Signs of Masculinity

When looking at these pictures a lot of ideas come to mind. The symbolism are the ideas that jump out at me first. In the first picture, the burning torch reminds of ancient Greece, the gods, perfectly chiseled torsos, the Olympics, perspiration, and the drive to win. I think of men the typical, "man power," when I see the burning torch. In the picture, the arm that is reaching out, holding the torch in the air seems to be a man's arm. I can't tell what this first image is trying to communicate. Is it an ad? Is it a political statement, or just a work of art? Joy and military strategy. I can't seem to really make a connection. When I think of military strategy, images jump into my head of Douglas MacArthur, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, images of masculinity at work if I may say so. In my mind, the military, and military service directly relate to masculine norms of learning about growing up and protecting the homeland. I can't really see how this is a challenge to the male norms. If this art was geared to a more female audience I could see how a lack of interest and questioning about why this art/ad, was projected onto a female audience. The art itself seems to be not of this generation, because of the kind of text used in the picture, the photographs used, and the overall mood that they set. The second picture confuses me even more than the first one did, in that I can't make sense of what the text is trying to say, and how it is trying to say it. I don't understand their direct connection to masculinity and femininity. Maybe this is because I am somewhat out of the loop, however I showed these images to a few friends, and they didn't seem able to make any real connections either. The discourse of science and history, our two most essential discourses have always been bound up with masculinity, because around the world, the power of business, hence economic, social, and political power also lies with men. This has been true throughout history, continuing on through industrialization and beyond. Maybe woman really do have more raw power than I think. I don't really understand the political influence that woman have. I would like to research this more. The signs of masculinity are all around us, and I know that I am likely so involved in being a guy, that I certainly don't, and can't identify these signs as they are. I think that in the future there will be more of a balance of power, as woman continue to succeed in school, and new places of work, in business, and in science. History will begin to be redefined.