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Sadie Burton

Dr. Finney

MCOM 101:01

1 November 2017

Jack Pearson and the Male Stereotype

The Mask You Live In is a documentary directed and produced by Jennifer Siebel

Newsom. This film is able to express a powerful message by combining personal stories

from boys and young men who have struggled with their self identity with information

and research from neurologists, psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, and experts in

sports, education, and media. This film proves just how destructive pressuring males to

be “manly” can be to themselves as well as the society. The Mask You Live In explains

the changes that society will need to make in order for boys and men to develop the

correct self-concepts and interpersonal relationships.

In contrast, the American television series This Is Us is an emotional drama that

follows the generational story of the Pearson family. This show defies many social

norms, including the culture’s impression that masculinity is a hardened, strong,

powerful, and controlling state of being.

From a very early age, boys are conditioned to believe that the only acceptable

emotion for them to have is anger. However, in This Is Us, Jack Pearson, the husband to

Rebecca and the father to triplets Kate, Kevin, and Randall, goes through many

moments in which he is emotional, and never apologizes for it. One example of this is

actually in the first episode of the series. When Rebecca is giving birth in the delivery

room, their third child, a boy, is stillborn. Jack goes into the waiting room and breaks
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down in tears. Later in that episode, they find out that an abandoned baby was brought

to the hospital and the couple makes the decision to adopt him and name him Randall.

Dr. William Pollock mentions within the first thirty minutes of the film, “The way

boys are brought up makes them hide all their natural, vulnerable, empathic feelings

behind a mask of masculinity. When they’re most in pain, they can’t reach out and ask

for help because they’re not allowed to.” He goes on to describe that hiding emotions

and repressing feelings can cause a person to feel helpless, and that they have a greater

chance of turning to alcohol and drugs, joining gangs, developing depression, and even

committing suicide in order to let down their walls. Later in the film, the benefits of

support groups and mentorship are discussed. In this environment, boys are given the

opportunity to create healthy friendships, receive support, and confide in each other.

They are able to be who they truly are and face their emotions in a healthy way without

the fear of criticism. The character Jack Pearson struggles with alcoholism and attends

AA meetings. He is able to accept that he is a flawed person though, and he eventually

starts to open up to other AA attendees. He shares with them that he sometimes has

trouble connecting with Rebecca. He goes on to say that before he met his wife, the only

way he knew to deal with his problems was to ignore them and keep them pent up

inside. He finishes by telling them that he knows that he will always rely on Rebecca,

though, because she lifts his spirits when he has bad days and she helps him be a better

person.

Many narratives are told in The Mask You Live In many young men about how

they were taught when they were very young about the importance of fitting in with

peers. One interviewee named Ian mentions feeling as though he needed to act a certain
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way in order to gain acceptance and make friends during his time at school. Jack

Pearson doesn’t seem to have to face this challenge in the TV show. He is a man that is

not afraid to be himself and knows the difference between right and wrong. In the first

season, he demonstrates his loyalty to his family by politely rejecting a secretary at his

work place when she comes onto him. He proves that a person can still be a man

without having to accept every sexual favor that is presented to them.

In a lot of television shows, men that play the role of a father are often comical

characters. Jack, however, has many ways in which he is different from other males on

TV. Whereas most people believe men to be fearful of committed relationships, Jack was

the first one in his relationship to think about marriage and start planning the next big

step for his future with Rebecca. Jack shows that he is a good father on several

occasions. He stays up all night in one episode sewing Madonna gloves for his daughter

Kate’s birthday party. There is another moment in which Jack realizes that even though

he is Randall’s dad, he should not be the only role model in his black son’s life, and

chooses to take Randall to an all-black karate class where he can learn how to face the

challenges that arise from being a man of color. Lastly, Jack is not afraid to show his

romantic side. The first time that he and Rebecca rented their apartment for a night, he

filled it with candles and champagne, and challenged them to always remember the love

that they have for eachother. Jack is very devoted to his family and always finds time

and energy to make them feel special, appreciated, and loved.

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Works Cited

Fogelman, Dan. This Is Us. NBC. 20 Sep. 2016. Television

Newsom, Jennifer Siebel, and Jessica Anthony. The Mask You Live In.