Does bro code create sexist behavior in men?

Emanuel Espinoza, Staff Writer

Sexism, misogyny and masculinity, these are some key elements that define what some people refer to as “The Bro Code.”

“The Bro Code” was a film shown at Cosumnes River College on Oct. 21, and was presented by CRC music professor Steven Coughran, who is also the campus sustainability chair of the Social Responsibility Committee. The film is part of the SRC’s Fall 2014 series “Let’s Eradicate Hate.”

The film talked about how contemporary culture creates sexist men, how womanizing is about power and privilege, and a sense of entitlement, and how women are taught to be submissive and men are taught to be in control in some situations.

Coughran said that from watching this film, people can learn to understand that they have behavioral choices, and that they don’t have to behave in ways that are modeled for them in the media.

“Our actions have consequences and if we think about that and have a look at these images and our behaviors, we might realize that they do more damage than we realize,” Coughran said.

The documentary had chapters on different forms of masculinity and misogyny. One chapter talked about rape culture and the jokes related to it. It also touched on how a man is stigmatized for doing anything considered remotely female.

Jamie Rivera, a 37-year-old nursing major, said that the film taught her to reassess her attitude and decide if there are any ways to speak up and be a force for change.

“I felt like some of the things we saw I recognized that were sexist and just looking at my own behaviors, I realized that there were a lot of things that I played into it by specifically talking about jokes, I found myself wanting to laugh a few times,” Rivera said. “Now just looking back, I realize that maybe that wasn’t the right thing to do.”

MTV was touched on in the film, particularly talking about “The Jersey Shore,” and how the men on that show make it a goal to sleep with many women, as if men are competing with each other for a person of the opposite sex, and how women are never equal to men.

Kids are copying what they see on TV with all these values that are being presented to them in these shows.

TJ Kim, a 19-year-old emergency technology major, said that the film taught him to put himself in a woman’s shoes and really see how differently they’re treated compared to men.

The film touched on how pornography can negatively affect relationships, like how a guy can habitually consume porn and the problems within the relationship arise.

Sarah Ahmad, an 18-year-old biology major, said that the film taught her how there are many groups of guys in one or two categories when they are not all the same, and it showed the bad aspects in guys, not the good in them.

“There are many bad people in this world who do stupid things to women, but not all of them are like that,” Ahmad said. “It [the film] did try to warn women in the room that it could happen to them, and it was a nice gesture.”