what are little boys made of? - extended comments

After reading the article, I was confused to which prompt I would use to write my own blog post.  SO, I decided to read everyone else’s posts (well, the people who were done by 9pm on Sunday) and after reading Celine’s blog, I wanted to do the extended comments.  Especially because I did not see anyone else do this prompt yet.

Each quote she picked were all ones I had highlighted and wrote little side notes on my article, so I knew that we were on the same thinking pattern with the article.

Nature vs. nurture is something I learned in high school, and I have always been interested in.  I always think about it when personality questions come up.  I agree with Celine when she says that she believe in nature/environment of which a person grows up.  Lots of things in life are mimicked, whether it is by TV shows, or your very own parents.  This could have a lot to do with boys “fitting-in” in school also.  They want to be cool so they act as bullies to show that they are the boss, and that they are tough.  To be tough also means to not act like a women, which would be showing emotion, and the infamous crying, that us women do “all the time.”  However, unlike Celine and the article, I feel like nature also does have a significant role in how we grow up.  I feel like if a male is more friendly with his mom, he gets the “momma’s boy” image, and is a lot more in tune with his emotions, and feelings.  So either or would work for shaping an individual – I feel.

In Celine’s blog she used a lot of real-life connections to this article, and asked the males in her life questions.  I really like this a lot so I decided I would ask my own boyfriend the same question she did.. This was his response to the “code of silence” quote:

“There’s a bad outlook on men that talk about their feelings, I feel like that there’s a time and place to actually express how you feel.  Mostly in front of your close friends, because other people are judgmental. I wouldn’t cry in front of a stranger I would look like a pussy.”

Such a way with words, huh?

Although this whole article was directed towards males, I agree with Celine when she says that she herself holds in her feelings sometimes, and would rather hangout with guys, and stay away from too-emotional girls.  This was my childhood, I was friends with the guys more because they were more fun, girls just wanted to sit around gossip, and paint their nails.  I found this funny, because there’s so much truth behind it.  I hold in my feelings a lot; I myself could even be in this ‘code of silence.’

i had to throw this in here.... i laughed for a good 5 mins because it beat all stereotypes, because he is older, a male, and african america.  which are supposed to be the most masculine.. (irony)

Comments/questions for class:

MALES: Whom have you cried in front of before?

MALES: Do you have guy friends that know about your emotions, or are you in the ‘code of silence’?

Was this an enjoyable read?