Toxic Masculinity and Its Representation In Contemporary Popular Culture

Abstract

Popular culture could be one of the reasons behind the rapidly shifting tendencies of toxic masculinity. In the last fifty years, masculinity has gone through a huge metamorphosis that is most probably also in correspondence with the emergence of gender studies, gender equality, feminism, the civil rights movement, the growing acceptance of homosexual, transgender and queer people, and all these being represented in the media. The easiest way to see what ideals popular culture cultivates is through movies. Hollywood has been in the main spotlight for decades by now, given that it pumps out content on a terrifyingly large scale. Movies are like snapshots of the real society; they are showing reality as well as sculpting it. This thesis has the intention of showing how toxic masculinity (or hegemonic masculinity in general) is present in popular culture and bring examples on how movies and series might spread the ideals of toxic manhood as well as trying to introduce some alternatives, as there are movies that try to reshape the idea of manliness and create a cinematic experience that can be eye-opening for boys/men.