2008 Woodie Awards
Three events focus on sexual assault
By Alyssa McCormick
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: Focus
The "Tough Guise" video clip included many examples of the way men are portrayed in television and movies.
The Marlboro Man was shown as the epitome of how a "real man" should act, along with the movie "Varsity Blues," which equated pain and suffering with being weak.
According to the video, this notion of invulnerability is what gets young men killed. It also implied that the media need to display more honest portrayals of men.
Examples of this were men like Muhammad Ali and Garth Brooks, who aren't afraid to show their emotions, along with movies such as "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Full Monty," which portrayed real, vulnerable men.
Riffer hopes that by seeing this, men will change how they act.
"I'd like to see guys change their own mentalities and develop a different way of looking at their choices," he said.
Riffer believes men should think about whether they want to act this way, or if they are being influenced by someone.
Bill Harmon, a sophomore business major, attended "Tough Guise" to represent Man2Man, a campus group that encourages positive expressions of masculinity and being strong without being violent.
"I learned that it's alright to be who you are," he said.
All of these portrayals of "real men" in the media play into sexual violence against women. According to Riffer, men are taught to accept what women are willing to give them.
Men don't really take the time to set boundaries in their relationships. If the girl they are with is willing to give them sex, they're most likely going to take it, otherwise they would be considered less masculine.
The Bridge Project hopes that by sponsoring events like these, students will realize how big an issue sexual assault really is.
"The interpersonal violence issues we deal with are extremely relevant to students," Fonner said. "Approximately one in three women and one in six men will be victims of sexual assault, dating violence or stalking in his or her lifetime.
"That's huge, not only for victims, but for friends, family, and partners of victims who need to understand the dynamics of a survivor of interpersonal violence."
The Marlboro Man was shown as the epitome of how a "real man" should act, along with the movie "Varsity Blues," which equated pain and suffering with being weak.
According to the video, this notion of invulnerability is what gets young men killed. It also implied that the media need to display more honest portrayals of men.
Examples of this were men like Muhammad Ali and Garth Brooks, who aren't afraid to show their emotions, along with movies such as "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Full Monty," which portrayed real, vulnerable men.
Riffer hopes that by seeing this, men will change how they act.
"I'd like to see guys change their own mentalities and develop a different way of looking at their choices," he said.
Riffer believes men should think about whether they want to act this way, or if they are being influenced by someone.
Bill Harmon, a sophomore business major, attended "Tough Guise" to represent Man2Man, a campus group that encourages positive expressions of masculinity and being strong without being violent.
"I learned that it's alright to be who you are," he said.
All of these portrayals of "real men" in the media play into sexual violence against women. According to Riffer, men are taught to accept what women are willing to give them.
Men don't really take the time to set boundaries in their relationships. If the girl they are with is willing to give them sex, they're most likely going to take it, otherwise they would be considered less masculine.
The Bridge Project hopes that by sponsoring events like these, students will realize how big an issue sexual assault really is.
"The interpersonal violence issues we deal with are extremely relevant to students," Fonner said. "Approximately one in three women and one in six men will be victims of sexual assault, dating violence or stalking in his or her lifetime.
"That's huge, not only for victims, but for friends, family, and partners of victims who need to understand the dynamics of a survivor of interpersonal violence."
Be the first to comment on this story