Material Man

From the recent proliferation of men's lifestyle magazines to the rise of gender studies in academia, more and more men (and women) are asking, "What does it mean to be a man today?" This extraordinary book examines masculine images in fashion and the media—and attempts to provide some answers. Illustrated with hundreds of provocative photographs plucked from movies, magazines, television, and the fine arts—sports heroes, astronauts, movie stars, pop singers, soldiers, Elvis impersonators, models, and wrestlers, among others—Material Man ranges widely over the landscape of masculinity. Essays by 19 distinguished scholars and journalists show how fashion and the media both reflect and influence our ideas of masculinity—and have facilitated today's less rigid notions of manhood, in which traditional ideals exist side by side with alternative models of gender identity. Touching on everything from extreme sports to Prada ads, Material Man will be the book of the season for anyone who follows fashion and the media—or wonders about masculine identity.