DJ Paul Bunyan

The story of Paul Bunyan, the larger-than-life (literally) lumberjack, carries with it an interesting mix of life lessons to take away from it. Primarily, the story of Paul Bunyan is the story of one man's perseverance and courage in the face of a challenge. It teaches people to never give up even despite the odds of a situation. While this in and of itself is relatively harmless (and dare I say, beneficial?), this is not the only message that this seemingly innocent story carries with it. Paul Bunyan is a class example of your stereotypical "man." He is tall, strong, rugged, and emotionally tough. Because of the glorified position in which he is placed, it instills in kids the concept that they have to be strong and be able to fell tall trees in a single sweeping motion of the ax. It instills in them that "real men" should be rugged and mysteriously always have 5 o'clock shadow. This lesser-recognized aspect of the story is detrimental, as it predisposes kids to a concept of conformity rather than the pursuit of seeking out one's own personality. This could also predispose kids to become judgmental of other boys who are not "real men."