Toxic (and Healthy) Masculinity in 'The Long Walk'

"Masculinity is a debated psychological topic. Many have argued that "traditional" masculinity encompasses qualities that can be construed as negative, such as avoidance of "feminine" behavior, displays of dominance and aggression, and excessive, dangerous risk-taking (for more, see the Traditional Masculinity Ideology theory of David Brannon or the Male Role Norms Inventory-Short Form from Boston University). Perhaps the best way to understand masculinity is to grasp how it comes in different flavors."

"In the latest Stephen King horror film, The Long Walk, audiences are treated to a brutal one-and-a-half hours of witnessing a group of young men walk for their lives. The rules are simple. Keep walking at a speed of three miles per hour. Stop, and you get a warning. Three warnings, and you die. Written as a novel back when King was 18, and originally published in 1979, the movie The Long Walk took a long time to get made."

The Long Walk depicts young men forced to walk under lethal rules requiring a constant three-mile-per-hour pace, with stoppage triggering warnings and eventual death. The story originated as a novel written when King was 18 and was later adapted into a powerful, intense horror film. The depiction contrasts models of masculinity, ranging from caring protectiveness to dominance, violence, and retrograde attitudes toward women. Traditional masculinity often involves avoidance of "feminine" behavior, dominance, aggression, and dangerous risk-taking. Cinematic representations often equate masculinity with strength and combat readiness, but alternative portrayals show sensitive, nurturing men. The narrative shows toxic masculinity harming both those who perform it and those around them, while support and compassion offer better survival prospects than aggression.

Read at Psychology Today