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32 Baby Boy (2001)

Self-Destructive Masculinity in Baby Boy

By Anonymous

 

Gangster movies have always been one of my favorite film genres with their charismatic  and unapologetic characters that rise to the top with their own set of rules. Upon watching the  trailer, Baby Boy (2001) seems like another gangster movie that glorifies violence and  masculinity while using women as nothing more than sources of drama, sex, and comedy. The  charismatic main character Jody will prove himself as the man of his house and hood, and in the  words of the trailer, “change the game”. This serves as perfect bait for a movie that leaves quite  the opposite impression, one that makes audiences realize the self-destructive power of behaviors  typically glorified within these movies.

 

In reality, Baby Boy is a movie that explores typical notions of masculinity and the effects  it has on young men and women exploring adulthood, especially within the African-American  community. As its title suggests, the film portrays how typical “manly” characters can be no  different than children or ‘baby boys’, consistently dependent on the attention and care of others  and too proud to recognize their own shortcomings. Through this angle, Baby Boy is an effective  representation of difference, power, and oppression, especially through the use of literary design,  cinematography, and mise-en-scene.

 

Set in the violence-ridden area of south-central Los Angeles, Baby Boy fits in with the many films that director John Singleton uses to reflect on the city he grew up in and life in  African-American communities. John Singleton is known for his examination of urban racial  tensions and social issues through film, most notably through his Academy Award-winning film Boyz n The Hood (1991) (John Singleton). While Singleton’s movies often explore both racism  between groups and intra-community issues, Baby Boy is largely seen as a focus on the latter  with its story and use of an all-black cast. Well-renowned American film critic Roger Ebert  described Baby Boy as a bold criticism of young black men who live carelessly and the society  that pushes them into that niche, he further states, “Baby Boy doesn’t fall back on easy liberal  finger-pointing. There are no white people in this movie, no simplistic blaming of others; the  adults in Jody’s life blame him for his troubles, and they should” (Ebert). This leaves the film  with a unique perspective on adulthood and self-accountability.

 

Difference is most noticeably depicted in Baby Boy in how it portrays the maturity and  roles of men and women. Many of the women in the movie are treated as men’s property, especially through the main character, Jody, who sleeps with multiple women, leeches off his  mother and girlfriend, and battles for control over his mother with her boyfriend Melvin.  However, rather than portray these female characters as immature and dependent on men, like  many films before, Baby Boy portrays women as more mature and self-reliant than any male  character in the film. Yvette, Jody’s girlfriend, is the only one in their relationship with a job and  is the main caretaker of their son, often sacrificing her own desires to make ends meet. Juanita,  Jody’s mother, is very young herself but possesses a higher level of maturity and self-reliance,  offering advice to many characters throughout the film. In her book, Women and Film, Professor  of English and Cultural Analysis, E. Ann Kaplan, provides an interesting analysis of female  objectification in the movie Camille (1936) that can be compared to Baby Boy, stating:

The dominating power of the male gaze, while often, as in this case, adoring, carries with  it an economic and social superiority which results in a demanding authority over  women. Made to function as an erotic object, a woman must sacrifice her desire to that of  the male other, helping to preserve patriarchy by submitting herself to its Law. Both  economically and sexually vulnerable, women, as Camille proves, need the protection of  certain men against their vulnerability to other men. Any attempts at subjectivity must be  at the cost of fulfilling desire. (Kaplan 5).

As the main male character, Jody is a 20-year-old who refuses to grow up, leave the  house, find a job, and raise his children. He is often completely unable to take responsibility for  his actions due to his pride, even when confronted by Yvette for cheating on her, often playing  the victim when confronted. Subtle measures are taken to further shape Jody’s appearance as a  child throughout the movie, such as his use of a bicycle, or his playing with toy cars that are  showcased in his bedroom. Just like a child is defensive of their toys, Jody gets defensive  whenever the women in his life form connections with other men, as we see with Juantia and her  boyfriend Melvin.

 

Arguably, the only “grown-up” male character in the movie is Melvin, who  tries to extend respect toward Jody out of respect for his mother and showcases accountability.  One such example of this includes when he is confronted for tampering with Juanita’s garden,  and apologizes by simply stating “I’m sorry, I made a mistake, it won’t happen again”(01:36:00).  At the end of the movie, Jody becomes a “man” when he finally commits to caring for his family  and putting his false sense of pride aside. This portrayal of difference is a critique of men who  are unable to take on responsibilities and be accountable due to their sense of masculinity. It is also a critique of the expectation that women must mature faster and set aside personal desires to  raise a family while men can continue to explore. The men and women in this film go through  the same pressures but react differently based on social expectations placed on them. It’s only  when both sides can see and understand each other’s experiences, that they can move forward  together.

 

Juanita stands over her son Jody, lecturing him about relationship responsibilities (Screenshot)
Juanita stands over her son Jody, lecturing him about relationship responsibilities (Screenshot)

 

Power and powerlessness are central ideas explored through the lens of masculinity  within Baby Boy. Film scholars Harry Benshoff and Sean Griffin briefly dive into the pressures  of masculine ideals in their book America on Film stating:

Some men become so conditioned by those ideals that they are unable to form intimate  relationships. Other men ignore signs of illness and suffer silently, leading to increased  mortality rates for men over women. Some men feel tremendous pressure to be “good  providers” for wives and families, and they may develop serious doubts about their  self-worth if they are not as wealthy or famous as the next man (Benshoff 260).

Jody and his friend Sweetpea showcase many experiences of self-doubt and powerlessness due  to their ideas of masculinity. Throughout the film, Jody shows clear interest and hopes of being a  good provider for his children in the way he interacts with his son and daughter, so why is it that  he avoids these responsibilities? Early in the movie, we see him have a nightmare of getting  killed in the streets, envisioning his mother, girlfriend, and children crying at his funeral. Jody is scared of becoming a man and what his family could go through if he fails his responsibilities as  one, so he remains in his child-like state where he feels a sense of power and control. The  cinematography and mise-en-scene constantly showcase how his power is constrained to that of  a child, for example, picturing him among children when he is forced to ride his bike or when he  displays his “manhood” by beating up teenagers who robbed him. In the adult world, Jody is  often shot from a high angle, showing his lack of power like a cornered animal.

 

Jody biking amongst children after Yvette takes her car away from him (Screenshot)
Jody biking amongst children after Yvette takes her car away from him (Screenshot)

 

Sweetpea, a much more masculine character in terms of a hardened demeanor, showcases  similar issues throughout the movie. As a man who has no immediate family, he has a hard time  expressing his intimate feelings toward his girlfriend Kim and her mother who he considers his  new family, coming off as aggressive and insincere. In a scene shortly after, Sweetpea opens up  to Jody, expressing his discontent with being unemployed stating:

“Sneaking around Kim and her momma like I’m a child. Like I’m a scared little boy. I  have to ask my woman and her momma for money. How do you think that makes me  feel? Think I feel like a man? This shit is tearing me up, cuz. It’s eating me alive. I don’t  want to end up killing nobody.” (00:51:30).

Both Jody and Sweetpea are struggling to find self-worth in their own ideals of masculinity and  both fear the expectations for men in the violence-filled streets of South Central Los Angeles  where many black men revert to crime and gang affiliation. We see their fears come true after  they kill Rodney, a man who tried to rape Yvette, leading to Jody’s mental breakdown at the end  of the movie. This experience leads to the most growth within Jody, his vulnerability allows him  to interact with Melvin who empowers Jody to take responsibility and address his own complex  emotions, leading him on a path to true power through responsibility and emotional growth.

 

Baby Boy depicts multiple forms of oppression both directly and indirectly, such as  socioeconomic, racial, gender, and psychological oppression. The setting of South Central Los Angeles is portrayed as a place where Black people face social and economic challenges.  Limited economic opportunities for young Black men are showcased through Jody and several  other men trying to sell items on the street, unable to secure legitimate jobs. Indirect references  to racial stereotypes are shown through Jody, Melvin, Sweetpea, and Rodney whose masculinity  revolves around being tough or criminalized in the violence and gang-ridden area. The lack of  positive male role models showcases oppression through family dynamics as young men struggle  to define themselves in the adult world, a problem that has turned into a common stereotype for  African Americans. Gendered oppression is displayed in how women are expected to be  self-sufficient and endure emotional neglect in family life while men are given room to act  irresponsibly. Lastly, Jody’s internalized psychological oppression accelerates these problems as  his avoidance of responsibility prevents him from breaking free from the cycle. The split  between his lack of self-worth and immature pride showcases how his environment has stunted  his emotional development.

 

I chose Baby Boy because I believe it displays a lot of important issues that young men  and women face today with expectations and responsibilities. I once relied on the same childish behavior that Jody does to solve his problems within the movie, leading to an inability to be  responsible and accountable for my actions. As a way to compensate, I shifted to the typical stoic  and aggressive form of masculinity, which led to other problems such as emotional detachment  and trouble forming intimate relationships. I have matured beyond that point in my life, but I see  my friends going through the same experiences I once did, and I can’t help but feel concerned.  Although my experiences are not as extreme as those displayed in Baby Boy, I relate to the film  in a way.

 

The 2001 film Baby Boy is a fascinating piece of work that uses literary design,  cinematography, and mise-en-scene to challenge the audiences’ perception of what constitutes  masculinity and how society creates these perceptions. Our desires for power, wealth, and fame  often lead us to believe that aggression, risk-taking, and pride are the correct ways to obtain it.  However, these behaviors can be nothing more than childish tantrums, irresponsibility, and  self-absorption. Unstable environments can lead young men to lack the emotional development  to identify this problem, making them unable to fully function as productive members of society.  These behaviors continue to cycle and perpetuate structures of patriarchy and racism across  households and communities. Baby Boy can be seen as all the more relevant by many in today’s  society, making it a highly recommended watch.

 

References

Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and  Sexuality at the Movies, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2009.

 

“John Singleton.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 25 Oct. 2024,  www.britannica.com/biography/John-Singleton.

 

Kaplan, E. Ann. Women and Film, Taylor & Francis Group, 1990. ProQuest Ebook Central,  https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/linnbenton-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3060342

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Difference, Power, and Discrimination in Film and Media: Student Essays Copyright © by Students at Linn-Benton Community College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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