Scorsese cuts to a boring subdivision: Henry Hill exits his boring house in a bathrobe, stoops to get the newspaper "just like anybody" else, and for a moment remembers that he used to be a gangster. Scorsese cuts to a clip of the violent thug Jimmy (played by Joe Pesci) firing rounds point blank at the audience, and then cuts back to Henry who is either smiling or grimacing at the memory of Jimmy's "tough guise."
Of course, there are moments when Henry Hill himself becomes just as violent as the world he inhabits. The ferocious pistol-whipping is one such scene, referenced in Jackson Katz's "Tough Guise" as a perfect illustration of the kind of brute strength admired by men. Scorsese's use of the freeze frame earlier in the film allows the audience to reflect on the horrific scenes of violence as they unfold: whether one admires the "tough guise" or not, it's terrible effect is never blunted. In the pistol-whipping scene, however, Scorsese allows the film to continue -- and the earlier freeze frame style that was used to shock and introduce the audience to this world of "tough guise" is no longer necessary: if the audience is still watching, it has likely become as captivated by the "tough guise" as Karen, who is about to be handed the bloody pistol used to beat her neighbor.
That Karen admits to being attracted to Henry and his "tough guise" is no surprise. As Jackson Katz explains, she is drawn to what she perceives is a "real man." The sad reality is, however, that her "real man" is a real gangster and will lure her into a criminal world of drug-dealing, murder, and cheating. The realness that she thinks she wants is superficial: By the end of the film she loses everything she has "gained." Her fortune,...
Women do play some role in the promotion of the tough guise image. Whether they would like to admit it or not, most women's idea of a man is one that is strong, macho and protective of them. The saying that, 'Nice guys finish last' has some truth to it. Many women look over the shy, quiet type of man because of the images they have seen in the media
The role of sex in advertising is even more blatant in a food advertisement of an ejaculating Tabsco sauce bottle over a split bake potato -- hot and spice as a metaphor for intercourse. Sex sells: a woman wants to be desired by a man which requires the perfect figure, in the perfect low-cut dress with the perfectly matching nail polish, and a man can only be desired by a
The documentary film Tough Guise provides many more striking and direct examples of the manner in which aggression in all three forms discussed by Kauffmann have become a seamless part of male identity in our society. From the association of aggression and physical prowess with sexuality and performance capabilities to the extreme pressure in minority communities to conform to specific masculine identities as a way of asserting independence, male violence
Cold War and the War on Terror The Cold War (CW) and the War against Terror (WAT) were similar in several ways and different in other important aspects. Each is situated in its own particular political and social era. The CW emerged in the post-WW2 years and was inextricably linked with a number of dynamic variables then shaping the global geopolitical spectrum: these variables included the rise of the Military-Industrial Complex,
Sociology and Feminist Theories on Gender Studies Postmodern Feminism in "Cherrie Moraga and Chicana Lesbianism" In the article entitled, "Cherrie Moraga and Chicana Lesbianism," author Tomas Almaguer analyzes and studies the dynamics behind Moraga's feminist reading of the Chicano culture and society that she originated from. In the article, Almaguer focuses on three elements that influenced Moraga's social reality as she was growing up: the powerful effect of the Chicano culture, patriarchal
skills sets needed to be successful in the market place and whether discrimination of poverty, gender, and race may impede one's chances There are those who argue along the lines of "if you will it, you can do it," and that as long as you present something that people need and you show them that you are the one who can best help them get it, you can be successful
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