The Radical Man

As we grow up, society attempts to shape us to the “ideal” and makes us follow the social norms. If someone ignores the norms and follows another path adjacent from the ideal, the individual is considered deviant and is ostracized from society. Although many say that everybody is unique, we are all products of society. For instance, men are expected to follow certain norms and guidelines in the American society. Some men behave, act, dress, communicate as our culture taught them to do since they were young. For many years, men had been depicted as non-emotional, strong, violent, and the leader of the family. If a person where to describe a man molded by society, these characteristics will identify him.
Interestingly enough, many men had stopped following this path of social normality to a path that makes them feel unique and comfortable. These men that had annulated to a modern way of living in our society and are know as the radical men. They are men don’t follow all or any of the characteristic that describe the stereotypical American man. Analyzing a socially ratified man and a radical man, a great difference could be seen as they are contrasted, masculinity is better defined, things that define a radical man such as metrosexuality, homosexuality, “bromance“, househusband, and the media influence is better understood. Although, biologically speaking all men are the same, we are placed into a category that better identify us. When a man is seen nobody describes him by his biological similarities to the observant, but his behavior, dressing, and style are the cues of identification. We live in a society that carries two types of men, the socially ratified and the radical man.
To begin with, when both types of men are analyzed, we try to look for characteristics that make both of these types distinct from each other. Observing the socially ratified man, we could see that some of the characteristics that identify them is that they are non-emotional, violent, and powerful. Dr. Katherine Anderson mentions the following about this type of men, “ He is the cliché strong, virile, hairy, uncouth, homophobic, misogynist man who is a cross between classic icons of the marauding frat boy, the caveman, the football linebacker, and the regular Joe.”(Anderson 5). As we grow up, we see how society implements these characteristics as the ideal for every American man. “ That is to say, stereotypically male characteristics such as virility, strength and toughness were essential conditions to the perfect man.”, were the words of fashion and design graduate students Yun Oh and Kyu-Hwa Cho as they describe the characteristics of the socially ratified man (Oh and Cho 125).
Chris Barker, author of Cultural Studies, also makes an analysis about the socially ratified man. He addresses how men are directed through this path of social ideology of the American man and how many manifest these characteristics. In his analysis he mentions the following, “ In the latter, men have been acculturated to seek esteem through public performance and the recognition of achievement. This can take many forms from violence through sport to educational qualifications and occupational status. (Barker 302) Also Barker added the following in his description, “ Men are commonly held to be more “naturally” domineering, hierarchically oriented and power-hungry…”( Barker 285). Men are inspected to act this way in order to fit in this category of a socially ratified man.
Many films show how the male characters follow this “ideal“ path and act as men are expected to act in our society. For instance, in Made of Honor, film directed by Paul Weiland, the protagonist of the film named Tom, played by Patrick Dempsey, is showed as a man that likes to have sex with women without having any kind of emotional connection with them. Throughout the film it could be analyzed how Tom had difficulty on expressing his feelings. Another film that has a protagonist with similar characteristics is I Love You, Beth Cooper, a film directed by Chris Columbus, which shows how he is this quite non-emotional young man that was in love with the cheerleader captain of his high school and how he struggle to confess his feelings to her. Oh and Cho made an analysis which better explains the behavior of these characters, “ It was forbidden for men in public to express their feminine side such as sensitiveness, emotion, or weakness…” (Oh and Cho 127) Analyzing the characteristics of the socially ratified man allows us to better understand how society expects for a man to be as it is portrayed in films and other sources.
In contrast of the socially ratified man, we have the radical man. A radical man is perceived as someone whose characteristics somehow differ from those influenced by society. Sometimes the radical man is perceived as a deviant or considered as homosexuals. For instance, many members of society make the following claims, “Society could allow a straight man to wear makeup, nail polish, carry a man-purse, and be refined in mannerisms and tastes-or any combination of expressions which fell under the umbrella of metro sexuality. “ (Anderson 6). Many of the times, the radical man may also be called metro sexual, gay, freak, and so on. Although a radical man may posses some characteristics from the socially ratified man, his radical characteristics are used to identify him. There are various misconception about the radical man, therefore they are criticized by society.
Some of the characteristics that identifies the radical man is that he is emotional, he cares about his appearance, he plays roles that are considered feminine, he has feelings for another man or both man and women, or cares for things that are not considered masculine. Some men posses only one of these characteristics, meanwhile others posses all of them. Many men that like going to the mall to shop for the latest trend, go to a spa to get a facial treatment, like to express their feelings and not keep them inside, or dates another man often are characterized immediately as a radical individual. Although their characteristics are seen as out of the norm, they identify these men and eventually will cause a change as the following expresses, “ …Aesthetic standards for the perfect man among both men and women have changed.” (Oh and Cho 125).
Understanding the difference between the socially ratified man and the radical man, we see how masculinity has changed by the influence of both types. Many people when they define masculinity may express the following as Barker mentioned:
In general terms, traditional masculinity has encompassed the values of strength, power, stoicism action, control, independence, self-sufficiency, male camaraderie, mateship and work amongst others. Devalued were relationships, verbal ability, domestic life, tenderness, communication, women and children. (Barker 302).
Also when it comes to the description of masculinity, macho is a word that falls in its definition. “ Macho, frequently quoted word, is used for man who is markedly masculine in appearance or manner.”, as it is defined by Oh and Cho (Oh and Cho 125). The definition of masculinity for a long time has been influenced for what society considers as the ideal.
On the other hand, the radical men had redefined masculinity through out the last years. Oh and Cho made the following statement, “ …Men began to explore for their own identity escaping from traditionally standardized masculinity that they had been forced to follow.” (Oh and Cho 119). Also Barker made a claim supporting the previous statement, “ These traditional values of masculinity may no longer be serving men well… The evident difficulties men have talking about relationships, which requires emotional security and language skills, are rooted in a culturally constructed and historically specific form of masculinity.” (Barker 303). For many men masculinity is not the same as it is for those men who live under the social norm. Overall, masculinity is a social construction and as Barker stated, “ Over time, new forms of subject and new forms of masculinity and femininity could be forged. (Barker 295). In the future masculinity could de defined very differently from how it is defined now as certain radical behaviors become the social norm.
Analyzing the radical man and how it has influenced on things such as masculinity, it is important to merge into the world of the radical and explore the different characteristics that define the radical man. The first characteristic that posses majority of radical men is metrosexuality. According to Anderson, metrosexuality is, “ …a twenty first century male trendsetter, straight, urban man with heightened aesthetic sense, man who spends time and money on appearance and shopping, and [a] man willing to embrace his feminine side.” (Anderson 2). Also, in the following two clips found in You Tube, this phenomena is explained as people give their personal opinion about it:


Metrosexual men care for their appearance greatly. They spend time treating themselves and spending money on items that will improve their physique. They like to always buy clothing that is on style and keep a fashionable appearance. Some men may go to the extreme of having plastic surgery or take tablets that will “improve” their appearance. The main concern for a metrosexual is his appearance as David Coad, sociology graduate student, mentioned, “ Attention to appearance and self-care are central to metrosexuality.” (Coad 19).
Many radical men see metrosexuality as a way to identify their uniqueness in society. Anderson mentioned the following about metrosexuality as a way of personal identification, “ To some men, the acceptance of the metro sexual trend into mainstream culture allowed them to express their identity in freer new ways… The metrosexual trend can be seen both as men expressing femininity and as masculinity being defined more broadly.” (Anderson 6). Metrosexuality allows men to express their individuality regardless of what society considers appropriate. Also, metrosexuality allows them to explore things such as color variation, pattern, style, and sexiness. In other words, metro sexuality is considered a lifestyle as Oh and Cho mention in the following excerpt:
He has a sophisticated aesthetic sense and often a well developed feminine side. He is emotionally sensitive and aware, verbal and communicative, physically fit and clean, and well-mannered. Sometimes he is narcissistic. . . He is self-assured in himself enough to express his feelings without fear of feeling like he is homosexual in the process. What is more important is that he is open-minded to everybody and has a positive and passionate attitude for his work. (Oh and Cho 123).
Overall, the radical man views metro sexuality as a way for a man to care for his appearance and a way to express himself in a way that the socially ratified man would not.
Another characteristic among the radical realm is homosexuality or bisexuality. Many men are considered radical because their feelings are contrary of the social norm. The socially ratified man is taught that he could only love woman and that anything else is deviant and sinful. On the other hand, radical men view homosexuality and bisexuality as words that describe a man that has feelings for another man or an individual that likes both men and women. Unfortunately since there has been a lot of stigma within the gay community from the American society, many men tend repress their sexual preference. Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardwell R. Pomeroy and Clyde E. Martin, scholars that had written various books regarding human behavior, mentioned the following, “ A considerable portion of the population, perhaps the major portion of the male population, has at least some homosexual experience between adolescence and old age… Social reactions to the homosexual have obviously been based on the general belief that a deviant individual is unique and as such needs special consideration.” ( Kinsey et al 895).
Although the American society considers homosexuality as deviant, the media has put homosexuality out there. For instance there are various movies that show homosexual characters and base their storylines on the growth of the relationship of both individuals. For instance, a film directed by Jonah Mark Owitz called Shelter is based on the romantic relationship that a young artist named Zach, played by Trevor Wright, has with a college graduate named Shaun, played by Brad Powe. The movie shows how these two radical men face various struggles that impede their relationship to grow and how in the end these two men were able to live a happy and stable relationship. Also, within the Hispanic community we are able to see how the media perpetuates this phenomena. We could see this in the soap opera called Niños Ricos, Pobres Padres ( Rich Kids, Poor Parents) as two of its characters fight for the respect of their homosexual feelings, as could be seen in the clip below:

We could also analyze this phenomena in the book written by Tennessee Williams called Cat On The Hot Tin Roof, when Bid Daddy mentions the following, “ Time goes by so fast. Nothin’ can outrun it. Death commences too early- almost before you’re half-acquainted with life- you meet the other…”, as he explains his tolerance towards homosexuality.(161; Act 3). Overall, society rejects homosexuality since its contrary of the norm, but many live this radical life which identifies them.
Another characteristic that identifies the radical man, is that he expresses emotion and appreciates everything surrounding it. The freedom of the expression of emotion and appreciation towards everything around leads to a phenomena called “bromance”. Bromance, also known as “man crush”, is a close but non-sexual relationship between two men, a form of homosocial intimacy. Men in such relationship enjoy the company of each other and spend a high amount of time together. They go to places together, they participate in events together, and share very personal moments together. Some people believe that this phenomena is similar as a homosexual relationship, but others claim otherwise.
As this phenomena has emerged, it has been reflected in various films and books. For instance, Tennessee Williams in his novel, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, describes such phenomena between Brick and Skipper. In Act 2, Brick talks to Margaret about his relationship with Skipper and he mentions the following, “ Life is important. There’s nothing else to hold onto.” (86; Act 2). Also, celebrity Brody Jenner came out in a reality show called Bromance, in which he went to look for a man that he could have a bromantic relationship with. During the show, he always addressed the importance of having that man you could always have a great time with, spend time in recreational activities, and someone that you could count on when you most need him. Also, in the show called Scrubs we could see this phenomena between these two men and how they defend their friendship. We could see this in the following clips below:


Overall, radical men express their appreciation of having a man that they could count on, meanwhile the socially ratified men don’t feel comfortable to show their appreciation of having that important man in their lives.
According to society, men are suppose to maintain the household and follow the adequate male roles. On the other hand, the many men that follow this radical life don’t necessarily follow the sex roles implemented by society. Many men are now becoming the househusband and the women are going to work to maintain the family. Oh and Cho mention the following about the househusband, “ Eventually, conservative sex roles has come to a change little by little and women don’t have to rely on men for living when they choose the men because they earn the money. . . The more independent, wealthy, self-centered and powerful women become, the more they are likely to want attractive, well groomed, well-dressed men around them.” (Oh and Cho 126). Radical men don’t care about working to maintain the family, but the spend more time with the family and for himself.
Although men and women are becoming equal because of their radical lives, society is going against these changes in sex roles. Diane Keyser and Robert Chell, professors of Fairleigh Dickinson University, made the following claim, “ As expected, mothers are criticized more than fathers are for too little involvement at home or too much involvement in paid works. Fathers experienced just the opposite, criticism for too much involvement at home and too little involvement at work.” (Keyser and Chell 640). Also, this could be analyzed in the film directed by Anne Fletcher called The Proposal in which the male protagonist named Andrew, played by Ryan Reynolds, is the secretary of this important editor named Margaret, played by Sandra Bullock. During the film, the father of Andrew continuously criticizes him because he is the secretary of a women. Also we could see this in the following clip called Desperate Househusband:

As Oh and Cho explained, “ However, more and more couples work together for a living and do housework together in these days.” (Oh and Cho 126). Many radical men live practicing roles that were society has not consider as masculine, and has led to the equality of both man and woman.
Although the American society idealizes its norms and regulations, the media and the market place look upon the characteristics that identify the radical man. If we analyze television commercials, movies, posters, and even social networks such as My Space or Facebook, they, many of the times, use these characteristics to achieve their goals which is more money or more publicity. “ The metro sexual is clearly fleshed out in numerous magazine and newspaper articles, television shows, films, internet blogs, self-improvement books, and various forms of advertisement.”, where the words of Anderson as she gives her opinion of the media using the radical man as a way to achieve its goal (Anderson 2). For instance in commercial of products or designers such as Axe, Levi’s, among others use these characteristics to persuade its viewers to buy their products as we could see in the clips below:



Supporting this analysis, Barker agreed as he mentioned the following, “Manhood has become a performance game to be won in the marketplace.” (Barker 306) The marketplace knows that these characteristics helps them increase, therefore they embrace them more and more.
People that life according to the social norm are sometimes intrigue by the radicalism shown in any form of advertisement of media. Oh and Cho explained the following, “People want to free themselves from the past fixed idea and experience fresh and novel products.” (Oh and Cho 120). In concordance of the following statement, Anderson mentioned the following regarding the media and its use of the radical man:
The popularity and success of this commoditization can be measured in statistics which show up to and over triple digit growths for companies marketing metro sexual products as well as polls showing men’s growing perception that metro sexual trends were acceptable and desired… By 2004, everywhere you turned there were images of the metro sexual filling billboards, magazines, television shows, films with his buff, suave, sophistication. (Anderson 3)
The media and the marketplace knows that although many men don’t live a radical life, they still are persuaded as they view how the media and advertisements perpetuate radicalism. Many fall into their traps as they use these characteristics to seduce to viewer. As Barker stated, “ What the media pay attention to is determined by audience choice through the mechanisms of the market.” (Barker 319).
Throughout time, society has tried to shape us to what is considered as the ideal. Men that follow social norms such as being non-emotional, working all day to maintain the family, or pay little attention to themselves are considered as socially ratified men. On the other hand, men that expresses their feelings, cares for their physique, or puts into practice non-masculine roles are considered as radical men. The difference between these two types of men has influence a change on the definition of masculinity. Also, to better understand the radical man, it is important to analyze some of its main characteristics such as metro sexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality, bromance, and househusband. Surprisingly enough, people that live under the social norms are at times intrigue by the radicalism shown in the media and advertisements. Overall, as a radical man, I believe that all the characteristics that identify me will sooner or later become the social norm, therefore men expressing emotion, wearing the latest trend, spending time at home, or embracing a bromantic relationship would be consider as normal not deviant.


Works Cited
Anderson, Katherine Noel. From Metrosexual to Retrosexual: The Importance of Shifting Male Gender Roles to Feminism. Los Angeles: UC Los Angeles Center for the Study of Women, 2008.
Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc., 2008.
Bromance. Dir. Jason C. Henry. Perf. Brody Jenner, Frankie Delgado, and Taylor Moster. MTV. Los Angeles, 2008.
Coad, David. The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality, and Sport. New York: SUNY Press, 2008.
Desperate Househusbands. http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=1FfmOAauDt4
I Love You, Beth Cooper. Dir. Chris Columbus. Perf. Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust, Jack Carpenter, Lauren London and Lauren Storm. 20th Century, 2009.
Kinsey, Alfred C., Wardwell Pomeroy, and Clyde E. Martin. “ Voices from the Past: Sexual Behavior in the Human Male”. American Journal of Health 93.3 (2001): 894-898.
Levi’s Gay Commercial. http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=bB90Vkyqrts
Lingerie Gay Commercial. http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=QkiXupwRY5u
Made of Honor. Dir. Paul Weiland. Perf. Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Kathleen Quinlan. Columbia Pictures, 2008.
Metrosexuals- A documentary. http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=ybrKIDOQr4I
Metrosexuals: In or Out?. http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=ReSOKKoUhbc
Oh, Yun-Jeong and Kyu-Hwa Cho. “Cultural and Social Implications of Metrosexual Mode“. Journal of Fashion Business 10.3 (2006): 117-128.
Santi and Diego (Part 35) [subs]. http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=RyqD_B25hFw
Scrubs Gay Love. http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=OPamgat1Wro
Scrubs J.D. and Turk Bromance. http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=sAbmP-GKRtI
Shelter. Dir. Jonah Markowitz. Perf. Trevor Wright, Brad Powe, Tina Holmes, Ross Thomas. here! Films Regent Releasing, 2007.
The Axe Effect (Funny and Sexy). http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=hpT45wuaM
The Proposal. Dir. Anne Fletcher. Perf. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Touchstone Pictures, 2009.
Wentworth, Diane K. and Robert M. Chell. “ The Role of Household and Housewife as Perceived by a College Population“. The Journal of Psychology 135.6 (2001): 639-650.
Williams, Tennessee. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. New York: A New Directions Book, 2004.