7 Horrible Messages Hollywood Sends to Men

As a wife and the mother of three sons, I’ve often been disgusted with the portrayal of men in the movies and on television. I’ve always been a big, big fan of men and even when I was younger and on the hunt for a mate I found the way men appeared in movies to be interesting. Old Hollywood seemed to like men much more than the post-feminist movement Hollywood does. The subtle and not so subtle messaging in movies to men is of a major concern to me because I am raising boys to men and I don’t want my boys to be told that they are less than by anyone. Over the years, I have noticed a pattern in movies across the spectrum and some constant themes keep appearing and I don’t like them. Below I have outlined seven horrible messages that Hollywood sends to men and I hope that being aware of them we can do our part to combat them since I doubt highly that anyone will try to change things for men as they are the designated target of hate right next to fat people.

1. When you have a wife or girlfriend, you should just STFU.

It seems that in most television shows or movies, the man when married or in a long-term relationship is the dumb and clueless one. How does this poor sap breathe without his wife explaining the process? Just shut the eff up you big dummy should have been the title of “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “Home Improvement”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Friends” and many more. These poor beleaguered spouses and their knuckle dragging, bumbling men. Why do these amazing women keep dating and marrying men so beneath them? Well, the answer is obvious – all men are beneath them…the women, I mean. That is the message and it sucks. I don’t want my sons settling for a vicious bitch because they are programmed to think that is all they can hope to get.

2. If you don’t like traditionally male occupations, then your manhood is questioned.

The way they portray a lot of men who are artists, writers or guys who don’t like sports …sissies and nerds, basically. Newsflash! You don’t have to be a football player in high school to be in shape and not get bullied. Creative men are not all ethereal, effeminate, skinny jean wearing guys or tubs of lard who dress bad and have pimples. Not all nerds or geeks wear unfashionable clothes, watch Star Trek and can’t get laid. Being smart or creative is not a bad thing, it’s not an unmanly thing.

3. Men just don’t get it they are emotionally gorked and completely clueless.

Hollywood would have you believe that good marriageable men are dumb, and the others are cold, heartless, narcissistic adulterers who wouldn’t know a genuine feeling if it clubbed them in the head like the movies and television shows are trying to do. I wish I could say that that was the only message that they are sending but it’s not. Still, I don’t want my sons to think that if they want kids they have to be treated like they are clueless by their much more superior wife or that they should marry and treat their spouse and family like they matter not at all. No wonder men are choosing not to marry more and more.

4. Broken men are the most attractive.

Hollywood loves a broken man. I mean what is more attractive a brooding, emotionally unstable bad boy or a man with a good head on his shoulders, a solid career, faith, love and desire for a family? Hollywood says it’s the first though I strain to see the reason. I’m kidding, I don’t strain at all. The reason is simple the insecurity of women…feminists to be exact. They don’t want a strong man they want what they perceive to be a weak and inferior product because that would elevate them. This screaming need for equality means they need men brought to heel. Feminists are not strong women they are insecure women and that insecurity requires everything else to lowered so they can feel strong. If they were truly strong they’d want true equality and not the illusion.

5. Men are expendable.

Men are here to die for the greater good. To save the damsel in distress even if the distress was her own making. They are here to charge into battle. Men in most cases have to earn the sympathy of the audience and if they don’t we don’t care if they die in many cases we look forward to it. Not so much with women and I feel like this has transcended into reality. Why is it worse when a woman dies in the military than a man? We don’t want our women going off to war but the men – send them in! In movies and television, it is always sadder when a woman dies, even animal deaths are sadder than men. We simply expect men to take one for the team and die.

6. Men’s victimization or pain is fodder for jokes.

Who doesn’t laugh when a husband gets clobbered by his angry wife? Skillet to the old noggin and we laugh. Dad gets kicked in the nuts and we laugh. A sort of bad guy gets sexually assaulted in jail and we make jokes. When is the last time you had a hearty laugh over a husband backhanding his wife in a movie? What about a woman getting hit by a man with a weapon? Chuckled at all? What about a woman getting raped any jokes on late-night tv? Hollywood has made it okay for us to delight in the pin of men and that is horrible.

7. Men are interchangeable, and their sole purpose is to elevate the woman while also allowing her to be perceived as a strong and independent woman.

A man’s job is to save women but discreetly, so she can still be a strong and independent woman. We have princess movies that have men coming to the rescue who often doesn’t even have a name. Snow White awaited The Prince to save her. Cinderella awaited Prince Charming. Belle and The Beast. We have television shows where the Dad does everything shy of cooking, but Mom is the boss of everyone including Dad – even on The Cosby Show. We have movies where women get saved from monsters, expect that the man will do it and then act like they don’t owe the man the time of day after. Hollywood’s message to men is be the richest, strongest, most perfect man and if you are lucky the average-est of bitches will marry you and make you feel inferior. And if you don’t like it, step aside the next guy in line will.