I think men are accepted as individuals, as human beings first and foremost and men second, and thus male characters can be anything they want to be.
This really sums things up as I've seen them explained, and as I've perceived them. An able bodied/minded straight white man isn't seen as any of those things, not in life and not in fiction. He's seen as person and a character, and people and characters can, as you said, be anything. Anyone falling outside that often becomes something "else": a Gay Politician, a Black Surgeon, a Woman Cop, as opposed to just a politician, surgeon, or cop. In books, t.v., whatever, they end up being seen as Female Characters, Gay Characters, Black Characters, *insert relevant aggrieved group here* Characters. And that puts a lot of pressure on those people and character to be Right, instead of just human.
no subject
This really sums things up as I've seen them explained, and as I've perceived them. An able bodied/minded straight white man isn't seen as any of those things, not in life and not in fiction. He's seen as person and a character, and people and characters can, as you said, be anything. Anyone falling outside that often becomes something "else": a Gay Politician, a Black Surgeon, a Woman Cop, as opposed to just a politician, surgeon, or cop. In books, t.v., whatever, they end up being seen as Female Characters, Gay Characters, Black Characters, *insert relevant aggrieved group here* Characters. And that puts a lot of pressure on those people and character to be Right, instead of just human.
And I'm not really sure how to fix that.