The Shirtless Masculinity of Picnic — Exposing the Insecurity of Hal Carter
William Holden’s Hal Carter is a man of many facets but the producers obviously believed that his main selling point was Holden’s bare chest as, in true melodramatic fashion, Carter is stripped bare at every possible opportunity. Whilst on the surface this may just be a tactic to sell the film based on Holden’s romance novel sexuality, in truth this exposing of Carter’s flesh also applies to his soul. In a rather heavy-handed metaphor, Carter’s facade of machismo and charisma become stripped down revealing an insecure man who was never able to live up to his masculine ideal: his father. The cowboy boots which Hal wear at all times is a constant reminder of this. The oversized boots act, rather heavy-handedly, as a metaphor for his father’s masculinity and status which Carter is never able to quite fill. Masculinity is the essence of Picnic and the film revels in exposing its cast of men — especially Carter — and that their masculinity is one which traps as opposed to liberates.
Carter’s romantic rival to Kim Novak’s Madge is Alan Benson; a man who has the status and wealth which lies at the centre of Carter’s insecurities. However, Benson similarly struggles to become the masculine ideal that his father seems to admire so. His father’s disapproval of Madge — due to her lower-class status — and his approval of Hal — due to his brash masculine energy — leads to Benson’s gradual hatred of Carter and an obsessiveness over Madge. To Benson, Madge is simply a trophy which proves to his father that his masculine charm is indeed able to win over the prettiest girl in town but in reality, he treats Madge as an object to be observed — the one thing she wishes not to be. Her connection with Carter begins because when stripped of his masculinity, he is able to connect with the person underneath the beauty. Again, this version of masculinity is one that destroys Benson’s ability to connect truly with Madge. The men of Picnic are blinded by their twisted version of masculinity as Benson’s fascination with masculinity and becoming this masculine ideal reveals his insecurity and he becomes threatened at Carter’s overt and swaggering masculinity. In both cases, masculinity is used as a shield in order for the men to reach a level of status. For Benson, it is the status of his father’s admiration and for Carter, it is overcoming his insecurities over his lower-class status and lack of assured success.
The eponymous picnic of the film brings the tensions within these relationships to a boiling point. Accompanying the romantic trio on this picnic includes a bachelor from across the river Howard and his beau Rosemary — played by Rosalind Russell. The relationship of the aforementioned couple creates an interesting dynamic amongst the pervasive masculinity of Carter and Benson. Rosemary’s desire for marriage and youth leads to a breakdown of sorts and her pleading for Howard to marry her. Indeed, Howard is in love with Rosemary and certainly interested in marriage but again this omnipotent warped version of masculinity prevents this from coming to fruition. Howard lives alone in what could be considered the ideal bachelor, with enough to happily sustain himself. When the question of marriage is proposed his first thoughts are of his change in lifestyle which worries him as he is aware that his lifestyle is the ideal. His insecurity within his own masculinity prompts him to cling to this bachelor lifestyle as it gives him status which others would envy within this society. In a sense he becomes a certain masculine ideal — he has reached that status that Benson and Carter want to achieve but in a different fashion. However, this limits his true desire; to be with the one he loves. The marriage to Rosemary only comes about due to a misunderstanding but it is apparent that once there is no turning back that Howard is — perhaps for the first time in his life — truly content. Howard’s liberation of this toxic masculinity is one that Benson is unable to replicate, becoming twisted further once Madge and Carter’s relationship becomes more apparent. Carter, however, is able to follow in Howard’s footsteps, abandoning the ideal which he had created and following love and contentment with Madge.
The masculinity presented within Picnic is one that is intertwined with the American dream and its goal of status and wealth. In reality, the plights of Carter and Benson can be seen as two opposing examples of the American dream’s toxicity within its inherently patriarchal structure. Hyper-masculinity becomes a facade that is needed to travel successfully to the hallowed promises of the American dream. The patriarchal constructs of this society only reward hyper-masculinity and this is a toxic force that ultimately ensnares the men of the film into misery. Carter will never be able to transcend the class boundary within this society and become his masculine ideal. Benson’s character will never truly be what his father admires and no amount of macho posturing and objectivism will change that. Howard will never be able to find contentment in his position as the ideal bachelor. Picnic is a warning on the dangers of a masculinity which corrupts the spirit and ensures a life that will bring nothing but societal acceptance. This masculinity is one that is born in the capitalist, patriarchy of the American dream and only once you reject its trapping will you find freedom.
