The creators of Ted Lasso had one mission (and a big challenge) in mind when they created this show: to create a likable, relatable, and kind cisgender, white, straight man. From the beginning, masculinity takes a new form in this show highlighting the importance of vulnerability and kindness above traditional forms of masculinity. The status quo has long been to portray masculinity as it is intertwined with toxicity, misogyny, and sexual misconduct. Straying from this is no small feat for a show about a professional sports team that could have easily slipped into the norms of pop culture and resorted to the status quo.
There are many characters in this TV show that stick out as challengers to those social norms, but four notably change the way viewers relate to male characters.
Jamie Tartt
Jamie is the most stereotypical professional “footballer” who is self-centered and thinks he is too good for AFC Richmond. Viewers immediately dislike him as we see how pompous and arrogant he is towards members of his own team and notably towards Ted. However, as he grows viewers are able to see why he acts the way he does and eventually viewers grow empathy for him. Normally, this kind of male character is everyone’s favorite to hate. They are the jerk who gets the movie justice in the end. But, Jamie’s growth makes viewers love him and feel for him as he tries to change away from the irritating soccer player of the past.
Nate Shelley
Nate is the waterboy (feel free to bring whatever assumptions you have about waterboys). He is quiet, shy, overlooked, and under-appreciated. He anticipates his invisibility and is surprised by Ted’s compassion towards him. Eventually, little old Nate grows to have a voice at the table and commands the respect of the players, who once mocked him. In media texts, female characters would be the likely choice for an under-appreciated, second-rate role rather than male characters, making all viewers (especially male viewers) think about what it would be like to be the one consistently ignored.
Coach Beard
Beard is Ted’s best friend and fellow American managing an English soccer team. He is quiet and soft spoken, filled with witty comments and enthusiasm for chess. Viewers see him as funny and as comic relief, yet he deals with the trials of a toxic and abusive relationship. The dynamics of this relationship are seen by all his peers yet he continues to go back to her. This illustrates how men can find themselves in toxic relationships and allows for viewers (specifically male viewers) to identify with the toxicity and how to navigate it. Traditionally, female characters are often soft spoken while male coaches are loud and obnoxious, and Beard is the antithesis to that.
Ted Lasso
Ted is relentlessly kind to all and continues to be even in the face of adversity. But this character endures real struggle with his divorce. His wife initiates the divorce, which he agrees to because he loves her, and he begins to show real emotional vulnerability. He has panic attacks and begins to wrestle with the onset of mental health challenges, leading him to struggles with therapy. This emotional vulnerability, through the lens of a cisgender, white, straight man goes against society’s norms both in and out of pop culture. It shows that men can suffer from mental health issues and that they shouldn’t be scared to be honest about it and seek help. Ted Lasso challenges the traditional ways that men define strength and toughness and focuses on mental and emotional toughness above all.
To conclude, Ted Lasso is one of the greatest shows of all time and it is changing how society is able to understand gender norms for men and women. (It is worth the Apple TV+ subscription).
Questions
- How do you see masculinity portrayed in television or in film?
- What are other examples of media texts where masculinity was represented in a non-traditional way?
- What aspects of masculinity do you feel should be changed in pop culture? Why?
- How would changing the way masculinity is portrayed in TV and film impact society’s perception of masculinity?
Mediated Pop 
It feels like a complete 180 of how the masculinity trope is used on TV shows! I love the fact that these men are given vastly different plot points and vulnerable stories throughout their characters, usually we expect men in sports tv shows to be these emotionless hard-headed men that show no regard but to win. However, showcasing the unspoken issue about men in relationships, the characters’ qualities being quaint and shy rather than fearless and strong, shows that they wanted to represent the other side that men are told not to show. Great take on this!
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Ted Lasso is breaking the norm in sports TV shows when it comes to the perception of masculinity, and I’m all for it. I enjoy the fact that the male characters in these shows are given different stories contrary to what the stereotype would normally be for a sports TV show. All those shows that I have seen is pretty much the same for the most part, as you have players and coaches whose only character traits are that they are tough and only care about winning. That really gets repetitive after quite a while though, and Ted Lasso shows that these men can focus on other important topics apart from winning a game, and it’s definitely a topic that needs to be showcased more in our media.
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The fact that more shows being are created containing realistic and various sides of masculinity is a positive step in the right direction. Shows made from the mid to late 1900’s typically portrayed a very black and white trope of masculinity. Ted Lasso is an excellent example of a show that portrays new and healthy portrayals of masculinity. Like advertisements, the shows we watch tend to stick in our subconscious minds. Changing the traditional norms for the better is rarely a negative thing.
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I think it’s really interesting to see how Ted Lasso has taken masculinity and spun it on its head. I really like the idea of finally seeing a “typical man” show more intimate emotions on television and take on the challenges regarding mental and emotional health and using therapy as a way to do so. I think it’s also really important that the show has taken time to show how men can also get into toxic situations with their partners and how to handle that situation.
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Having never watched this TV show before, I feel as though this gave me a really good idea about the quality of the show and its characters. Men who show vulnerability and emotion are rarely seen in media and it’s refreshing to see male characters with more depth and who break the gender norm.
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I have never watched this show, but have heard so much about it! Your insight on gender roles in Ted Lasso was very eye opening and was good to see that some shows are trying to break the norm. Men are usually viewed as strong and intimidating on TV, but Ted Lasso goes against that norm and shows people that men can be vulnerable and emotional.
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Although I have never watched this show, hearing from your presentation that it is breaking the norm of masculinity in ways that other shows before it have not is very intriguing and refreshing to see. The norm for seeing men portrayed in the media is very different from how Ted Lasso allows men to be vulnerable and emotional. Thank you for sharing your insight about this series, I really want to watch this show now that it’s on my radar.
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I have heard a lot about this show even though I have never watched it and I think its great that they are trying to change the norms of TV and how masculinity is portrayed in it. Seeing men on tv that are not seen as the typical tough and strong is something different that we dont normally see and I think thats a good thing. I think that you provided a lot of good insight to this topic and picked a very good show for it.
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I cried several times during watching Ted Lasso. The show has a unique warmness that softens people’s heart. I love absolutely every character in it (maybe not Jamie’s father and his friends). The life and environment the show depicts is too good to be true. People genuinely care for each other and all has a kind heart. Most importantly, what’s best about Ted Lasso is that the boss is a female, and men in the show are troubled and vulnerable. Are we used to men be the strongest and toughest? Are men not entitled to cry or have a heart broken moment because otherwise they would be just as fragile as women? Those stereotypes about masculinity portrayed in television or in film are humiliating to men as much as to women. It literally deprives men’s right to be a normal human being and is very degrading to women. As Ted Lasso became a huge success, we know that answers to questions above are no. No matter in the screen or in real life, we don’t need men to be tough all the time. They can cry if they want, they can ask for help if they need it, they can have a panic attack without people judging them why. Because in the end of the day, humans have all kinds of emotions. You can’t say which emotion are good or bad and you certainly can’t be critical about people’s real feelings.
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I’ve only watched bits and pieces of this show, but in those shorts moments I did watch I was able to see exactly what you are talking about. The characters are all very dynamic and show complex sides of everyone, despite the characters’ gender. I think that is very important to show in the media, for masculinity has always been shown in the same, one-sided, emotionless way that creates a bad message for viewers. This show is very important in making it okay for men to be sensitive and dynamic and changing what it means to be masculine.
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