Gender socialization

Hi everyone.  About 3 weeks ago, my class and I learned about socialization, especially gender socialization.  We watched 2 videos dealing with gender socialization, the first one dealing with boys and the second for girls.  The first video is called "A Call to Men" by Tony Porter.  In the video, he said that growing up as a boy he had to be tough, strong, courageous, and show no emotions.  This example was not just for him, but boys in general.  He described what the socialization of man is which he also called the "Man Box".  Inside the "Man Box" was a list of what men should and/or should not do with examples such as:
 1. don't cry or openly express emotions, 2. do not be "like a woman", 3. protector, and 4. view women as property/objects.  He talked about his kids named Kendall and Jadyn.  When his daughter would cry he would comfort his daughter and tell her everything would be alright.  But, if his son would cry or be emotional, he would tell his son not to cry and to go to his room until he calmed down.  He also talked about his brother who died when he was a teenager.  After the funeral inside the limousine and after the women went out, his father cried to him and it was the first time he saw his father cry.  A father is not supposed to bury his child, but a child is supposed to bury his parent(s).
    As a son, I don't remember my father telling me not to cry or not express emotion.  As a father, I will tell my son that it's ok to express how he feels.  As a man, I too have cried or shed tears when watching Pearl Harbor, Titanic, and other movies which I enjoy.  Just because a man will express how he feels, doesn't mean he's a wuss.  I believe it's ok for men to get in touch with their feminine side as some would say.  Tony Porter also said near the end of the video:  it's ok not to be dominating, it's ok to have feelings and emotions, and it's ok to have women as just friends.  He asked a 9 year old boy what he felt about the "man box" and the boy told him that he would be "free" if he didn't have to adhere to this "man box".
    In the second video, "Killing Us Softly", by Jean Kilbourne, she said that advertising was $20 billion in 1979 and grew to $180 billion by 1999.  We spend 3 years of our life watching television commercials.  "Advertising tells us who we are and who we should be."  She also said that advertising sells values, images, success, and normalcy.  Advertising affects us all but mostly women.  Advertising is a form of stereotyping.  It tells women that if they are not beautiful, thin, rich or successful it's because women are not trying hard enough.  No matter how hard women try, they have a disadvantage because they are women.  Society has showed us this even in the past.  Jean said that "the images in our lives affect the reality of our lives."  Because of what society and advertising is teaching us how women should look, women go from being a subject to being an object.  Advertising is using sex to sell products.
     Gender socialization doesn't only affect grownups but children as well.  There are toys that are made for boys and girls, and not just toys but clothing as well.  No matter if we're a man or woman, boy or girl, it's ok to be emotional.  People tend to care what others think of them.  I told myself, "I don't care what others think of me".  It's hard to ignore what others think of you.  Jean Kilbourne put it best in her last remarks when she said, "What's at stake for all of us is our ability to have authentic and freely chosen lives."