Eddie Strongman

Eddie Strongman is a documentary that follows the journey of a man in his attempt to
become the worlds strongest man. British strongman Eddie Hall wants to be the strongest man
in the world and brings a camera crew along his grueling journey to show his obsessions for
being the Worlds Strongest Man. From 3 hour workouts every day at the gym to 10,000 calorie
diets a day, Eddie pushes himself further and further just to earn the title of being the Worlds
Strongest Man. That title is deeply imbedded in the conventional idea of what it means to be a
man.
For centuries men have competed, trying to prove that they are better than the other. It is
a sense of pride to know that you are the best at something but it came from these early ideas. In
the time of Kings, competitions would be held to see which bodyguard would be the elite, a title
that was held almost as high as the king himself. Colin Bryce, the senior producer and former
Strongman, stated how there is something very basic about lifting more than the next man
strength was held up in high regard since the beginning of time. The men who compete in these
competitions do not do so for the money as many of them hold regular jobs when they are not
competing. They dedicate their lives to one competition simply because of the deeply rooted
stigma that they need to be the strongest man in the world. These competitions and the athletes
desire to be the best and to lift more than the next guy plays on previous generations ideas of
what a man should be. They believe that unless they are the very best, unless they can be looked
at as an inspiration, then they might as well be nothing at all. They push through the pain and
past their injuries, regarding them as nothing in order to prove how strong they are. Eddie and his
fellow strongmen feel as though if you are not in pain then you are not lifting enough. That idea
of show no pain is a stereotype that these men believe they are to live by. Many think that if
they are emotionally weak then they will fail physically. For example, on camera, Eddie is an
egotistical, narcissistic, beast of a man. He covers himself in tattoos and flexes his muscles,
screaming louder than the next man to show his brute strength. Off camera however he is
regarded as being polite, smart and even gentle to some. He sends christmas cards and during the
documentary he even recalled his depression and thoughts of suicide as a teen. He cries over
missing memories with his family such as his sons first steps and over being without his wife
and his kids. This was something that I thought was especially amazing because in the face of the
cameras, these athletes are depicted as fierce brutes who can pull a semi-truck and show no
mercy however behind the scenes they allow themselves to hurt and feel their emotions,
challenging the stereotypes of what a Strongman should be.
Eddie Halls journey and determination is evident of what society expects a man to be;
stronger than anyone else, fierce, and determined for greatness. His compassion for his family
and the behind the scenes look that the viewer sees shows that even the strongest men in the
world can show weakness.
 Queens and Cowboys

Queens and cowboys is a documentary that follows the International Gay Rodeo
Association, a rodeo circuit that hosts events for everyone and anyone who wishes to compete in
rodeo. The International Gay Rodeo Association hosts 13 events in the rodeo season and allows
everyone to compete no matter their gender, race or sexual orientation. This association has come
with controversy as it goes against traditional rodeo lifestyles.
These traditional rodeos celebrate the history of the cowboy, a person who deals with
cattle in a ranching situation. Being a cowboy is considered manly and brave. In their off time on
the ranch, cowboys would compete with one another in horse races and rodeos, fighting for a belt
buckle and the title of Best Cowboy which again shows the inherent need for men to compete
and prove that they are the alpha and the best. Decades of photos and stories passed down show
and lead men to believe that they need to strive for that and there is no allowance for any other
way. In the minds of many cowboys, homosexuality means you are not a real cowboy
cowboys are about tradition. Doing rodeo is considered to be a masculine sport. Riding a bull
for a few short seconds, roping cattle and running the fastest laps with a horse were considered
the manly events. One attendant stated how it goes back to the days when women stayed at
home and the men would go out on the trail rides and gather the cattle. These traditions
however have changed greatly especially thanks to the International Gay Rodeo Association.
Thanks to the International Gay Rodeo Association, Gay, lesbian and transgender farm
hands are all able to come together in a setting where they can compete in the sports they love
and express themselves safely around people with the same interests. Typical rodeo events have
the men doing roughstock and roping events while the women compete in speed events such as
barrel racing. This is in contrast to the International Gay Rodeo Association lets anyone compete
in any of the events leaving no restrictions.
The International Gay Rodeo Association has challenged and become successful in one of
the most stereotypically traditional and conservative events in American history. They bring
people of all walks of life and have thrown traditional values to the wind, giving them a new
sense of freedom and power. Watching this documentary was really interesting to me because I
have been to rodeos where there may have only been one gay person or a few multiracial
cowboys competing. I used to wonder why there were never more competitors of different
backgrounds in the rodeo and seeing this documentary opened my eyes to discrimination that I
never realized was in place. Seeing the International Gay Rodeo Association give a place to those
who were discriminated, pushed away and threatened and make them feel safe as they compete
and perform in what they love most and I think that is amazing.
 Work Cited

Eddie Strongman. Dir. Matt Bell. Perf. Eddie Hall. Wolf Shoulder Films, 2015. 8 Aug.
2015. Web.

Queens and Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo. Dir. Matt Livadary. N.d. Feb. 2014.
Web.