The Men Behind the Mask: A Halloween Celebration of Our Favorite Leading Men
The mood in the air is festive. Best friends flock around, preening their artificial feathers. You've been assembling your costume since September, and Halloween night is finally here. Making the rounds with the girls, you notice athletes, rappers, and one brave soul parading as Borat. Everywhere in sight, there are guys in costumes: a few sexy, some funny, and others creepy. The testosterone is almost palpable, and you smile at the good fortune you've stumbled upon: endless possibilities.
Halloween is the one night of the year where we can shamelessly indulge in being whoever we want to be. As Cady Herron eloquently pontificated, "Halloween is the one day when girls can dress like total sluts and no other girls can say anything." We women may have that covered, but what about our male counterparts? Curiously so, for many men masks present the opportunity to be brazen, unmitigated, and masculine—without fear of rejection.
For their own reasons, which often include saving the world or saving their own life, some of the most-treasured leading men in film truly come alive only when masquerade. In honor of Halloween, let's take a moment to unveil these mysteriously magnificent Y-chromosomes.
Peter Parker as Spiderman
Nothing's more thrilling than watching a good guy become an exceptional man. Parker was adorable as the science nerd enamored with the girl next door, but not until we see him as Spiderman do his spidey-charms have us ready to join Physics Club. As he struggles with moral turpitude and the Green Goblin, the tender moments between him and Mary Jane are quaint; but faint compared with observing his personal metamorphosis. Swinging from webs, leaping from roof to roof, Parker acclimates earnestly to his new abilities and we're lucky enough to be along for the journey.
But who could resist getting wrapped up in the moment when Parker/Spiderman finally kisses Mary Jane? The sexually-charged moment of wonder (Mmm…what does kissing feel like upside down) was as titillating for viewers as it was for Kirsten Dunst. Consider it the smooch that launched a thousand upside-down attempts.
Stanley Ipkiss as The Mask
Equivalent to a thrill ride, this 90's rom-com crowned Jim Carrey the king of wacky comedy. We empathized with endearing Ipkiss over his patronizing boss and hapless love life. He was one of us, until the discovery of the entrancing Loki mask endowed his "SSSSmokin" side like a shot of pure chutzpah. Equipped with the Mask, Stanley became an unstoppable force of male bravado, nabbing the superhot woman of his affections, Cameron Diaz's Tina Carlyle. How does donning an animated (and rather sick shade of green) mask salvage Stanley? Inhibitions were lowered, his suaveness factor heightened, and the magic of the mask proved that there's nothing more potent than the power of confidence. It's hard to mention Jim Carrey, or Cameron Diaz for that matter, without recalling these breakout roles.
The Phantom as The Phantom of the Opera
He's creepy and he's kooky, mysterious and spooky, but he's altogether sexy: The Phantom of the Opera. Perhaps it's the allure of the unknown under his mask (or the general lack of passion displayed by most members of the male species) that spurs an appreciation for the occasional stalker. A disfigured, half-veiled resident of the Opéra Populaire, the Phantom does little to camouflage his borderline-obsessive love for songstress Christine. Entangled in a dangerous love triangle that most women can merely fantasize about, Christine must choose between the murderous yet devoted Phantom and her childhood sweetheart Raoul. Despite his scarred appearance and violent tendencies, the flawed Phantom ultimately uncovers the beauty within him when he allows Christine to grow old with Raoul.
Bruce Wayne as Batman
"Batman's mask is one of the finest," says Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan. "It holds all the mystery he does. We all kind of wear one. They tap into the hidden depths that we all know we have — and that people don't credit us with."
Protecting the citizens of Gotham City from a slew of sociopaths, Batman's allure is all in the danger and that signature rasp. As an heir known to tout around two women at once, Bruce Wayne is handsome, rich, and obnoxious. Conversely, Batman forgoes any semblance of a normal social life to protect the citizens of his city. What's unique in this case is that vapid Wayne operates as the guise for Batman. His true identity is that of the Caped Crusader, and his heroic antics serve to confirm that assertion. Sacrificing his good name to become a scapegoat in "The Dark Knight", his proclamation "I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be" was a selfless—albeit seriously seductive—statement.
Oscar Wilde said, "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell the truth." How ironic that when we put a façade on, the truth comes out. For some men, masks possess a magical quality, banishing insecurity and brandishing their inner pulchritude for all to see.
Halloween comes around just once a year. And while you may not meet a superhero at a costume party, what you do have is an opportunity. A chance to catch a potentially amazing guy at a time where he's not afraid of you. Just don't be shocked when he takes off the mask, because you never know what could be underneath.
Sources:
http://www.quotegarden.com/be-self.html
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-06-12-mask-appeal_x.htm
Halloween is the one night of the year where we can shamelessly indulge in being whoever we want to be. As Cady Herron eloquently pontificated, "Halloween is the one day when girls can dress like total sluts and no other girls can say anything." We women may have that covered, but what about our male counterparts? Curiously so, for many men masks present the opportunity to be brazen, unmitigated, and masculine—without fear of rejection.
For their own reasons, which often include saving the world or saving their own life, some of the most-treasured leading men in film truly come alive only when masquerade. In honor of Halloween, let's take a moment to unveil these mysteriously magnificent Y-chromosomes.
Peter Parker as Spiderman
Nothing's more thrilling than watching a good guy become an exceptional man. Parker was adorable as the science nerd enamored with the girl next door, but not until we see him as Spiderman do his spidey-charms have us ready to join Physics Club. As he struggles with moral turpitude and the Green Goblin, the tender moments between him and Mary Jane are quaint; but faint compared with observing his personal metamorphosis. Swinging from webs, leaping from roof to roof, Parker acclimates earnestly to his new abilities and we're lucky enough to be along for the journey.
But who could resist getting wrapped up in the moment when Parker/Spiderman finally kisses Mary Jane? The sexually-charged moment of wonder (Mmm…what does kissing feel like upside down) was as titillating for viewers as it was for Kirsten Dunst. Consider it the smooch that launched a thousand upside-down attempts.
Stanley Ipkiss as The Mask
Equivalent to a thrill ride, this 90's rom-com crowned Jim Carrey the king of wacky comedy. We empathized with endearing Ipkiss over his patronizing boss and hapless love life. He was one of us, until the discovery of the entrancing Loki mask endowed his "SSSSmokin" side like a shot of pure chutzpah. Equipped with the Mask, Stanley became an unstoppable force of male bravado, nabbing the superhot woman of his affections, Cameron Diaz's Tina Carlyle. How does donning an animated (and rather sick shade of green) mask salvage Stanley? Inhibitions were lowered, his suaveness factor heightened, and the magic of the mask proved that there's nothing more potent than the power of confidence. It's hard to mention Jim Carrey, or Cameron Diaz for that matter, without recalling these breakout roles.
The Phantom as The Phantom of the Opera
He's creepy and he's kooky, mysterious and spooky, but he's altogether sexy: The Phantom of the Opera. Perhaps it's the allure of the unknown under his mask (or the general lack of passion displayed by most members of the male species) that spurs an appreciation for the occasional stalker. A disfigured, half-veiled resident of the Opéra Populaire, the Phantom does little to camouflage his borderline-obsessive love for songstress Christine. Entangled in a dangerous love triangle that most women can merely fantasize about, Christine must choose between the murderous yet devoted Phantom and her childhood sweetheart Raoul. Despite his scarred appearance and violent tendencies, the flawed Phantom ultimately uncovers the beauty within him when he allows Christine to grow old with Raoul.
Bruce Wayne as Batman
"Batman's mask is one of the finest," says Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan. "It holds all the mystery he does. We all kind of wear one. They tap into the hidden depths that we all know we have — and that people don't credit us with."
Protecting the citizens of Gotham City from a slew of sociopaths, Batman's allure is all in the danger and that signature rasp. As an heir known to tout around two women at once, Bruce Wayne is handsome, rich, and obnoxious. Conversely, Batman forgoes any semblance of a normal social life to protect the citizens of his city. What's unique in this case is that vapid Wayne operates as the guise for Batman. His true identity is that of the Caped Crusader, and his heroic antics serve to confirm that assertion. Sacrificing his good name to become a scapegoat in "The Dark Knight", his proclamation "I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be" was a selfless—albeit seriously seductive—statement.
Oscar Wilde said, "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell the truth." How ironic that when we put a façade on, the truth comes out. For some men, masks possess a magical quality, banishing insecurity and brandishing their inner pulchritude for all to see.
Halloween comes around just once a year. And while you may not meet a superhero at a costume party, what you do have is an opportunity. A chance to catch a potentially amazing guy at a time where he's not afraid of you. Just don't be shocked when he takes off the mask, because you never know what could be underneath.
Sources:
http://www.quotegarden.com/be-self.html
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-06-12-mask-appeal_x.htm
