Last night I attended the event Night of Noise: Hip Hop Against Homophobia presented by the Boys & Girls Club and Harmony Cafe GLBT Services. The special guest for the event was Gunate (the spoken word artist whose work professor Matty presented on the second day of class). Last night Guante performed a spoken word piece entitled "Handshakes". Gunate begins by addressing the cultural association of one's handshake tied to one's masculinity. It is interesting to think about because this is one of few instances when one can assess another's masculinity through touch (fighting, hugs, pats on the back might be other examples, but how often do they actually occur/are seen as acceptable?). The characteristics Guante mentions are usually things we assess though senses other than touch, such as what we visually see as masculine, what words are used and how they express masculinity to a listener, and the smell of masculinity (axe cologne, woodsy, sweaty, etc.). This poem presents the idea of masculine strength as correlated with a physical reaction (purple fingers, weakness of hand being crushed). Through the physical interaction Guante is drawn to thoughts about his own masculinity in terms of what is hegemonically acceptable: drinking and enjoying beer, knowing a lot about cars, cooking the best steaks.

Then Guante addresses the claustrophobic nature of maintaining different forms of masculinity. He asks "Don't you feel tired of acting this way? Putting on this facade? Trying to make people see you a certain way that might not even express what you find valuable about you?" The idea of the panopticon comes to mind, that men are constantly being watched and have to reaffirm their acceptable masculinity daily, leading to self-surveillance. Guante then addresses masculine gentleness and how deprivation of gentleness by social expectations of masculinity can cause men to feel pressure to conform to ideals of hegemonic/culturally acceptable masculinities.

I find this poem very powerful, especially the end after the build up when Guante says "how incredible it can feel to let go". Letting go of the pressures of conforming to acceptable masculinities can result in more rewarding life experiences detached from worries about what others think.