Image of masculinity through tv program such as two and a half men, Research Paper

Image of masculinity through tv program such as two and a half men, - Research Paper Example a. Charlie Sheen  as  Charlie Harper  (season 1–8)- the archetype of hedonistic bachelor to the mould of Hugh Hefner of Playboy. In the sitcom, Charlie works as jingle/children songwriter and makes more money than his brother Alan who is always in dire straits due to the alimony that he has to pay to his wife Judith. Charlie is the dominant male figure in the sitcom. b. Jon Cryer  as  Alan Harper – Alan’s character articulates soft version of masculinity although it was portrayed as subordinate to the hedonistic type of masculinity with Charlie’s inordinate sarcasm and banter with Alan. c. Angus T. Jones  as Jake Harper – Jake portrays the underachieving son of Alan and Judith. Although Jake is Alan’s son, Jake mirrors the behavior of his uncle Charlie more than his father Alan. The character of Jake provides the subtle approval of Charlie’s hedonistic behavior in the sitcom. Masculinity has always been associated with a powerful social position that is based on class, race, and sexuality, wage structure and other parameters of manhood that spells dominance. This is reinforced through gender order within societies where men are usually ranked as more powerful and more prestigious than others. Although most of this stereotyping is structured through men’s dominance over women or the latter’s dependence on men, it can also be the case of male dominance over other males with other males also dependent to the dominant male. This structure is also present in the animal kingdom with the presence of the Alpha Male. The three characters in the television sitcom Two and a Half Men  makes an interesting case about images of masculinity in contemporary American society. Each of the characters performs their role and acts them out in accordance with how such character relates to the world and how it perceives the world. Often, the expression of