Jason Momoa's Public Displays of Nontoxic Masculinity
Jason Momoa is a heartthrob and by far one of the manliest men in showbusiness today. As an actor, he’s best known for playing Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe, Game of Thrones OG, Khal Drogo, Ronon Dex on Stargate: Atlantis, and the title character in 2011’s Conan the Barbarian reboot. With 20+ additional credits, it’s safe to summarize his career with two words: on-screen badass. However, the best part about being a big fan of his work is the fact that he’s even more of a badass off-screen.
He’s a husband, father, son, friend, and perceivably all-around good human being. His social media presence centers around the love he has for his home, family, and friends. He shares his favorite things and gives shoutouts to artists, brands, and craftsmen. He also showcases his rockstar fashion sense and skills in his favorite activities such as rock climbing, drinking beer, and axe throwing. Jason is unapologetically himself in public and it’s unquestionably authentic. I’ve met quite a few celebrities at various conventions over the past couple years but only one of those experiences was just as enjoyable as meeting Jason this past summer. That meeting gave me a hilariously great story—but that’s for another time.
What I find most badass about Jason has nothing to do with his work on-screen, his style, or his “umma do me” attitude. Though I admire all of those qualities, the reason I keep up with him off-screen is his nontoxic masculinity and the way he carries himself as a man, despite the tough guy reputation and what society says that is supposed to look like. Everything I’m describing is 24/7/365 for Jason but below are three recent examples that led me to writing this post.
Blended Family Relationships, The Right Way
Jason is married to the legendary Queen, Lisa Bonet, who he’s been in love with since the age of eight. After 12 years and two kids together, they wed in 2017. If Lisa’s name sounds familiar, it’s because; she played Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show and A Different World, was once married to rockstar Lenny Kravitz, and mothers Lenny’s only child, Zoë Kravitz. This blended family dynamic is something that can be embraced to create a positive enriching environment for all involved or it could generate a unhealthy harmful environment if it’s received negatively by even one family member, especially one of the parents. Well, it’s quite clear that this family chooses the former in happiness and positivity.
Pictured below is Jason’s Instagram post showing he and Lenny rockin some dope skull rings that Jason bought to thank Lenny for supporting the Saturday Night Live episode he hosted. A random act of kindness that isn’t a necessary part of fostering their good relationship but clearly something he did out of the goodness of his heart.
571.3k Likes, 4,275 Comments - Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies) on Instagram: "I'm a huge fan of the artists I meet on instagram love spreading the aloha. I got @lennykravitz a..."
No one should set out to get married, divorced, and then remarried but shit happens on the pursuit of happiness. If people find themselves in the same predicament as Jason, Lisa, and Lenny, these three are the gold standard for healthy and positive family relationships in this dynamic. These two men respectfully putting their egos aside for the betterment of their shared family is exactly how one should react to this circumstance. Lisa not pitting them against each other or hating Lenny is clearly a huge part of this as well. It’s not common for these relationships to exist in this manner but it’s undoubtedly the right way to do it.
Mama and Tears
In an interview with Mirror UK, Jason opened up about crying on the set of Aquaman whenever he felt emotional, referring to himself as “the biggest drama queen on the set.” He even touched on the fact that being raised by a single mother has made him feel very connected to his emotions and said “he has no problem revealing his vulnerabilities.”
This right here is the good stuff that has made me love the film industry beyond watching the movies. Admitting vulnerabilities, discussing his mother’s affect on his life publicly, and allowing himself to feel emotions without fear of ridicule. It's a beautiful thing to see a grown ass man be so unapologetically vocal about these things.
Though most of us hate to admit it, men are human beings with emotions, it's not only okay to display that but it should be a priority for us to do so, no matter how big (or small) our muscles are. As the emotional child of a single mother who used to be teased for being “soft,” it’s so refreshing to see a reflection of myself in someone I originally to admired simply for his work on-screen.
SIDENOTE: Fuck the patriarchy!
Aquaman Premiere Haka
If someone asked me to summarize what I believe Jason Momoa is about in just two words, those words would be: community and badassness. In the most recent example of Jason fostering a loving community in a badass way, he led a traditional New Zealand (Māori) ceremonial dance called Haka at the blue carpet premiere of Aquaman this past weekend. Joining him in the dance were co-stars, personal friends, and both of his children. As someone who has been very vocal about how “surreal” it was to film this movie and how grateful he is to play it’s iconic title character, I can only imagine how incredible it felt to share this moment with his friends, colleagues, and especially his family.
Other than saying this got me hype as hell to watch the movie in three days, there’s nothing more I can add—you just have to see it for yourself. Please enjoy the dopeness that is the video below.
