The Construction of Masculinity in Layangan Putus

A phenomenal sinetron, Layangan Putus, has enraptured and polarized Indonesian audiences for the last few months. Foregrounding the topic of marriage and infidelity, it is a fertile site of the study of gender and its construction of both femininity and masculinity. With its accessibility and popularity, sinetron is a powerful tool of the construction of identity and identification and is a source of potent, though sometimes invisible, ideologies. The construction of masculinity is evident in both the male and female characters and in their roles and relationships with their partners, children and friends. In the main male character, Aris, who is portrayed as dominant, idolized, charismatic, yet manipulative, the notion of a modern man with his capability to provide and attract women is foregrounded. This notion is in full contrast to another male character, Eros,who is portrayed as a �failed� husband. The construction of masculinity is also established through Aris� position in the social ladder of the ideal man as the other men and women look up to him as the alpha male. The notion of masculinity; however, is also evident in Miranda. This suggests that masculinity is not an intrinsic value of men, but rather a constructed notion, represented in social practices.