The Adonis Complex

Alex Karev - Grey's Anatomy

Mike Delfino - Desperate Housewives

Sawyer - Lost

Mark Sloan - Grey's Anatomy

King Henry VIII - The Tudors

All of these men I listed share the quality of being the manly man in their life situation. One prominent stereotype about men is that they feel the need to be the man in their household and are often without feelings. Alex Karev embodies this perfectly. He is the stereotypical male jerk that treats everybody terribly. When he finally does allow someone into his life, she leaves him and his heart seems to be more hardened than ever.

Mark Sloan is the playboy stereotype. He is similar to Karev, except that he can pretend to feel something to sleep with a girl. Characters like him perpetuate the stereotype that men are not capable of monogamy and that women shouldn't expect that of them either. Because Sloan is good looking, he can have any woman he wants. This would not be true of someone less attractive.

Mike Delfino fits the stereotype of being employed in a line of work that is strictly for men. He is a plumber. When he first moved into the neighborhood, all of the women would fake plumbing emergencies, just so he could come over and the women would have the chance to flirt with him. It is the classic "damsel in distress" scenario, that still plays out today. All of these women were capable of fixing their plumbing issues, or could have called a female plumber, but the show chose to go and further the stereotype that manual labor is a man's job.

Sawyer is similar to Karev in the sense that he is emotionally closed off. He is a smooth talker, but ultimately is a rugged loaner. He implies that men don't need anyone but themselves to survive and definitely don't need companionship. He acts on his instincts instead of thinking things through and this is also something men are known for. Like the old example of men never asking for directions.

King Henry VIII in "The Tudors" embodies every stereotype possible. He is cruel to women and treats them as his playthings. His decisions are the only ones that count because he is the ruler, but more importantly a man. His servants do everything to keep him happy and this includes getting him whatever he wants at his beck and call. He shows that men are dominant and their opinion is the only one that matters.

All of these characters have overlapping traits of male stereotypes and not being a male, it influences how I think about men. I have met some men in real life that do not fit the mold, but this is what I am taught to think. There are good men out there, we just focus on what is put before us and assume that is the norm.