Cut
By Elizabeth Pearson and Sally Rubin

As teens, the filmmakers had experienced the enormous and pervasive pressures on teenaged girls to look a certain way. They wondered whether boys encountered the same body image issues. What expectations and images did teenaged boys feel pressured to conform to, and how did boys deal with these pressures? Their exploration led them to a nearby high school, and to a diverse group of thoughtful and articulate young men.

Among them: football player Shane, 16, works out every day to control his weight; he dropped 60 pounds in one summer. Bryan, who is 16, confronts stereotypes about the fact that he is on the cheer-leading squad; he has begun to work out, and dyed his hair trying to overcome his shyness and low self-esteem. Vince, another football player, says that being "buff" shouldn't matter, but he reveals that he takes carbohydrate and creatine supplements to enhance the impact of his weight-lifting. Charles, who is 16, is sophomore class president and involved in other activities, but worries that as a "little guy" he has to prove himself more than others. Zach experiences anxiety if he misses a day of his body-building routine. Max, who is African-American, criticizes the impact of mass media images of masculinity.

Their stories capture the boys' feelings about their bodies, and the pressures and expectations they feel are placed on them by their peers and by society. This brief, illuminating film explores an important but rarely discussed social and public health issue.

DVD version has both closed-captions and audio description.

9 minutes
© 2003
Purchase $159 DVD
Order No. QA-397
ISBN (DVD) 1-57295-855-3

Reviews
"An extremely useful teaching tool...helped generate a lively discussion among students on the topics of masculinity, identity and subject formation. We understand more about processes of gender formation that have a profound effect on both men and women." Karen L. Shelby, Visiting Scholar, University of California, San Diego

Awards & Conference Screenings
Oakland International Film Festival
Marin County Film Festival

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