1 STORY 1~ Toxic Male Stereotypes
INTRO
Gender stereotypes are very common and are widely accepted in many countries, but in great degree, Gender stereotypes can be very harmful to one's mental health and should be frowned upon in our society.
The stereotypical image of masculine behavior and the detrimental effect it has been proven to take on a man's health is enough to raise our fist once again in equality and together spread awareness concerning this issue and many other toxic stereotypes existing in the world today.
This is the story of four men who face these challenges in different forms.
Episode 1
Tyler Best is a 10yr old boy who lives with his parents and siblings in 'Dellwood city', his dad 'Jeffery Best' works as a construction worker while 'Caroline' (Tyler's mother) is a stay at home mom.
Tyler is the oldest son of the Best family,he has a twin sister 'Theresa', a younger sister 'Maya', who's 6yrs old and the new born baby brother 'Charlie' who's just 9 months old.
It's Saturday morning, Jeffery dresses up for work in the Master's bedroom, while Caroline makes breakfast in the Kitchen. Theresa watches tv while Tyler sits by himself focused on what he was watching on his tablet. Suddenly a glass is heard shattering from a room upstairs,the shattered noise is followed by Charlie's crying..Caroline and the kids startled by the noise runs upstairs to see what had happened.
IN MAYA'S ROOM
Maya had just woken up and was about to run to the living room when she accidentally hits the cupboard which resulted to the glass jar on it falling and shattering on the floor which scared Baby Charlie awake. Getting there Caroline picks up Baby Charlie from his crib and rocks him gently in her arms to calm his down.
JEFFREY: How did this happen?
MAYA: I hit the cupboard by accident (She said holding her arm)
TYLER: You didn't hurt yourself did you?
MAYA: No, I'm fine.
JEFFREY: Maya you have to be more careful
THERESA: Yeah you can't keep running around all the time
CAROLINE: Alright that's enough,.Theresa clean this up, I need to feed your brother.
Minutes later Tyler and Maya go to the living room, Tyler picks his Tablet back up to go on watching Ballet dancers perform.
Tyler's interest in Ballet dancing began about a year ago when Maya just began taking Ballet lessons, everytime he went with his Mom to pick up Maya, he'd be captivated by the Ballet performances given by the Teachers.
MAYA: You really like watching ballet don't you?....hey!, why don't you..
TYLER: shhhh (Pauses the video) Keep your voice down or dad's gonna hear you, you know how he is being interested in girly stuff
MAYA: But it isn't a girly stuff, Boys dance ballet too
TYLER: Yeah I know but..
MAYA: maybe try telling Dad first.
TYLER: hmmm
MAYA: think about it.
TYLER: I'm so hungry I can't think of anything right now
Tyler hands Maya the Tables while he ran to the Kitchen where his mom (with baby Charlie in her arms) was frying some pancakes)
CAROLINE: What is it honey?
TYLER: Nothing....I know what's in this (points at the pancakes)
CAROLINE: oh really...tell me
TYLER: Well its flour,sugar,some baking powder and...some other things I can't remember right now (he said with a smile)
'Caroline struggles holding baby Charlie and cooking at the same time'
TYLER: Mom why don't you go take care of my brother while i finish up for you?
CAROLINE: (Chuckles) no my boy, a man's place is not in the kitchen, instead call me Theresa would you?
TYLER: Theresa is probably still cleaning up the glass shards, I don't get why i can't help you cook, it's always Theresa
JEFFREY: (walks in) Its always Theresa because she's a girl, when shes all grown up she'll have a family of her own,and so will you, but your Job would be to provide not to cook.
'Jeffrey and Caroline are parents with strong stereotyped beliefs like many parents in the world today.
Breakfast is served by Caroline with the help of Theresa, the whole family sits to eat on the dinning table while Charlie Sits on the floor playing with some toys. Jeffrey swallows the bits of food in his mouth before speaking.
JEFFREY: So, what have you kids been up to?
THERESA: ...Well I just became the captain of the school's junior musical drama club.
JEFFREY: That's great sweety, I'm so proud of you.
THERESA: Thanks dad.
JEFFREY: And what about you my boy?
TYLER: Nothing much...just soccer practice.
JEFFREY: I hear your coach is gonna be picking teams soon for the big game
CAROLINE: oooo, Tyler you think you'll make the team? (She asked excitedly)
TYLER: (Shrugs) I dunno
JEFFREY: ....heh You don't even seem like you care tho, Tyler if you don't like soccer, you're free to choose something else
MAYA: (nudges Tyler)
TYLER: ummm well...
JEFFREY: well?
TYLER: There is something
'At that Moment a call comes in for Jeffrey and it's work.'
JEFFERY: I'm sorry my boy, but this conversation will have to hold until I get back, Im late.
'Jeffrey quickly finishes up his food,grabs his coat and kisses his wife and daughters goodbye.
NORA: Daaad you didn't ask me what I've been up to
THERESA: (Swallows) why should he?, Everyone knows you dance Ballet
NORA: Everyone knows Tyler plays soccer too,but dad still asked him and not me, IT'S NOT FAIR! (she whined)
JEFFREY: (Sighs) okay honey, what have you been up to?
NORA: I've been.... Dancing
THERESA: Dancing what?
NORA: Mooom!, Theresa is teasing me again!
Nora said and the who family tried to contort their laughter
TYLER: No but Nora actually dances very well, maybe when you're older you could play the lead role in swan lake or something.
NORA: Yay!, motivation!..see, that's why Tyler is the best big brother in the world (she exclaimed joyfully)
JEFFREY: Okay now I'm really late (he said checking the time on his watch) I have to go now.
TYLER: um Dad, could you please pick me up from soccer practice today?
JEFFREY: What time?
TYLER: Around 4pm
JEFFREY: I'll try, but don't get your hopes up kiddo okay?
Tyler: Okay
'Hours passed and its 2pm,Caroline takes the kids out to their various practices.
Tyler arrives at him school for soccer practice, the teams aren't all here yet so Tyler and his friends ( Benjamin and Carlos) talk ehile they wait.
BENJAMIN: I'm really nervous guys, today coach is going to pick out the players for the game next week
CARLOS: So?..why are you nervous?
TYLER: Yeah,If anyone should be nervous it should be me, Coach is also taking some players off the team.
CARLOS: Yeah and you're probably gonna get kicked out.
BENJAMIN: Carlos!
CARLOS: what?
TYLER: No it's fine, I know how terrible I am in soccer and to be honest,I don't mind,I hate soccer.
CARLOS: Have you thought of trying something else... baseball maybe?
TYLER: Nah
BENJAMIN: Well just remember to get into a aport you actually like next time
TYLER: (chuckles) noted.
BENJAMIN: (groans) What's taking everyone so long?, Doesn't punctuality exist anymore?!
TYLER: Hey, you guys wanna watch cartoons while we wait?
CARLOS: (Excited) You brought your tablet?
TYLER: uh uh ( he said with a smirk)
BENJAMIN: Come on guys, Coach siad no electronics allowed at practice.
CARLOS: pff!, Come on, loosen up a bit Benny.
TYLER: (Whispers) Let's go watch by that corner over there,come on
Carlos and Tyler runs off to a corner by the field, Benjamin follows shortly a bit hesitant. the boys all sit on the ground, Tyler brings out his tablet and unlocks it...Ballet videos pop up.
BENJAMIN: I thought you said no one uses your tablet but you.
TYLER: yeah. (He slides over the video)
BENJAMIN: Then why did Maya keep her dance videos here?
TYLER: No, I was the one watching that
BENJAMIN: oh.... that's not something you see everyday
CARLOS: (scoffs) isn't that gay?
TYLER: Just because I like ballet doesn't make me gay,come on.. it's art
BENJAMIN: art?... It's just people dancing
TYLER: No but it's so much more than that,Most Ballet performance tells a beautiful story, something almost like Opera, but without the singing.
BENJAMIN: oh,that sounds...artistic? (He shrugs)
TYLER: Yeah and it's amazing
BENJAMIN: How come you never talked about this before?
TYLER: Well I guess it's just..
CARLOS: (Cuts him off) Can we just watch some Cartoons already?,we don't have much time.
TYLER: Fine, fine.
Together the friends watch 'Super Sam' a cartoon about a Superhero.
Next: Episode 2~ Broken Dreams
