In
"The Full Monty," a strange world is depicted; a society in which women
piss in urinals and men take off their clothes for money.You
may wonder, is this an episode of "Saturday Night Live?"Surely
that guy is not worried about being too fat!In
fact, each of the male characters exhibits insecurities that are generally
associated with, well, . . . . women."The
Full Monty" illustrates a society in which the women act masculine and
the men border on feminine -- as least according to today's gender stereotypes.In
Sheffield, England, the women go to work each day while the men sit around
and desperately battle for domestic and social stability.While
the movie addresses the everyday struggles of men who have had "a bit of
tough luck," a deeper interpretation reveals a backward community in which
men battle for equality with women.However,
it is only until the men overcome their societal-defined feminine insecurities
that they can achieve a sense of equality and realize their place in society.
Our
first introduction to the women of Sheffield represents them as rowdy,
horny, and crude. (Sound like
your ex-boyfriend?It's supposed
to.)The local club is overflowing
with drunken females who drool at and cheer for a Chip-n-Dale (male strip)
group.While our main characters,
Dave and Guz, spy on the event through windows and holes in the walls,
the ladies in the restroom tug at their panty hoes and exclaim, "It's not
their bodies, it's what they do with them that counts."All
in all, the women contradict the traditional expectations of the "true
woman." Their lustfulness challenges
the traditional society's attitude that women should be pure and submissive.In
concordance, the concept of domesticity is not applicable for the female
characters, such as Mandy and Jean, whom hold steady jobs and are therefore
able to enjoy such leisure activities.Clearly,
in Sheffield it is the women who go out with their friends to drink beer
and pine over the opposite sex while the husbands stay home and speculate
on their whereabouts.
The
diversity of the male characters in the movie illustrates the instability
of the individuals and of the entire male population.Any
type of class system that once existed among the working men in Sheffield
has been destroyed, yet it is their pride that stands in the way of progress.Dave,
Guz, Gerald, Horse, and Lomper exhibit insecurities that, more often than
not, are termed "feminine" by society.Dave
is self-conscious of his weight, Guz maintains a fear of rejection and
failing at fatherhood, Gerald is overly concerned with reputation and worries
about his unpredictable hard-on, Horse fights performance anxiety, and
Lomper is suicidal, unstable, and insecure of his sexuality.Incidentally,
Guy (whose name is ironic enough), is the only member of "Hot Metal" who
is comfortable with his homosexuality and displays confidence. Each
of the other men must overcome their fear of being naked in front of 400
women in order to gain the domestic and societal stability they once shared.
Dave's
obsession with weight and appearance, for example, is undoubtedly a female
gender stereotype that has developed through history. Girls
all over the country are resorting to insane methods of weight loss because
they are unsatisfied with their looks.Dave
even tries wrapping plastic wrap around his belly in a desperate attempt
to feel and look better.While Dave's
wife, Jean, refers to him as her "Big Man," Dave sees himself as nothing
other than a "fat bastard."His low
self-confidence stems from his feeling overweight.This
perception spills over into his marital relationship because he does not
find it possible that he might have sex appeal."We
weren't that bad (at stripping)," Dave explains, "only I couldn't, could
I?Look at me, who wants to see this
dance?"The movie highlights the
association with women and weight obsession when Gerald exclaims, "Fat
David, is a feminist issue."
Paradoxically,
while the men of "Hot Metal" display insecurities associated with women,
they adopt feminine-stereotyped activities in order to overcome their economic,
social, and personal weaknesses.In
order to perform a successful strip show in order to make money, the men
embrace music, dance, fitness, and coordination.Furthermore,
they go to extreme measures to increase their physical appearances, rejecting
the idea that men could care less about what they look like.These
measures include the use of tanning beds and anti-wrinkle cream."What
if they're as hard on us as we are on them," David asks while looking at
a photograph of a naked woman.The
movie forces males, for the first time, to occupy a new profession and
act as assured performers, while the females play the role of the uncouth
viewers.
"The
Full Monty" portrays a society that is not common, but also not totally
unrealistic.Although it is disguised
well, the underlying theme of the movie is feminist.Sheffield
clearly represents a community in which women have the upper hand.As
an audience, we are drawn to the male characters for their flaws.However,
these "flaws" are stereotypes generally affiliated with females.The
sense of inequality that prevails throughout the film is a direct result
of the men not being able to overcome their feminine securities because
of male gender stereotypes, such as pride.Only
when the men are able to freely and confidently move throughout a profession
normally connected to women (such as stripping), is equality achieved."The
Full Monty" creates a world in which both the audience and the characters
are forced to question the relevance and accuracy of gender stereotypes.