Man v. Man

I thought that there were a few things that connected these articles besides masculinity.  Most of the texts from this week explored the violence of mankind, and some also touched on race.

I found “The Most Dangerous Game” to be a very interesting short story about the faults of humanity.  General  Zaroff hunts humans because he grew bored of hunting animals.  He also says that he hunts “the scum of the earth” which includes blacks, Chinese Indians, and whites.  He is also excited by his next target, a strong, black, resourceful-looking man.  Race is briefly touched on in this story, but the larger idea is that of human violence towards other human beings.  While this short story is unrealistic to most readers, it can also be seen as a commentary about man’s lust for violence and death.  The author suggests that violence is a way to escape boredom.  The General saw the hunting of humans as a sport which brought him happiness and entertainment at the expense of other people’s injuries and deaths.

Football was mentioned in a few of the readings this week.  While the purpose of football is not to kill the opponent, there are also elements of violence and entertainment in this sport.  “Dying to Play” and “How CTE Affects the Brain” explore the ways in which football affects the men who play the game.  The articles cover the severe consequences that have been shown to result from injuries that occur because of football.  Football is a fun and exciting sport to watch, but NFL players may find themselves regretting their career choice if they suffer any of the possible injuries or diseases mentioned in the articles.  Even though the players are not immediately dying on the field during games, they are essentially setting themselves up for a painful or short post-career future. 

“Bob Costas on gun control” discusses football and the gun culture and violence in his interview.  He talks about how guns are too readily available, leading to increased gun violence.  He also touches on race and class when he mentions the gun violence in inner cities and the arming of black youths.  I agree with Costas that there needs to be stricter regulations in order to prevent such violence.  However, I also agree that people will find other ways to commit crimes.  “When Will It End?” is an example of the continued violence that exists due to racial discrimination.  The victims were often chased or pursued and then violently murdered merely based on their skin color. 

The two texts I could not really fit into the violence theme were “9 Rules for the Black Birdwatcher” and “Chris Rock Tiger Woods.”  Both of these texts focus on race, and the Chris Rock video also highlights the sport of golf, but not in a violent way like the other sport-centered texts.  This article and video explore how racial stereotypes are still alive and well, even in modern times.  The video about Tiger Woods illustrates the ways that black athletes are categorized and the ways that black people perceive certain sports.  The birdwatcher article was satirical and played on the same idea that black people are only supposed to enjoy and participate in certain sports.