Brent Staples Jenson Intellectual Fad Summary

Jensen views that the commonly held ideas for masculinity not only effect men as humans but also affect women. When being courageous, strong and independent are viewed as masculine traits then how does a women display those traits as a human being as well.

Jenson uses compare and contrast in her essay she she describes what occurred on 9/11. She says how news reporters described the seen, saying that fireman raced into a burning building, risking and sometimes sacrificing their life to save others. She compares how woman also do the same strength, of caring and sacrifice. But when men do it, its manly. She questions why those characteristics can’t just be considered human characteristics.

Yes, I think Jenson supported his claim that not all men conceive masculinity in terms of competition and aggression. This is true because men use leadership and teamwork to take on dominant roles within the U.S.

By "intellectual fad” Jenson refers to the way the population way of thinking has been shaped to think. The idea that men should be manly and in control has been drilled into everyones head but in the end its blamed on biology even though woman are equally capable. The input on “intellectual fad” gives Jenson credibility in his essay.

Jenson’s being how men are perceived masculine and Staples piece being black men are dangerous. Black men views have been shaped by society because whenever an African American does something they over expose it on news outlets, and when that same thing is done by a white person its hidden in the shadows in a way little to no one finds out. In Jensen's analysis he doesn’t describe a certain race in which a man must be a man so therefore the reader makes an assumption that Jensen is referring to all