It is important to note that the notions of what is feminine and masculine are defined by the cultural and societal frameworks. They do not reflect the reality of the intrinsic and direct human experience as well as existence. These predetermined connotations are utilized as instruments in order to establish a rigid form of the power hierarchy. It is done to gain control over the masses with the intent of exploiting these notions for one’s advantage.
Masculinity is defined as a set of characteristics opposite to what is feminine, which severely limits humanity and freedom of expression in both parties. Being accused of femininity means that the latter is labeled as weakness, and men are pressured to act not as they please but rather with an intent of avoiding all preconceived notions of feminine traits. In other words, behaving like a man involves violence, aggression, and extreme case of self-reliance, which makes masculinity devoid of characteristics, such as compassion, cooperation, and emotional expression. The dialogues like this ultimately dehumanize women since they are no longer seen as complete individuals but rather objects and things. Strict adherence to masculine features defined by media also dehumanizes men. In other films, especially the recent ones, changes are taking place where femininity is empowered. However, the polarization and division of traits into feminine and masculine still exist, which limits the concept of one’s humanity and leads to objectification.
In conclusion, it is evident that media and societal biases play a key role in establishing and promoting dehumanizing ideas of masculinity and femininity. In addition, the latter is assigned a label of weakness. Therefore, both parties are forced to only exhibit a small set of features and characteristics. It is not representative of a full range of human experience since both are portrayed, especially women, as objects.