Guy Code
Anfernee Raine Blog Post 2
24th September 2014
The
Guy-Code and Fitness
In “Bros Before Hos” by Michael Kimmel, the writer
discusses what the guy-code really is. He brings up the idea of the guy code as
something has become a socially accepted concept which is why it is so
prominent. Kimmel talks about the idea of “being a man” and where it comes
from. According to studies done in his writing he says that the for most guys,
they get all these ideals from either the men in their lives who helped raise
them, the ones who they were raised alongside or their friends. This is a clear
indication that the idea of the guys code is just a concept that is perpetuated
by amount of peer involvement. It is such an engrained idea that is put in our
heads at a very young age. So what is it to “be a man?” What does it truly mean
to “man up.”
Gender stereotypes are a byproduct of the idea of guy
code. They are a major issue for a lot of athletes especially female athletes.
These stereotypes more than often force females to be portrayed a certain way
by the media and this bring on other issues as well. Female athletes mostly
lack representation in full contact sport because women are seen as more
fragile and frilly by society. An example would be the NFL’s “lingerie league.”
It’s a football league for women but instead of it being a normal sport the
women are objectified and play in their underwear. In normal football the men
are expected to be strong and be very well rounded athletes and they aren’t
bothered by the stigma behind gender stereotyping. The fact that this is
socially acceptable shows how women are seen in today’s society.
In one of the articles we read “Sports, Media
and Stereotypes, Women and Men in Sports Media.” The writer talks about how
males get a great deal more representation in sports media than women and it
effects how women are viewed by society in sports. This is completely true
because women often lack a major role model to look up to because most females
who are muscular are considered “manly” and that isn’t a socially acceptable
role for girls in this time. On the other hand in another article we looked at
called “Threatened masculinity and muscularity: An experimental examination of
different aspects of muscularity in men,” the author talks about how the ideals
for a normal man have become increasingly unrealistic over the years. (Hunt)
This has become apparent because of how the media portrays not only men but
women as well. It changes how people view themselves and their bodies. Society
has set a lot of rules in place that affect the lives of many. All of these
ideas mostly come from what the universal expectation of being a man is.
Works
Cited
"Threatened
Masculinity and Muscularity: An Experimental Examination of Multiple Aspects of
Muscularity in Men." Academia.edu. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
“Sports,
Media and Stereotypes Women and Men in Sports and Media” Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
"The Ultimate Upper Body." @MHFitter. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.
"The Ultimate Upper Body." @MHFitter. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.
