There is something wrong with our culture. Hidden down far enough that most people don't notice, there is a flaw in the way we view this world. The media shows it, we expect people to adhere to it, and we acknowledge this flaw above others. This flaw is violence born of ignorance.
Take a moment to imagine how media shows the world through a lens of violence. Their battle cry is that of, "if it bleeds, it leads," and they use that as an excuse to show only the worst stories. And we consume this violence whole-heartedly. News media has an obligation to show us all aspects of issues and events, and oftentimes the most impactful events are the "violent" ones. However, more often than not it seems as though the violent aspects of events are the only ones shown.
This emphasis on violence has permeated into other aspects of our culture, including movies and television. But this flaw has seeped into the way we view religion and the way we view men. The two are not so independent of this issue because both have been distorted by the same thing, over and over again. These two identities are wrapped up in an ouroboros of destruction, and reconstruction to more violent ends.
Think about the last time you heard about religion on the news. It can be any religion, from anywhere in the world. What you most likely remember is a story about violent extremists, bigoted individuals protesting at a funeral, or some other kind of violent outburst with a religious background. We see these things over and over again and builds up our ideas of what these things are. We see violent Islamic extremists on the news, but we never see the peaceful loving majority. The more we see it, the more we think it is true. However, these religions are not violent inherently. There are bad people in them, but the religions themselves teach love and compassion. Christianity teaches that one should find nonviolent ways to resist violent attacks, but nobody seems to put emphasis on this in movies and television. People of faith around the world have taken up their religions in ways truly in concert with the teachings of peace, but only the most extraordinary of these people are seen in the media. You see the people Martin Luther King Jr., Pope Francis, or Mother Teressa. Yet, you never see the small people that are also following these traditions. Instead, you see the small people that have wholly misunderstood what religion teaches.
This is a constant misrepresentation that is wholly incorrect. Religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam teach love and compassion at their core, as do many other religions around the world such as Buddhism. Yet more and more, the misconception that people of faith are violent, uncaring, or are bigotted is spread. Those who truly do follow these religions would know that all people are of God, and therefore all people are deserving of love and compassion. All people are equally loved by God and should be equally loved by those who follow Him.
In much the same way that the identity of religion is distorted, so is that of the identity of men. Men are expected to be and act a certain way in order to be accepted into the myth of masculinity. We are expected to be sporty, strong, quick to violence, never feeling, and never expressive. The heroes that men are expected to follow are more often than not just violent warriors. Their defining character trait is their capacity to solve problems with violence. With so many heroes like that, it's hard to imagine a society in which men don't get into fights often. Don't get me wrong, I do like these movies. I love Star Wars just as much as anyone else (maybe an even a little bit more), but time and time again men are portrayed as just warriors and nothing more. They keep their emotions at bay unless its anger of course.
This is yet another misconception, brought on by our society itself. Media merely reinforces the cycle. This is the system that is the ouroboros, it destroys and then creates endlessly. This is also a dangerous misconception to spread because men will adopt these ideals as what they have to be. They will "man up," and have series of one night stands and meaningless relationships because it's manly to have a large tally of women you have slept with no matter how you did it. Men will get into stupid situations and fights, because rationality often makes you a nerd, or thus unmasculine. You just have to "man up" and do the dumb thing. If you are better at writing and math than sports, then you might not be a "man." If you like to express yourself and talk about your emotions, then you might not be a "man."
Men need better role models. We need heroes to show us that love and compassion are just as manly and heroic as anything else, if not more so. It takes a great amount of strength to be vulnerable, and oftentimes it's easier to shut yourself off to your emotions. Society needs to demonstrate that violence is not central to the identity of masculinity.
We need the media to take the first step on both of these issues. If we can show off the power of nonviolence, love, and compassion not only for men but for religion, we can change the way our world works. If the media shows that not all of religion is bad and violent, then we can truly be accepting of all beliefs. If men can be shown to be compassionate and loving, then we won't isolate men into a false identity. None of this is to say that violent movies are always bad, or that the media should only show the good aspects of everything. This is just to say that things are not balanced. Violent movies are the norm, and they often glorify the violence incorrectly. There is a difference between the spectacle of fictional movies and reality, but the portrayal of men in these roles of violence is destructive. You can have a compassionate emotional hero, in a movie of violence. In the same manner, news can tell us about the wrong doings in our world, but it should also show the good in the world.
We need to break ourselves free from the ensaring cycle of violence.
