'Mansome', a 2012 documentary directed by Morgan Spurlock (of 'Supersize Me' fame), seeks to answer the following questions about manliness in today's society: Have commonly accepted ideas of "men" changed with the advent of "manscaping", grooming, and the more commonly accepted "metrosexual" look? The documentary is advertised as having an all-star cast of Judd Apatow-esque "crude comedy" actors (Zach Galifianakis, Paul Rudd, Jason Bateman, etc) answering questions in "candid interviews" about their own personal struggle with being comfortable in their "gender role". In actuality, these actors answer questions briefly, and are truly only there for comic relief and to transition the documentary into the next subject. They are rarely seen. (I believe Zach Galifianakis is only in the film for a short one minute clip or so.) Actually, I was a little nonplussed in the way the movie was advertised. It's as if these "stoner comedy" characters were the epitome of manliness. (It almost made my heart break for the future of humanity.)
Mansome originally caught my eye on my Netflix account because I teach a unit in my 12th grade curriculum on Media and Gender Portrayal. We talk quite a bit about (and try to come to some conclusion or consensus of) what it means to be a man in today's society and how the media panders to, or cultivates our understanding of "manliness" and gender roles. In the past, I've shown various parts of documentaries, and I think that with the changing view towards masculinity in our society, I would like to add various clips of different types of portrayals of men.
The documentary unfolds in distinct sections, starting with a discussion about Morgan Spurlock's mustache. Spurlock talks about how his mustache has become a part of his identity, and struggles with shaving it off. The purpose of shaving it off is slightly unclear, except that he needs a "change", as he's had the 'stache for most of his life. He finally shaves it off, has an identity crisis, his daughter cries at the sight of his face, and he decides that he made a huge mistake by shaving. Although, as a woman, I don't understand the emotional connection to a mustache or facial hair, I can understand how hair (for me, my long blonde hair that I cut short once, and felt like a completely different person) can sometimes define you and become a part of your identity. A perfect example is a friend of mine, who whenever anyone asks about him, the first comment from his circle of friends is, "He just has a really solidly grown beard!" The entire segment did feel a little contrived, however, as if the purpose of the documentary from the first 20 mins was to explain that to men, appearance is everything. I don't find this to be true or even a compelling message to analyze and deconstruct as a statement on masculinity.
This segment is shortly followed by a bearded wonder, a gentleman who considers himself a "beardsman" and competes in "beard competitions" internationally. At this point, although a hilarious segment, I couldn't possibly believe what I was watching. The entire rest of the movie seems to go for the "humor" aspect, completely disregarding the essential question that the film presented from the first segment. Other ideas presented in the film review body products, hair products, the male physique, and hair loss.
The audience has limited interaction with Morgan Spurlock (except for his mustache-shaving incident of 2012 as the first scene). This is a far cry from Spurlock's previous endeavors in documentary film making, where he's been actively involved in narrating and crafting a plot, focus, and call to action in his films. Actually, you wouldn't even know that Morgan Spurlock was the director if you didn't see his name in the opening credits. The documentary pulls from so many interview sources (some famous people, some people we don't know or care about) and uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos ("credible sources", like Zach Galifianakis, who makes a point to reference his qualifications to discuss beards because of his solid beard) and pathos (an emotional appeal, like where some women talk about kissing a gentleman with a beard), but uses very little, if any at all, logical statements or statistics.
The film itself is very minimalistic. Interviews were conducted in front of a gray colored wall, and these interviews are used for transition pieces to each segment of the film. The rest of the film is primarily filmed on location, and is an expository documentary film.
My ultimate review is that while this film is pretty entertaining and amusing from an over- the-top character perspective, the message of masculinity seems a little one-dimensional and falls flat. I would not actually take this film as anything more than riding on the coat tails of current trends in society. If you're looking for something funny, you will probably enjoy this film. If you're looking for something that actually attacks the questions I listed above, this will not do it for you.
Mansome originally caught my eye on my Netflix account because I teach a unit in my 12th grade curriculum on Media and Gender Portrayal. We talk quite a bit about (and try to come to some conclusion or consensus of) what it means to be a man in today's society and how the media panders to, or cultivates our understanding of "manliness" and gender roles. In the past, I've shown various parts of documentaries, and I think that with the changing view towards masculinity in our society, I would like to add various clips of different types of portrayals of men.
The documentary unfolds in distinct sections, starting with a discussion about Morgan Spurlock's mustache. Spurlock talks about how his mustache has become a part of his identity, and struggles with shaving it off. The purpose of shaving it off is slightly unclear, except that he needs a "change", as he's had the 'stache for most of his life. He finally shaves it off, has an identity crisis, his daughter cries at the sight of his face, and he decides that he made a huge mistake by shaving. Although, as a woman, I don't understand the emotional connection to a mustache or facial hair, I can understand how hair (for me, my long blonde hair that I cut short once, and felt like a completely different person) can sometimes define you and become a part of your identity. A perfect example is a friend of mine, who whenever anyone asks about him, the first comment from his circle of friends is, "He just has a really solidly grown beard!" The entire segment did feel a little contrived, however, as if the purpose of the documentary from the first 20 mins was to explain that to men, appearance is everything. I don't find this to be true or even a compelling message to analyze and deconstruct as a statement on masculinity.
This segment is shortly followed by a bearded wonder, a gentleman who considers himself a "beardsman" and competes in "beard competitions" internationally. At this point, although a hilarious segment, I couldn't possibly believe what I was watching. The entire rest of the movie seems to go for the "humor" aspect, completely disregarding the essential question that the film presented from the first segment. Other ideas presented in the film review body products, hair products, the male physique, and hair loss.
The audience has limited interaction with Morgan Spurlock (except for his mustache-shaving incident of 2012 as the first scene). This is a far cry from Spurlock's previous endeavors in documentary film making, where he's been actively involved in narrating and crafting a plot, focus, and call to action in his films. Actually, you wouldn't even know that Morgan Spurlock was the director if you didn't see his name in the opening credits. The documentary pulls from so many interview sources (some famous people, some people we don't know or care about) and uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos ("credible sources", like Zach Galifianakis, who makes a point to reference his qualifications to discuss beards because of his solid beard) and pathos (an emotional appeal, like where some women talk about kissing a gentleman with a beard), but uses very little, if any at all, logical statements or statistics.
The film itself is very minimalistic. Interviews were conducted in front of a gray colored wall, and these interviews are used for transition pieces to each segment of the film. The rest of the film is primarily filmed on location, and is an expository documentary film.
My ultimate review is that while this film is pretty entertaining and amusing from an over- the-top character perspective, the message of masculinity seems a little one-dimensional and falls flat. I would not actually take this film as anything more than riding on the coat tails of current trends in society. If you're looking for something funny, you will probably enjoy this film. If you're looking for something that actually attacks the questions I listed above, this will not do it for you.