Plot

The film examines the ways in which media and popular culture trains American boys and men to adopt and celebrate sexist views toward women.

This documentary is created and directed by Dr. Thomas Keith, where he analyzes how modern media influences sexism among males. He divides the documentary into four primary sections, each one articulating the steps that media indirectly uses to contribute to male sexism. Ultimately media pressures young males into a rigid belief system where only a select few hold power and privilege and the rest are belittled and ostracized. Dr. Keith urges the audience to be more aware of how sexist views are portrayed in our society and that we should strive to discourage them.—Charles Schnell

Synopsis of The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men

The documentary opens with the director and producer Dr. Thomas Keith, who begins with a personal anecdote about growing up with Bro Culture. As defined by the documentary, the term Bro Culture refers to the way young men view themselves as part of society, as well as the way they address one another. Men who are associated with the Bro Culture are described as sexist individuals. He introduces the documentary by illustrating how society has changed the meaning behind sexism from one that is degrading, to one that is favored. Through his use of examples, Keith is able to explain how mass media affects the downgraded opinion of women in society. The documentary is split into four chapters, each containing specifics about how society influences the opinion men have of women. The first chapter, titled Train Men to Womanize, describes the ways in which men treat women. The phrase womanize points out the ways men take advantage of women by tricking them into having sex. Keith explains that the term womanizer mainly refers to the young men on college campuses, as these college-aged males are strictly focused on sex. The documentary then goes further into detail by showing how the media rewards men who womanize. The show Jersey Shore is used as an example to display the ways in which their male characters use women. Often times, the characters that are involved with the show use a certain lingo to attract females. However, Jersey Shore also includes how the young women involved with the show womanize the men in their lives as well. Shows that air on MTV base their male characters as extremely masculine with rigid personalities. Many reality shows that air on MTV aim to reach out to their young male audiences by showing them how a real man should act. This reoccurring theme of the need for sexual attention is presented in many music videos as well. Keith goes into detail about how everything about the women in these music videos are aimed around sexuality. From the way they dress to the way they act, these women parade around flaunting their bodies. The documentary then describes how men who are gay or feminine, are made fun of. To be described as feminine is the ultimate insult for a male. Keith explains that because of the Bro Culture, many men who are gay are ridiculed without mercy. Homophobic jokes surround the lives of homosexual men to the point of depression or, in extreme cases, suicide. Keith ends the first chapter with how women are categorized as either smart or dumb. These smart women are often too intimidating for any Bro to handle, so the dumb women are the perfect choice. This fear that men have of being with an intelligent woman comes from the concern of maintaining power.

The second chapter is titled Immerse men in porn. It begins by describing the rise and success of porn in modern society, and how it is easy for young people to get access to it. It states how young men are bombarded by the message that women are playthings for their enjoyment. Keith makes a major point by illustrating how the rivalries between these X-rated films cause women to be subjected to violence. The message that women are simply objects and nothing more comes with a price, generally the desensitization of men to real life sexual arousal and potentially impotence. Next, the documentary describes how porn has become more and more degrading, and has diversified among different mediums. Keith expresses his opinion on how women are treated in these films by describing them as degrading and disgusting. The documentary progresses by demonstrating how the increased use of pornography has negatively affected many relationships. Many women feel as though they are less important and are strictly characterized by their physical demeanor. Feminists who are against these X-rated films are not necessarily against the act of sex, just the way that women are portrayed in these films. Keith describes the industry as abusive and downgrading; how it debilitates and warps our views about sexuality. From that we transition to Chapter 3: Make Rape Jokes, a chapter filled with the issues, controversies, social struggles and personal grief that is associated with rape. The documentary focuses on the desensitization of rape to men in todays culture. Comedians and tv shows regularly make rape related jokes despite how serious of a problem rape and sexual violence is. Joking about assaults of this type normalizes the idea of rape in the minds of most boys and men, resulting in a lot of them viewing rape and sexual assault as a joke, or not as terrible as it actually is. Keith goes on to talk about how the ultimate quest for college-aged males is to get women drunk and take advantage of them sexually. There is also a stigma that most rapes occur in underprivileged, racial areas when in reality, most sexual assaults take place on college campuses. The documentary progresses by explaining how these young men have been trained not to view these actions as a sexual offensive, because of their involvement in bro culture. The last chapter focuses on masculinity and why men treat femininity with fear. The powerful social and cultural influences around young men cause them to dread being called a girl. Even the parents and coaches of young boys persuade them into thinking that in order to be a real man, they must acquire both the physical and mental demeanor of how a Bro should think and act. Keith mentions that a man by the name of Tony Porter who shares a story of a football player who lived in mortal terror of being called a girl. Often times, men are forced to behave a certain way just to avoid acting ladylike, as if femininity was arsenec. Keith goes on by stating that this is a learned fear and has nothing to do with biology or natural inclinations. According to Michael Kimmel, part of the reason that boys feel that they have to act so manly is because of the belief that, that is what women are attracted to. The film ends with how the producer, Thomas Keith, believes that there is a new generation of men embracing healthier and less sexist ways of living.

The main goal behind The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men is to inform viewers of the dangers that surrounds us via social media. Through the use of examples, producer Thomas Keith explains how todays culture influences the seixst views that many men have. By dividing his documentary into four chapters, Keith describes the specific ways in which men are influenced into possessing their sexist views. The ending note of this film is for society to understand the impact that the media has on our youth culture and perceptions of gender roles.