Teaching boys through movies

[MurderOfGoths]

Video here

Interesting video about the lessons taught to boys in childrens movies compared to girls, good point made about how girls are often taught to fight the patriarchy but boys aren't.

One of the things that stood out to me was the lack of good male role models who don't fit the traditionally "masculine" profile.

Interestingly I'm reading the Hunger Games books.

In the film the main male character, Peeta, is portrayed as a bit weak/soft/in need of rescuing. It's as if they've just switched the traditional gender portrayals, so rather than having two strong characters, one has to be the princess who needs rescuing. And as Katniss can't be that character a male character has to instead. I can't imagine any boy looking at Peeta and thinking, "I want to be like him".

But the book is a different story entirely. Peeta is strong and clever and rescues Katniss as much as she rescues him. It's just he doesn't do it using the traditional male standards of fighting and defence, he does it using cleverness and friendliness. Qualities which boys could aspire to.

So why when Hollywood is handed a fantastic male role model do they rewrite him entirely?

Really interesting points. Off to watch the video :-)

My DS (13 when saw movie) absolutely loathed it, and says it is nothing like the book.