found that the majority of young men agree that there are many social pressures on them to behave or act a certain way because of their gender. Although a majority of young men do not agree with the beliefs of the "Man Box", a larger number of them still agree with some of the beliefs that make up the Man Box. These beliefs include being strong, not showing vulnerability, always being in control, and that men are the primary providers in the home. Many men find themselves trying to live up to the pressures that society has shaped to become a “real man.” Statistics from the Jesuit Social Service study revealed that 44 percent of young men in the “Man Box” had suicidal thoughts in the past two weeks. Male suicide is a solution-based behavior that some men turn to when faced with problems they cannot resolve or manage. It’s the product of a multitude of male problems that we collectively fail to resolve. According to Lifeline, three times as many Australian men commit suicide as women. In 2016, there were an average of 41 male suicide deaths each week. That's six per day, or one every four hours. It was the result of toxic masculinity. This harms young men and those around them, especially women. The pressures of being a man are pervasive in today's society and are reinforced and influenced by young men's relationships – friends, families and partners. At all levels of society, there must be a focus on raising awareness of “Man Box” norms and their harmful impacts on men's lives, and showing the need to promote more positive alternatives to avoid the “Man Box” mentality. . The Disadvantages of Being a Man Actor Justin Baldoni states in his TED talk that "an actor's job is to stick to the script and bring to life the character that someone else has written." Throughout his career, Baldoni has played a "wide variety" of roles, including the No. 1 male escort, a photographer rapist, a shirtless rapist, a shirtless medical student, and his best-known role as Rafael – a brooding reformed playboy in Jane the Virgin. . However, these roles.