Masculinity on Die Hard's message for the ages

The type of masculinity Bruce Willis displaces in the Die Hard movies is by no means new or innovative, but is still entertaining. In the Die Hard last movie Bruce kinda turns the reigns over to the iconic new hero, the technology geek with an attitude, so prevalent in media now is a norm.

The same form of masculinity is present in allot of other movies that also had the same impact if not more on the viewers,with most movies that is directed to man as the primary viewers the level of violence is a direct correlation to the value of the movie. The Terminator series with Arnold Schwarzenegger for instance is a prime example of the more violent the film the more successful the movie. Therefore in the Arnold S. Terminator movies the masculinity factor is greatly exaggerated due to the fact of the kind of actor Arnold was and that his character was a un-killable cyborg. During the Terminator movies the viewers would see feats of super human strength, endurance and intellect all while in the body of a good looking, muscular, no non sence movie super star.
The Terminator is such a hardcore killer the heroes in the stories have to adapt and compensate to survive the random attacks and this is the message the public sees and influences them. It's not so much as if there's a killer robot chasing you you have to do what you need to do to survive, but more along the lines that the ends could justify the means. In One conversation Reese has with Sarah Connor in the first Terminator movie is when he say's " There's no reasoning with it, no Talking to it, and no pleading with it. It will come for her no matter what you do, no matter what happens, it will keep coming as long as it can still move, it will hunt her down and cut her f***ing head off because it has too". When the people seeing this and similar conversations learn to disconnect them selves with the Terminator character that just happens to receive increasingly destructive and vicious violence between the two sides right after this rant is viewed.

I don't believe it's a coincidence, after a few comments meaning to detach your self from the characters because you know they are very quick to die or be mortally injured the anti of violence is raised to the main characters in the story. Its like the reigns of violence against women, men and children is now going to be excused because the unfeeling killing machine (the ultimate sign of true masculinity) is on the loose.
Terminator in the Police station

Other movies follow the same kind of releasing the heroes from moral restraint's by disconnecting the viewers with the characters. Such movies as the Rambo series with the Vietnam torturing and killing american soldiers for seemingly no reason at all. The Rocky series (excluded the first Rocky movie) did the same thing with main villian in the respective movies by Appolo wanting to humiliate and berate Rocky or Ivan Draggov beating and killing Rocky's best friend to death in an exhibition boxing match.
Rambo,going crazy. Viewer beware
Rocky losing it after Apollo dies

So when Rocky or Rambo went on the quest to obtain true masculinity again the fans cheer and support him no matter the means. Really this setup is not new to Hollywood and will probably continue on forever in action and adventure films. Case and point is the Fast and Furious films were supposed to be about fast cars, fast women, and fast money but really what you see if more than just the fast track to life but illegal stockpile of increasing broken laws.

The next time your watching one of these movies, don't judge it for what it isn't or what it is. Look at the film for what the entertainment value is and what it could have to offer and try to remember that the ends don't justify the means.