“Fumbling Man-Children?”

by Jessica

If you’re like me, you’re counting down the days until Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, starring Juno’s Michael Cera and Charlie Bartlett’s Kat Dennings, hits theaters. Jessica Grose over at Jezebel is, too, but she’s grown weary of the “earnest fumbling manchildren of film” so often portrayed as on-screen boyfriends. Cera seems to play the same role over and over: the “hypersensitive, passive, awkward semi-loser:” cute on-screen but too weak-willed, inexperienced and whiny to date or try to sleep with in real life.

Unfortunately, Cera’s in good company in the one-dimensional character department: Garden State’s Zach Braff is another fumbling man-child, Bridget Jones‘s Hugh Grant always plays the cad, Knocked Up’s Seth Rogen is usually a stoner, and so on. Sure, these stereotypes exist in real life but it’s hardly gratifying to watch immature men cavort about onscreen and always get the far-more-awesome girl. Grose asks: Where are the on-screen men we’d actually want to date?

I’d never try to argue that the male roles in Hollywood are worse than the female roles. (Google an interview with any actress over 40 and she’ll likely mention the only roles in Hollywood seem to be for the bimbo/ingenue or for the mom/grandma.) But couldn’t you throw us a bone, Hollywood, and offer up some male characters a gal could actually take home to bed—or to Mom?