This is the opening image in The Mask You Live In. These words act as the foundation for the rest of the documentary. The recurring theme of hiding behind a mask describes the current dilemma at hand; men are expected to conform to western gender roles even before they are born. 

     Throughout the documentary, a lot of hot topics today are touched upon and related back to the idea of masculinity. Substance abuse, bullying, violence, sexual harassment, domestic abuse, and suicide are all associated with the western pressures on men to embody the male ideal, both mentally and physically. Teachers and experts in various fields offer examples and reasoning behind why American men are the way that they are. 

     As an atypical response, I created a poetry piece. After being inspired by Guante's spoken word performances of Ten Responses to the Phrase 'Man Up' and Handshakes, I decided to make my own performance poetry piece. This poem reflects the issues addressed in the documentary from my own reactions. As a female of European descent, I figured that my perspective on the documentary would be unlike many other responses one could find elsewhere.