They way we think and talk about masculinity is changing slowly, but centuries of patriarchy aren’t easy to undo overnight. The advent of #MeToo and #TimesUp signaled that women were fed up with toxic misogyny, but the movement also prompted those accused of sexist rhetoric and behavior, like the president, to claim it’s "a very scary time for young men."
A 2017 study by Johns Hopkins and the World Health Organization found that across the globe gender stereotypes can impact children early on and raise the risk of depression, suicide, and violence as they grow up. Polling 450 adolescents across 15 countries, the report discovered that boys are socialized to embody dominance and physical strength, making them more inclined to be violent, suffer from substance abuse, and commit homicide later in life.
Beyond this, it revealed that teen boys who challenge gender norms in their behavior or dress are more likely to be bullied than girls who dress or act in a masculine way. The study underlined a few universal truths—that stereotypes such as “boys don’t cry” are perpetuating outdated and harmful patriarchal attitudes.
What do you hope viewers will take away from seeing this exhibit?
I hope everyone who comes to see the show, or even reads about it here, sees what they need to see to help them level up a little bit. Open their minds, motivate them to support gender non-conforming artists, learn something about themselves. Whatever it is, I just want it to impact people positively. Above everything else, the show is a celebration. As much as I want it to challenge viewers, I want them to soak in all the beauty of what we’ve made and really just enjoy themselves!
Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.
Follow Sara Radin on Instagram.
from VICE https://ift.tt/2Ft3wRs
via cheap web hosting
No comments:
Post a Comment