Blog 8

The 3 pieces shown in class were very interesting. However, I have chosen to focus on the Ted Talk by Colin Stokes’, “How Movies Teach Manhood.” The main issue discussed when it came to this Ted Talk was the issue of gender roles. Till this day, gender roles are a current issue, as his primary example of movies inhabiting such issue, movies made till this day still practice this same issue. In our society whether it comes to a full out grown man or little boy, his role is to act like a man no matter what. Men are supposed to be strong, brave, not show any type of emotion since emotions are seen as a feminine trait. Stokes talks about how men are seen as the main protagonist in movies. They are seen as the hero and as a reward they get a pretty princess or what not. He addresses how he would prefer his children to follow the example in movies who are based on teams, instead of the traditional themes seen in movies. The traditional theme seen in princess’ movies is the boy being the hero and somehow saving the pretty princess, as a reward he gets the pretty princess in the end and they live happily ever after. However, as the example he talks about in the Ted Talk, the movie Brave, shows how a women can be her own hero, a heroin whom doesn’t need a man by her side in other to rule her kingdom. Two other example of princess’ movies that don’t follow the traditional princess theme is Frozen and Maleficent. In both movies, Frozen & Maleficent, it is shown how a princess could be saved with true loves kiss not by a man. In both movies they immediately think a kiss from a boy will save the princess’s, however after the attempt fails, the princesses are save by true loves kiss from a sister or mother figure.