For many boys across America, living up to male stereotypes, burying emotions and feeling alone is the norm. “The Mask You Live In” is trying to crush this problem by confronting it head on.
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“Be a man.”
Just three little words. But the need to show that you were already growing into a strong, aggressive, stereotypical man certainly took me to many dark places and times of sadness throughout college. Being surrounded by guys who never cried or admitted to having any genuine emotions and who judged you by how good you were at aggressive sports… it was a challenging environment to grow up in.
For many boys across America, living up to male stereotypes, burying emotions and feeling alone is the norm.
But a new documentary, The Mask You Live In, is set to examine and expose how harmful these ideas and words can be for boys’ mental and emotional health.
It’s coming from the Representation Project, the team who brought us the 2011 Miss Representation film looking at the way women are treated and portrayed in society.
I can’t wait for the full documentary to come out, as tackling these issues in boyhood is the way to nurture better men and to make society a better place to live for both men and women.