Kimmell claims that .
"we equate manhood with being strong, successful, capable, reliable, and in control. The very definitions of manhood we have developed in our culture maintain the power that some men have over other men and that men have over women.""(122) .
Arnold's character has power over every man he meets in the movie. In one specific scene Harry manages to kill two Middle Eastern terrorists equipped with Uzi's in a bathroom while he is not hurt at all. He is always in control and reliable because there is never a bad situation he can not get out of. Harry is what may be consider Peter Parshall considers an "outlaw hero- (118), in Peter Parshall's article Die Hard: The American Mythos. Parshall describes how John, the main character in Die Hard, just like Harry in True Lies, "brings down justice single-handedly, trusting his own instincts rather than following the rules of his superiors.""(127) Harry kills the villain in the end to save the world and his family. The movie ends with Harry exhibiting all the stereotypical characteristics of an ultra masculine man. In the End Harry is the epitome of what every man wants be. .
Another interesting aspect from True Lies is that Harry's shirt always seems to be ripped in a strategic spot to show his huge muscles. He is the only person whose clothes get torn in the fight scenes. This is another subliminal message in the movie that focuses on the need to have large muscles to be macho and masculine. The film "Tough Guise- hosted by Jackson Katz, presents G.I. Joe dolls as an example of societal changes in perception of the ideal male form. In his original form, G.I. Joe had the equivalent of fourteen inch biceps. The newest G.I. Joe on the market has a gargantuan bicep of twenty-six inches which is almost impossible for a human to obtain. This example shows how we as a culture have evolved from heroes being average looking people like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, to macho and buff guys like Arnold and Sylvester Stalone in modern day action movies.