I'm thrilled to share a project close to my heart – my wife Martina’s short film, "Oh Boys," which premiered on Nowness last week.
Inspired by “The Man Box” theory, which explores how society shapes ideas of masculinity, Martina envisioned a world where men resolve conflicts through playfulness instead of aggression." (For more about “The Man Box,” check out this interview with Mark Greene, a long-time friend of The Mandate).
Keep an eye out for my cameos as "Head Massager 2" and "Man Spritzing Himself" – roles I never knew I was born to play!
The reception to film has been mostly positive. But…as you might expect with a film like this it also drew strong negative or bizarre reactions. I’m not gonna lie. It has been pretty hilarious to read the comments section of the Nowness’s Instagram.
Here’s just a small sample:
“This does not work. Almost all men are depressed.”
“Wtf?”
“Gayest video ever”
“These self-righteous neo-feminists are so boring.”
“so west hollywood”
“So, a psychological horror movie 🍿”
(I’ll note that I’ve also edited out all the ones that aren’t fit for print. )
Seeing these comments reminded of the aftermath of the film Barbie, which provoked ire amongst the political right and grumpy men at large.
I received similar comments when I wrote about struggling with mental health issues during my Olympic years. Men’s Health posted about the story, and comments like “cry me a river” and “weak men” piled up.
As a creator it can be hard to stomach these kinds of reactions. But they are also a sign that something’s working.
JR
Love this! I hope it is like “ The Field of Dreams “ movie. Put it out there and they will come! Keep at it!
I loved it! However, being a romance author I wish it would have had a happier ending...them all walking off into the sunset together to play video games/DND/insert dude activity here. But it's so ture. I particularly liked the guys bouncing in the cars. If we all just took time to laugh and be silly like that...Imagine what wwe could accomplish! Thanks for sharing and tell your wife she rocks.