Episode 26: Geek Girl Reviews: The Mask You Live In (Exploring Toxic Masculinity)
In this episode of Geek Girl Reviews, we watched the 2015 documentary, The Mask You Live In. This touching and eye-opening documentary gives incredible insight into the societal and cultural expectations placed on boys and young men in America. When you see this and hear from these boys living this pressure, it’s easier to understand where toxic masculinity comes from.
While we’re a geek feminist podcast, it’s so important to understand why toxic masculinity exists. Though not the norm for most men, toxic masculinity is so hate filled and violent that it breeds and seeps its way through society and culture as a whole. But why does it happen?
We get critical about The Mask You Live In, which is available on Netflix, but really – the overarching theme of this episode is that there IS an epidemic and there IS a problem.
Depression manifests itself in boys in a much different way than girls – boys act out, scream, and get violent. Did you know that teenage boys have the highest suicide rates out of any other demographic in the US? And that it’s 5x higher than girls of the same age?
Why? How have we failed our boys in such a way that they believe there to be no better option that to take their own lives?
We also look at how pop culture, from video games to movies, represents masculinity and why this has an impact on growing boys.
How can we support our young boys through adolescence? What can we do to make sure we’re more aware of their struggles and challenges?
If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!
- Episode 22: Geek Discussion: Rape, Steam, & Responsibility
- Episode 7: Geek Discussion: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Cast Them
- Episode 3: Geek Girl Stereotypes: How the World Sees Us
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Geekily yours,
Amanda & Monika