The documentary presented the gender norms and the need to fit in the box of “masculinity”. These two things at first sight don’t look to troublesome but by watching the documentary I was able to see the harmful way boys are raised. To me the idea of not letting the children do what they like or be who they are is quite horrible. The denial and constant disapproval of emotions such as fear, care, sadness leaves young buys with no room to breathe. It pushes them change who they are for this “persona” of the strong and happy guy, leaving behind what truly mattered to them.
The other thing that stuck out to me was the consequences of a high number of young men affected by depression and sadness. From the numbers we got, it was clear that ADHD, suspension and dropping school were significantly more likely to happen to boys than girls. It looks to me like they are sick, and yet society completely ignores this and continues to follow old ideas about what a man is.
In the book by Carlos Andres Gomez, the seeking of affection and connection between men is one of the main topics of the story. By watching the documentary, I think I am better able to understand what Carlos was going through. The Mask You Live In talked about the loss of connection that affects men and how the feeling of loneliness and sadness surrounds them. Because of this, men struggle to build deep relationships with family, friends, etc.
Lovers and Fighters | Section 22 