Pray for me Here’s my brief immediate reaction: I’ve never eye-rolled so hard and so many times during a movie. I could do a three hour video essay on the extreme gender essentialism alone.

It makes sense once you realize that basically every word Obi-Wan uttered in the original trilogy was a lie ;)

https://twitter.com/SparkRogue/status/1532434656901091344

“And these blast points, too accurate for sand people. Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise”

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Masculinity is the common thread in mass shootings. 99% of school shootings are committed by men. Yes, gun accessibility is a huge problem. Yes, inaccessibility of mental healthcare is a huge problem. But women live in the same society and don't commit 50% of school shootings. Other countries have rightly banned access to assault weapons, which prevents mass shootings. Still, men's violence (against women and other men) remains a serious problem in those nations. The uncomfortable truth is the construction of violent masculinity is a cultural problem.

Sad to see so many movie critics (even those who should know better) uncritically praising Top Gun: Maverick despite its layers of transparent military propaganda. The militainment angle doesn’t have to be the only critical lens used but it should at least be part of any review. Not only did Paramount Pictures work closely with the US Military in making Top Gun: Maverick, The US Navy and US Air Force are openly bragging about using the movie as a recruitment tool. kpbs.org/news/local/202…

Finally getting back to this thread. My MCU re-watch is going slowly because I've been writing and recording a new video essay about depictions of men crying in media. It should be published in mid March. Anyway, time for Thor 2. Remember that whole lesson from the 1st Thor movie about how heroes shouldn't enjoy going to war? Well, never mind all that! We’re 100% supposed to enjoy the hell out of Thor beating the crap out of a bunch of "savages" under the pretext of "restoring order" to the 9 realms.

Maybe one reason popular media fandoms have such a huge racism problem is because science fictional allegories for fascism keep sanitizing that ideology by intentionally leaving out the racism. Star Wars does it with The Empire and First Order. The MCU does it with Hydra, etc. The bad guys in Star Wars and the MCU love giving speeches about their ideology but it’s all just vague proclamations about “order,” there’s nothing that could even be interpreted as a metaphor for racism in their language. Can’t sell a bunch of toys of fictional racists I guess.

Took a little break from my MCU re-watch but now it's time for The Avengers (2012). Like Iron Man 2, this movie is pivotal in setting the stage for the rest of what's now called "The Infinity Saga” in terms of both politics and masculinity. In other words, I have A LOT of notes. The always charming Mark Ruffalo replaces Edward Norton as The Hulk. The casting change is accompanied by a distinct change in tone from the more menacing version in Incredible Hulk to this more fun humorous take on the character in The Avengers.

I’m about to do a critical rewatch of all 23 Marvel movies (in chronological order) looking at negative patterns in how masculinity is presented. This is part of my neverending quest to be super popular with fans ;) As I plan out my next dozen or so video essays deconstructing Hollywood manhood, I noticed that Marvel movies keep showing up as examples again and again. So I might as well put on a pot of coffee and rewatch them all again while taking detailed notes.

Each year the video game industry descends on LA for #E3 (The Electronic Entertainment Expo) to showcase the latest and greatest in interactive entertainment. And each year I do a statistical breakdown of the trends in gameplay mechanics. 2019 is my 5th year doing this analysis. It’s no secret the gaming industry is laser focused on creating experiences that center violent combat. But engaging with a gameworld from behind the barrel of a gun or blade of a sword is extremely limiting. This is why my stats sort titles into combat and non-combat categories.

A handful of The Last Jedi haters in my mentions are offering up a fascinating misreading of the final showdown between Luke and Vader in RotJ. I think it's worth taking a moment to discuss because it may help explain why these guys hate Luke’s character so much in Episode VIII. The misreading: Luke Skywalker uses his great warrior skills to defeat Darth Vader. Once he’s proven himself in combat and stands victorious, Luke does the honorable thing by showing mercy and sparing his enemy. Thereby saving himself from corruption and redeeming his father.

Seeing a lot more people writing about toxic masculinity and media which is great. Though I do feel like many are missing the deeper understanding of how patriarchy operates as a social system. I’d recommend The Will to Change by bell hooks as an easy-to-read introduction. “Toxic masculinity” doesn’t just refer to the worst or most obvious misogyny. The term is shorthand for a wide range of harmful or destructive behaviors (both overt and subtle) that are socially accepted and enforced. This means most men have participated in toxic masculinity.