Men treated badly in modern media

[Wolfpack]

In modern media like commercials/advertisements and such as soap operas, men are very often treated or come across quite badly in the UK

In a lot commercials men are perceived as either being stupid or treated as a joke even.
In soap operas many men get kicked in the privates on a regular bases even daily,and this comes across as being alright beghaviour as if they 'deserve' it or sometimes even treated as funny or a joke.

As any man will tell it is not 'funny',and one can only imagine the complaints to stations/networks if a woman was treated as such.

Please do not think I am trying to be sexist in any way with this thread,I fully understand women have been and still sadly continue to be treated badly in media as well.

I would just like to hear others opinions on this,especially from other countries and learn if men are treated in the same way or not.

[loserguy]

I don't see it that way to be honest maybe because I don't notice it?

But in soaps it is all about viewers and to achieve that they will be as controversial as they can be.

[partis]

UK soap opera’s are cheap immitations, even the actors believe themselves and no longer know what real life is, I cant abide adverts, its just a time to make tea.

[Chimpy]

I am more annoyed there are not more (any?) gay characters in leading roles in mainstream tv and film.

[Wolfpack]

I am more annoyed there are not more (any?) gay characters in leading roles in mainstream tv and film.

I agree can someone name me a leading gay character in films such as sci-fi or action?

[freelandia]

Married hetero husbands are treated like dumbos in several commercials here. They're annoying to watch. You're not being sexist. My spouse and I have talked about this for years.

[nullnaught]

it seems that most people must think it is funny to hurt someone or wouldn't show up all the time on tv or movies. Look at the three stooges. Poking someone in the eyes is very funny to a lot of people and i will never understand it.

[HumbleTangerine]

I think women have it way worse. Check out the Bechdel test for instance.

[Pix]

Generally speaking, the view is guys are tough and can take it but women are weak, essentially like children and kittens, you don't kick them. For that same reason a woman's anger is usually treated as a joke in the media as well (save when she attacks a child as that's betraying her femininity and is actually condemned more than when a man does it, and plenty of times I've noticed people saying mothers should be given harsher sentences than her husband simply when she looked the other way for abuse her husband did). On top of that having the "guy on top actually be dumb" is generally thought of as funnier for the same reason as having the bureaucrats, feds, etc as being dumb.

On the plus side, men get to see themselves as something other than eye candy (or one of the very few alternatives, typically bad) whereas all other qualities (even super powers) besides attractiveness pale when applied to female characters and will likely be subject to some "fan service" (as in borderline pornographic at times). All in all I think men have it better in the media because they matter more than how they look (and how pleasing they are to male viewers), it shows that ultimately men still have the power.

OTOH, where I think guys have it worse isn't on the media but real life, particularly as they grow up. Expected to be tough they'll get stomped on a lot more, especially by other guys (though at least a lot of it won't be behind your back as a lot of women will do). This gets bad enough that in extreme cases male toddlers will be beaten to death by a father wanting to be sure the boy doesn't grow up into being a "sissy" by beating him (especially if he cries easily, plays with dolls, etc). A friend of mine was told by her husband to stop hugging her 2-year-old boy because the boy would grow to be a sissy otherwise, maybe even gay. I've been told myself not to coddle my boy yet I'm expected to coddle my girl. And as this guy said to many people saying Amen:




"Man up, give [your little boy] a good punch."

'Course that same speech goes on how girls have to be beautiful, smell nice, etc, which she can't do if she's beaten ('course plenty of girls are abused right along with the boys, though boys with bruises and torn clothes will raise less eyebrows).

[Mark]

What I don't like about TV/Films regarding men is say theres any sort of sexual attack it almost 9/10 seems to be a guy on a girl - and never a girl on a guy which don't get me wrong I don't want to see but it has to be understood that its not only men that can attack people! Men always seem to get the raw end of the stick with things like that.

Also lately I've noticed theres a lot of shows centred around powerful women but not that many around guys? Guys just don't seem to get sensitive roles which astounds me because not all guys are thugs!