Generation M

Misogyny is extremely prevalent in our media, whether we want to come to terms with or not. Some people want to act like it doesn't exist pervasively, whether it be in our movies, television shows, video games, or music. Growing up as a young boy, I've noticed this misogyny permeate throughout the years. Whether it be the spread of pornography amongst my adolescent friend groups, slurs, or insults, it became more and more prevalent. I'm not going to pretend I was above reproach and criticism as a preteen because I definitely was a part of it. Whether it was reciting sexist jokes from movies or sexist lines from rap songs with my friends, it became a common thing amongst us middle schoolers.
This was paired with the twisted view of masculinity that was pushed on us prevalently through the media. Rather than the good virtues of masculinity we might've learned from our parents (like respecting others, providing for people we care about, having good manners, etc.), we were taught virtues of machismo and brutality from media. They taught us that masculinity meant being heterosexual, white, and tough. These media portrayals also taught us that women LOVED to be pursued by men, and that was their main goal in films. A women's desire, other than that, wasn't a priority to anyone. I wanted to be that tough guy growing up, and I definitely didn't want to be associated with anything feminine, in fear of being made fun of by my friends.
I believe these factors contribute to the violence against female by males that are part of the whole "bro culture" as described in the film "The Bro Code". When male children are raised on these values, they begin to maliciously manifest into their adult years. Media still perpetuates these same ideas that we grew up, allowing some guys to justify their beliefs. Porn and media consumption has popularized ideas that they believe every girl wants, regardless of their personal interests and wants.