Masculinity in The Wire The representation of masculinity and its intersection with race

There are varied and diverse gender representations in TV today. Over the years as society’s attitude towards gender change, the representations of gender have evolved as well. The Wire is a quality TV show that is widely regarded as one of the most progressive shows that tackles the issues of race, criminality, and justice in America. The series is one of the most critically acclaimed shows that has been a popular subject of academic inquiry. Furthermore, The Wire provides fluid representations of gender in the series through its diverse and numerous characters. However, the series does not suppose fixed positions in terms of gender identity. The series rearticulates fluid identities through the deconstruction of widely employed stereotypes in films and television. Enabling a nuanced understanding of the social factors that affect everyday life. Masculinity by itself, however, has been subject to limited academic attention. Since, masculinity is often studied in comparison to femininity. Moreover, the African American and male dominated cast of the series makes The Wire and interesting case for the study concerning the representation of masculinity. Therefore, the research question answered in this study is, “How is masculinity represented in season 3 of The Wire?” In order to answer this question intersectionality is used as an analytical tool to study the representation of gender in its intersection with race. With the help of Goffman’s codes on gender display in congruence with a thematic analysis of the third season, this study illuminates the racial differences in the representation of masculinity in context to race. The analysis of the third season of The Wire, consisting of 12, hour long episodes revealed that African American male identity is expressed through physicality. Furthermore, a few of Goffman’s gender displays that are utilized to represent femininity are utilized in The Wire to represent masculinity without any insinuations of inferiority. Calling into question the relevance of those displays in a contemporary context. The Wire through its portrayals of masculinity abstains from reifying stereotypes that are widely employed in visual media by contextualizing these stereotypes in a social, economic, and political context. Furthermore, the series represents masculinity through a heteronormative lens.