1st Edition
Sexualised Masculinity Men’s Bodies in 21st Century Media Culture
Sexualised Masculinity: Men’s Bodies in 21st Century Media Culture explores evolving portrayals of masculinity in contemporary media, focusing on the increasing eroticisation of the male body.
This book examines how traditional and digital media – from films and television to social media platforms and fashion – have transformed the ways masculinity is represented and perceived. Through a wide array of case studies, it highlights how male bodies are now sites of erotic value, challenging long-standing norms and expectations. By exploring both global and local media, John Mercer and Clarissa Smith provide insights into the shifting landscape of gender and sexuality, offering a critical perspective on how masculinity is consumed, performed, and commodified in today’s world.
This book is essential for students and scholars in fields such as gender studies, media studies, cultural studies and social history, and is particularly relevant for those interested in understanding the intersections of masculinity, media and sexuality in the 21st century.
Introduction: Masculinity, Sex and Sexualisation 1. Sex Talk: Vocabularies of Sex and Models and Patterns of Masculinity 2. Hollywood Bodies: Matinee Idols to Sex Symbols 3. Aspirational Bodies: Health, Fitness and the Body Project 4. The Fashion and Beauty Body 5. Queer Masculine Bodies: Mainstream and Margins 6. What about Daddy? 7. 'Thirst Trapping’: Digitised Desire and the Online Sexual Economy
Biography
John Mercer is Professor of Gender and Sexuality at Birmingham City University, UK.
Clarissa Smith is Professor of Sexual Culture and Media at Northumbria University, UK.
