We all know the stereotypes and myths about what it means to be a man. The victorious leader gets what he wants using aggression and does not accept failure; he is nice to the ladies, and he is often good with a gun. He is usually wealthy and controlling, especially over women, like a father who loves his daughter dearly but will be damned if she goes out dressed like that. The list could go on and on with stereotypes. But the Coen brothers' cult film, The Big Lebowsk (1998), with its hero "The Dude", contradicts these notions of masculinity. The Coen brothers present several familiar stereotypes of masculinity (the Vietnam veteran, the successful capitalist, an oversexual bowler, aggressive German nihilists), but it is these characters who, throughout the film, are revealed to be absurd, insecure and even helpless. These are the stereotypical men that the Coen brothers criticize. “Sometimes there's a man,” the narrator repeats over and over again, emphasizing the Dude's non-stereotypical masculinity as the true representation of what it means to be a man. The brothers then illustrate that men who do not care about their identity, who ignore the pressure to conform to cultural expectations, should be considered "real men." About 20 years after Vietnam, Walter is still obsessed with his service in Vietnam. The Vietnam War and sees his entire life and the world around him through his lens. He wears a military vest over his bowling shirt, carries a pistol with its bullet, and is very quick to anger. We are given the impression that perhaps during the war Walter was a man, but has since remained stuck in those glory days, never allowing himself to change or be flexible, something essential for the Coen brothers...... middle of paper ...... the Dude, in Los Angeles for no particular reason, symbolically moving from the freedom of the Wild West to the structure of modern times. The tumbleweed transforms into a bowling ball rolling down an alley, symbolizing the confinement imposed by gender norms. The previously free tumbleweed is now locked in a tight, narrow path; if it veers off course, it will end up in the gutter instead of just blowing in a different direction. Following the forced path, the bowling ball approaches a set of phalluses, the pins, and proceeds to demolish them. This scene visually demonstrates how limiting oneself to the strict rules of culturally accepted masculinity is, paradoxically, the surest way to destroy one's own masculinity. Instead, let's take comfort and example from the guy, who's out there taking it easy for all of us sinners »..”