Alpha-male movie star becoming extinct in Hollywood: Experts
Washington | September 04, 2010 12:01:13 AM IST
 

Actress Michelle Rodriguez's comment that the masculine, alpha-male movie star is becoming extinct in Hollywood, has some pop culture experts agreeing with her.

Rodriguez, 32, feels that heroes that had been brought to life in films such as "Rambo," "Die Hard," and "Rocky" are no longer there.

"The alpha man is dying in film, the warrior is dying. Hello geek," Fox News quoted her as saying.

Experts suggest that the one reason Sylvester Stallone's undeniably man-friendly film 'The Expendables' grossed 85 million dollars domestically is because there are few such pictures being made.

"The success of 'The Expendables' is likely attributable to a carry-over nostalgia from Stallone finishing off his 'Rocky' and 'Rambo' films, as well as the novelty of having that many notable action heroes in one movie," Andrew Hunsaker, a pop culture expert at Fancast.com said.

"The alpha male in movies these days is much less in the burly blood-soaked 'Rambo' vein than it is the slick smooth operators like George Clooney's 'Danny Ocean,' or the thinking man's fighter like Matt Damon's 'Jason Bourne'," he stated.

The shift in Hollywood's leading men from macho to meek has raised the question if this is a reflection of a changing society where women become more independent, earn more and don't want a partner who is dominant.

An article published earlier this year by the Wall Street Journal, based on studies by FaceResearch.org, the online psychology laboratory of the Face Research Laboratory at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, suggests it could be the reason for the change.

The study concluded that the majority of the 4,800 female participants were more attracted to the more feminine-featured males.

"In America today, we're seeing a lot more boys disconnected with their own sense of masculinity, due in large part due to higher divorce rates, dad's working longer hours - the strong father figure is often not around and that's why the 'geek' has become much more mainstream," explained psychiatrist Dr. Paul Dobransky, author of "Masculinity Code."

However, Dobransky doesn't believe the ultra-masculine man is endangered - he's just evolving.

"Hollywood makes its movies to appeal to women, they're the prime consumers," he said.

"Women want to see what empowers them, and the 'Rambo' type of film is not exactly food for the soul for ladies who can't really relate to it. This is why it's not made much anymore.

"These days, the superhero film is a substitute for the super-masculine action film," he added. (ANI)

 

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