Be Ready, Be Trained, Be Boys: Film Analysis

It doesn’t matter if it’s 1948 or 2018, boys will be boys. Boys’ media is full of daring men to look up to as to what masculinity should be. Some of the most withstanding versions of these pillars of manliness were, and remain to be, soldiers, and superheroes. But how have portrayals of the men in popular culture changed? The message of the man’s man has become more violent. When it comes to soldiers, the common perspective is that the marines are the toughest, most macho there are, but how that is shown is drastically different between the 1950s and today. In a Marine recruiting ad from 1950, the majority of the footage was the men training, with only eleven seconds for the one minute and three second ad being from a combat zone (Audie Murphey
The motto at the end of the video even reads “Be Ready, Be Trained, Be a Marine!” (Audie Murphey American League). A recruiting commercial posted on the Marine Corps Recruiting YouTube page in early February of 2018 has a very different tone than the vintage ad. First, the entirety of the one minute nine second ad is set in a combat zone (Marine Corps Recruiting). Second, the music in the advertisement is something more akin to the soundtrack to an action film rather than the patriotic tune in the ad from 1950, making the ad feel like an action film in itself- especially coupled with the combat zone
Taking one character (Ghost Rider) as an example, the image of manliness has changed even if the actions have the same principle. When the character debuted as Rex Fury in 1950, he was a former U.S. Marshall who was trained by the ghosts of the wild west (Ayers), whereas in the most recent incarnation of Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes, debuting in 2014) he is a Hispanic teenager who gets possessed by the spirit of vengeance (Smith). The principal of both characters is to do good with fear on their side. Ghost Rider’s costume and ride have changed dramatically over the decades. Originally, Ghost Rider wore all white cowboy attire with the addition of a white full-face mask and a cape and rode a pure white steed (Ayers). In the 2014 series, Ghost Rider wears black and white leathers similar to what a race car driver might where, and his head becomes a flaming skull when he’s possessed (Smith, “Engines of Vengeance: Part 1”). The horse gets traded out for a sleek, black Dodge Charger (Smith, “Engines of Vengeance: Part 1”). However, Rex Fury has a much studier build than Robbie Reyes, despite the modern Ghost Rider’s look being more demonic. This suggests that the sensibilities of the 1950’s were more based in how physically intimidating you were than today (though the flaming skull is plenty intimidating). In the first issue of The Ghost Rider the most peril Rex Fury is shown to be in is on page 4