Masculinity In Sport

Sports and masculinity have grown so closely intertwined that they seem to be connected at their core. To more concretely explain, Brian Pronger writes, “sport is traditionally a sign of orthodox mas­culinity for men, emphasizing the conventional masculine values of power, muscular strength, competition, and so on (Pronger 177).” This quote by Pronger explicates what sport represents in the scope of hegemonic masculinity, part-taking in a sport requires many of the same qualities that are associated with masculinity. It is for this reason that movies taking place within the sports arena are so appealing to viewers, a movie allows a person to place themselves in the sporting world even if they may not have the abilities requires to become an

Pronger’s quote associates masculinity with “power, muscular strength, competition, and so on,” but it make the full leap to what these traits often result in: violence (Pronger 177). Not only is violence present within the sport of boxing, but also in the character’s personal life. Early on in the film, Micky aggressively punches a man who harasses as female bartender, who serves as Micky’s love interest in the film. The act of violence seems to be a rather extreme response to the man’s behavior. Pappas, McKenry, and Catlett write about violence in sports, and they explain, “In sport, reinforcement for acts of violence emanate from a variety of sources, which may be grouped under three categories: (1) the immediate reference group of the athlete, especially coaches, teammates, and family; (2) the structure of the sport and the implementation of rules by governing bodies and referees; and (3) the attitude of the fans, media, courts of law, and society in general (Pappas, McKenry, and Catlett 549).” While this quote discusses the influence for violence within the sports arena, it is also true for Micky’s overall experiences in the film. Specifically, the first category of coaches, teammates, and family, as for Micky all of these are often rolled into one. His family encourages his violence within the sport of boxing, even encouraging him to take a fight that they know he will likely lose. It is clear from the fact that both the sons, Micky and Dicky, were employed as professional boxers that the family fosters a rather violent form of