"Pumping Iron"

Last lecture which showed a short clip from Pumping Iron was very interesting to me along with the professor’s last three arguments regarding masculinities. For some reason, I have always related masculinity to women, or I always looked masculinity from female’s point of view. In other words, I have never considered masculinity from male’s point of view. I seriously thought men working out to have six pecks or to be muscular were only to make women think they are attractive or manly. Hence, I was pretty surprised to know that professor’s all three arguments excluded women: 1. Masculinity, unlike femininity, itself is authorizing or seeks to be 2. Masculinity actually thrives in the absence of women 3. Dominant masculinity is secured by the homo-social relations.

Then, how did I interpret this? This whole clip reminded me hegemonic masculinity and its example identified in sports from Connell’s reading. Connell says: “in certain schools the masculinity exalted through competitive sports is hegemonic; this means that sporting prowess is a test of masculinity even for boys who detest the locker room” (37). Hegemonic masculinity among men (ignoring class or race issue) is the matter of competitiveness and superiority. This all relates to Pumping Iron in which women do not appear that much since their opinions in showing off men’s masculinity or manliness are not that important as it is “self-authorizing.”