Brad Pitt has definitely played some of the manliest characters on the silver screen. Starring in classics that deal with the masculine identity such as Fight Club, Pitt has definitely carved out a niche for himself for the male audience. However, the Mr. & Mrs. Smith alum has come out in criticism of what he calls ‘toxic masculinity’, bringing up key observations.
As the debate raged on about what the ‘image of masculinity’ should be, Pitt felt compelled to speak his mind about the issue. The actor has come out saying that the whole debate has left him “exhausted” as each aspect of his life came under scrutiny, comparing it to the “Clint Eastwood character” of masculinity.
Also Read: Brad Pitt Was Not Famous Enough To See Movie Script While Working With Tom Cruise
For Bard Pitt, it is all about self-reflection
Pitt has commented, that rather than focusing on how other people see you, you should really be focusing on yourself. In his interview with Financial Times, Pitt opened up about his own struggles of addiction and trauma while talking about what he terms the “inventory of the self”. He reiterated, that for him, it was about being brutally honest with himself and taking accountability for any hurt that he might have caused others. He said:
“I was looking at my own life and really concentrating on owning my own shit: where was I complicit in failures in my relationships, where have I mis-stepped”
With regards to the issue, the actor also said:
“It’s just exhausting to be anything but who you are.”
Pitt echoes a side of debate that has taken a significant back seat in the conversation. Talking about how it is easy to get caught up in all the things that are signifiers of a particular kind of masculinity while forgetting to be true to yourself. This can end up being exhausting for some, who might not even realize it.
Pitt then went on to talk about his childhood and how he was raised with a certain understanding of masculinity in mind. He says that his generation aligns better with the Eastwood archetype, where:
“…where I grew up, we’re more the Clint Eastwood character; you hold everything within, you’re capable, you can deal with anything, you don’t show weakness,”
He talks about how he saw these qualities in elder actors and the older generation, saying:
“I see that in my dad and the older generations of actors, and, man, it’s exhausting.”
The age-old argument of ‘when men were men’ crept its way into the conversation, as is always the case when talking about these topics. Pitt very rightly points out the issues with the current masculine image, realizing that the exhaustion from it might not have affected the previous generation, but as society becomes more complex, so do ideas like masculinity.
Brad Pitt imagines a world where people can share in each other’s struggles.
Pitt talked about how grateful he was to have a group of friends who he could talk about his struggles with. It is his wish that such spaces could be extended to the outer world, so that people may “focus on our struggles as human beings”.
“What people make of it: I’m fine. I feel safe here because there’s a focus on our struggles as human beings, because it’s fraught with peril. And joy as well.”
While Pitt talked about his vision of masculinity, his former spouse Angelina Jolie has come out accusing the Fight Club alum of abusive behaviors, directed towards her and their children. his divorce lawyer, Anne Kylie responded to these allegations, saying:
“Mr. Pitt had accepted responsibility for some things in his past but that he would not accept responsibility for things he did not do”
Pitt is still yet to comment on these accusations. However, as of 2021, Pitt has been granted custodial time with his children, while Jolie remains the physical, primary custodian of the children. They are considered legally single as of 2019.
