The Curse of Masculinity thoroughly explores the shifting identity of masculinity and how Disney's Beauty and the Beast embodies this transition of the strong man of the 80s to the family oriented man of the 90s. Jefford analyzes how the beast is first is characterized as "hard-edged" but then, with the power of a nurturing female to spark change, can be transformed into a being that is kind and considerate. He then makes an incredibly interesting point that as males try and live up to outdated norms of manhood, they receive backlash -- almost as if masculinity in itself is its "own evil curse." This argument then leads to the overall conclusion that neither males or females can be free of the confounds of gender roles until the "curse" of masculinity is revoked from a man's social pressures.
Jefford's thinking, in my opinion, was incredibly insightful and I both enjoyed and agreed with most of his piece. However, when it comes to the formatting of his paper, I think he fell short. This may be because I am mostly interested in the topic of Disney, but I found the introduction to discussion on Beast and the Beast far too lengthy, confusing, and disorganized. It seemed as if he was trying to do too many things at once, and it lead him to link claims that were vague or had little substance. I didn't start truly getting wrapped up and focused in on his argument until Beauty and the Beast was introduced into the writing.
I also struggled to find a thesis and identify where the introduction ended and where the heart of his argument began. Because there was no clear thesis, I also found no roadmap for his piece and no hint of a "so what". His work introduced some very compelling points, however were not given any significance beyond the world of academia and into real life. There was no call to action or hint at how the messages in these movies have extended to effect men in real life.
I think Jefford lost sight of the principal idea that writing is a conversation.
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