Sophia C. reviewed on + 289 more book reviews
The Male Body: A New Look at Men in Public and in Private is an insightful cultural analysis of how meanings and associations are ascribed to the male body. Although the first few chapters are more specifically about the penis, later chapters (which read a bit like related essays) are more about the ideas embodied by masculinity and how these might be nuanced by history, race, and class. Written in the late 1990s and published in 1999, some of the references—Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas, Monica and Bill, the emergence of Viagra and Calvin Klein underwear ads—seem dated but the analysis remains relevant. Susan Bardo's writing and thinking are clear, witty, nuanced, and hopeful for both greater understanding between the sexes and less oppression of both men and women by gender roles. I'm a little surprised by how personal this academic book reads: not only does she frame it with discussions of her father, she also mentions personal tastes and experiences throughout. A wonderful, accessible work in gender studies.
