Actor James Dean in
‘Rebel Without A Cause’

Why has actor James Dean become and remained such a powerful 'sex icon' some 50 years after his death?

And how did he change the 'image' of masculinity?

Looking at one of many popular James Dean quotes, he had this to say:

"Being a good actor isn't easy. Being a man is even harder. I want to be both before I'm done."

Naturally, people tend to associate actors with the characters they play. Yet, often, as was the case with most James Dean movies, like Rebel Without a Cause, he, more or less, played himself... and interestingly enough, his roles seemed to parallel his own life in many ways.

Actor James Dean's association with masculinity is not so much in where he was -- it was in WHERE he was heading. And I think there are those who miss this point altogether.

So it helps to realize what we're up against. It helps to understand...

The Oedipus vs Orestes Dynamics

Actor James Dean The interesting thing about James Dean movies is that they depict the two contrasting family dynamics found in society.

In East of Eden, we see a patriarchal dynamic, where actor James Dean is placed at ends with his father. But in Rebel Without a Cause, we see actor James Dean within a matriarchal dynamic, where he's at ends with his mother.

This is the 'Oedipus Dynamic' vs the 'Orestes Dynamic', where the family's authority figure changes the tone of a son's struggle for his manhood.

With Oedipus, we have the son fighting against the shadow of his father in order to find his masculinity in his own way. And then with Orestes, we have the son fighting against the control of the mother to embrace his masculinity in his own right.

First, we have the patriarchy, where the father takes the role of the authority figure.

Second, we have the matriarchy, where the mother takes the role of the authority figure.

‘Rebel Without A Cause’ is a Prime
Example of the Orestes Dynamic

What we tend to see in a matriarchy are chaotic and uncentered women. Thus, we see mothers using their children as a means of drawing significance to and purpose for themselves...

... or as excuses for their irresponsibility or, even, misery.

And for a mother to hold her reality together, she resorts to fawning, worrying, suggesting illness and disease, along with guilt-tripping and other such manipulations designed to keep her children as dependents.

Because for them to find their dependence, since her value is placed on her role as mother, she no longer would find inner significance...

... without letting go and changing, that is.

In Rebel Without a Cause, we see this clear as day. And I think part of the reason this film, along with actor James Dean, are still such powerful influences, is because this matriarchal or Orestes' dynamic is such a prevalent reality in culture today.

And the film depicts that in way all men -- both adolescent in youth and in older age -- can identify with.

Take a look at this monumental clip from the film...

The Struggle for Our Manhood

Oh! How many of us men, living in our generation, can identify with that!

Most of our father's were not 'worthy' role models for us to emulate. And if we do model them, we miss the mark of manhood altogether. Instead, we have spineless models that bend to the chaos of Woman.

And we learn this everyday of our adolescent and maturing years.

Is it any wonder guys revere such personalities like actor James Dean as a role model? There was a time when I did so myself.

But James Dean seemed to have a chip on his shoulder -- or "his head in a sling" as his line read in Rebel Without a Cause -- feeling the need to prove himself and act 'tough'.

I think what we really identify with is that, deep down, we know something's amiss... that we're not living the way we were designed to as men.

We can recognize it as did Dean's character, Jim Stark. Yet, with our own father's not being aware of it, we have no strong authority figure to stand up for us, affirm it's acceptable to be a man when the 'feminine world' often boycotts and shames masculinity.

What's left to do, but fall for and resort to the "chip on the shoulder", something-to-prove attitude to compensate?

But that's just the middle ground of manhood. It's the bridge, not the other side of the ravine.

In fact, it's not until you pass to the other side and look back that you realize the ravine was just an illusion and the bridge was not only unnecessary, but actually slowed your journey down.

The difference between a mature man and an adolescent man is that the former has nothing to prove, to anyone.

But the latter is how actor James Dean will be remembered forever. Is that hardly something worth modeling?

A James Dean Biography

Perhaps a great deal for why actor James Dean has become such a timeless film icon and sex symbol is because he has been immortalized as the guy struggling to find his masculine center.

The 'state of James Dean' is a possible transitional phase into true manhood -- but it is not masculinity as a full embrace.

Certainly, we immediately recognize the awareness and courage in his stand where many men surrender and supplicate rather than putting up a 'fight' for who they are.

Yet, let's not mistake the place on the path for the path itself.

Reading any James Dean biography (a list can be found here), will reveal that, in his personal life, much like Cal, the role he played in East of Eden, quite closely paralleled his own relationship with his father...

... the struggle for manhood.

But does it have to be a 'struggle' in the sense of striving?

Let me leave you today with one of my favorite James Dean quotes: