Post: G Movies Give Boys a D:
Portraying Males as Dominant, Disconnected, and Dangerous
G Movies Give Boys a D:
Portraying Males as Dominant, Disconnected, and Dangerous
A COMMON SENSE VIEW
Our youngest children learn alarming lessons about men and boys from the movies they watch over and over, according to a new report released at the National Press Club by Oscar winner Geena Davis’ See Jane program, part of the national nonprofit Dads & Daughters.
Among the report’s key findings:
- G-rated movies, whether animated or live-action, are dominated by white male characters and male stories. Male characters outnumber females 3:1.
- Male characters are only half as likely as females to be parents. They are about half as likely as females to be married or in a committed relationship.
The fathering and relationship picture is even bleaker for male characters of color. Among those male characters developed enough to ascertain their parental and/or relationship status:
- Just over a third of nonwhites are parents, compared to more than half of whites.
Less than a quarter of nonwhites (22.2 percent) are married or in committed relationships, compared to 45.3 percent of whites. - Nonwhite males are hard to find in G-rated movies. They make up only 14.5 percent of male characters, but are 35.5 percent of the male US population.
- Almost twice as many nonwhite males as white males are portrayed as physically aggressive or violent.
- Among male characters, 44.1 percent are physically aggressive or violent, compared to 36.9 percent of females. With three times more male than female characters, the actual number of physically aggressive males is much higher than the number of physically aggressive females.
"G-rated films impact children profoundly because the average US child owns 20 DVDs or video and watches at least one of them each day," according to Joe Kelly, President of Dads & Daughters and author of four fathering books. "These portrayals are especially troubling given society’s struggle with divorce, father absence, violence, and the shortage of initiatives to adequately prepare boys and young men for the opportunities and responsibilities of manhood."
To read the full version of "G Movies Give Boys a D: Portraying Males as Dominant, Disconnected and Dangerous" -- and get easy-to-use tips -- visit See Jane.