Jessica Rose McFadyen

The Big Question
          There are countless numbers of studies and analysis papers on the way in which the media
portrays the masculinity of men but how does the patriarchal media justify the success of
masculine characters within a plot that directly contradicts this masculinity as successful?
The idea that there is a power group in society that fixates on its success at the detriment of
others would lead you to believe there is some truth in it. For the purpose of this paper the
word success will be the ability to live a fulfilling life. When applying this to the examination
of Showtimes, Californication, a drama/comedy aired in 2007-2014 and the hegemonic
binary’s linked to masculinity I wanted to look at the disconnect to reality in both its realism
and production. By looking at it though a queer lens and the patriarchal lens of its production
team its clear to see that the characteristics of the leading male characters do not make them
successful despite representing the ruling power in masculinities. 
Hank
          Hank Moody is a one-time successful writer, womaniser and the leading male in 
Californication. His masculinity is entirely machismo with a lot of his character depicting a
disregard for women, inability to commit, drug and alcohol abuse, homosexual jokes and a
failure to understand the relationships in his life. The transient women he encounters are
unique in personality and subjectively beautiful, successful and most of them are given the
dignity of a story. However, all of them are unable to control themselves around Hank who
has the power to get away with almost anything. He faces a court case in which he's charged
with the statutory rape of the daughter the boyfriend of Hanks love interest, Karen. The
underage girl is older looking and Hanks defence, backed up by the plot is that he didn't
know she was only 17 so he suffers very little. Hank is deliberately linked to symbols of
wealth and success but they are crumbling around him i.e he can afford a Porche but he
doesn't look after it so it ripped and rusted. He can flaunt his money and treat his daughter to
a new guitar but its superficial and she is wise enough to see through it.
     It's only until you appreciate that this ‘manhood’ he's so accustomed to, is inhibiting the life
he can have with Karen; the woman he labels his soulmate. Hank is a character that is made
successful in the eyes of any hegemonic follower but its the very same traits that actually
prevent his success. This hegemonic training blocks him from sustaining relationships and of
course this effects his teenage daughter and his ability to parent her. What keeps the women
in his life around are the moments when Hank is genuine, freely vulnerable and in direct
contrast with what it means to be a man in the patriarchal society. Traits that are associated
with queer and marginalised communities.
Charlie
          In order to have any substantial relationships in his life Hank relies on Charlie Runkle who is
his agent and subsequently his best friend. The show suggest that hegemonic masculinity isn't
needed to be successful through Charlie because he is chubby, bald, weak minded and has a
problem with premature ejaculation. His character represents a lot of what produces failure in
the idea of a ‘man’, namely the inability to satisfy a woman however he is at his most
successful when he's with his ex wife Marcy who loves him for all his perceived flaws. These
imposed insecurities lead him to want to be like Hank, and represent his biggest failures.
Sexual Dystopia
          To put these two men together, both of whom are highly damaged by the masculine
expectations society places on them find solace when they don't assimilate. The intermittent
moments of ‘queerness’ within their relationship i.e the never failing loyalty, joint sexual
exploits, openness of feelings and general physical affection go along way to supporting the
idea that should men be allowed to have close relationships with the men in their lives and
not have to worry about the way they are perceived they can be more successful and this
should be applied relationships with women.  The fact that they are comfortable with the
masculinity they can have with each other is arguably the most successful part of their lives.
          In Harms, Malte (2015) there is a discussion focusing on Tom Kapanos, the writer who is
straight and white, who created the world of Californication as a mythical ‘sexual utopia’.
The world represents the hegeomically framed dream world. Each scenario is partaking in the
very structures that permit hegemony but also need to be recognised as fantasy. The scandal
and ‘getting away with anything’ is what attracts male viewers and the song women keep a
female audience but its the failings in reality that caused the decline of the show. In Molin, D.
(2007) he discusses the idea that the masculinity represented in this show as evolving to suit
the plot but with what we know about the ‘utopia’ the breaks in masculinity can be translated
into escapism. Californication symbolises the ideologies that attract men to fulfil the limited
expectations on them. In many ways Californication is a dream world but in more it's the
masculine dystopia. 
Hypocrisy
          Californication doesn't have an intersectional cast, women are subjected to objectification,
there is a very limited depiction of masculinity and all of these serve to weaken the shows
cultural significance. What is unique about the show is that the self-proclaimed effort to
create a world of sexual masculine utopia by the creator and the outcome displaying
hypocrisy in masculine ideals. The unbreakable ‘man’ cannot be successful in Californication
because masculinity has to be accepted as a transient force that can and should be permeated
by the traits associated with Queerness. In many ways Californication is a reflection of
societies delusions when it comes to masculinity. 
 
References
 
Harms, Malte (2015). Tom Kapinos’s “Californication” as a “Sex Utopia” . Hanover : University of Hanover . 4-10 .
 
Theory. In: Malin Glimäng A Study of Gender Representation in Californication . Malmö: Malmö University . p15-33.
 

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