Cable Guys
Television and Masculinities in the 21st Century
Published on 31. March 2014
277 pages
978-1-4798-0058-2 (ISBN)
Description
The emergence of "male-centered serials" such as The Shield, Rescue Me, and Sons Of Anarchy and the challenges these characters face in negotiating modern masculinities. From
the meth-dealing but devoted family man Walter White of AMC's Breaking Bad,
to the part-time basketball coach, part-time gigolo Ray Drecker of HBO's Hung,
depictions of male characters perplexed by societal expectations of men and
anxious about changing American masculinity have become standard across the
television landscape. Engaging with a wide variety of shows, including The
League, Dexter, and Nip/Tuck, among many others, Amanda D. Lotz
identifies the gradual incorporation of second-wave feminism into prevailing
gender norms as the catalyst for the contested masculinities on display in
contemporary cable dramas.
Examining
the emergence of "male-centered serials" such as The Shield, Rescue Me, and Sons of Anarchy and the challenges these characters face in negotiating
modern masculinities, Lotz analyzes how these shows combine feminist approaches
to fatherhood and marriage with more traditional constructions of masculine
identity that emphasize men's role as providers. She explores the dynamics of
close male friendships both in groups, as in Entourage and Men of a
Certain Age, wherein characters test the boundaries between the homosocial
and homosexual in their relationships with each other, and in the dyadic
intimacy depicted in Boston Legal and Scrubs. Cable Guys provides a
much needed look into the under-considered subject of how constructions of masculinity
continue to evolve on television.
the meth-dealing but devoted family man Walter White of AMC's Breaking Bad,
to the part-time basketball coach, part-time gigolo Ray Drecker of HBO's Hung,
depictions of male characters perplexed by societal expectations of men and
anxious about changing American masculinity have become standard across the
television landscape. Engaging with a wide variety of shows, including The
League, Dexter, and Nip/Tuck, among many others, Amanda D. Lotz
identifies the gradual incorporation of second-wave feminism into prevailing
gender norms as the catalyst for the contested masculinities on display in
contemporary cable dramas.
Examining
the emergence of "male-centered serials" such as The Shield, Rescue Me, and Sons of Anarchy and the challenges these characters face in negotiating
modern masculinities, Lotz analyzes how these shows combine feminist approaches
to fatherhood and marriage with more traditional constructions of masculine
identity that emphasize men's role as providers. She explores the dynamics of
close male friendships both in groups, as in Entourage and Men of a
Certain Age, wherein characters test the boundaries between the homosocial
and homosexual in their relationships with each other, and in the dyadic
intimacy depicted in Boston Legal and Scrubs. Cable Guys provides a
much needed look into the under-considered subject of how constructions of masculinity
continue to evolve on television.
Reviews / Votes
"Amanda Lotz impressively maps out important features of television's representations of men and shifting masculinities in the 21st century. Her careful analyses of these series makes this book an essential resource for anyone interested in television, gender, and culture." - Ron Becker,author of Gay TV & Straight America "Cable Guys is an incredible work that should further cement Lotz's place as a considerate yet comprehensive expert on media and gender studies. Her writing . . . oozes confidence, knowledge, and reflection for her themes and televised tales." (PopMatters) "Lotz (communication studies, Univ. of Michigan;Redesigning Women: Television After the Network Era) here explores how cable television is dramatizing contemporary American male masculinity. The author identifies and focuses on three narrative types: serials that emphasize the development of of a central male protagonist (e.g.,Breaking Bad; Dexter), shows set in male enclaves (e.g.,Rescue Me; Entourage), and stories featuring intimate male friendships (e.g.,Boston Legal; Nip/Tuck). Lotz argues that these dramas depict straight, largely white men wrestling with what it means to be manly in today's post-second-wave feminism and in the context of rising queer visibility. She concludes that the shows' characters all struggle to combine old and new modes of manhood . . . . Lotz offers a concise and insightful analysis of the productions she does examine. Verdict:Scholars will value Lotz's contribution to media and masculinity studies, as will more casual viewers who enjoy watching cable television with a critical eye." (Library Journal,Anna J. Clutterbuck-Cook, Massachusetts Historical Soc. Lib., Boston) "Cable Guysis essential reading for students and scholars working in television studies and in the gendered politics of representation. The book is clear enough to be accessible to anundergraduate audience, while it is also sufficiently subtle and illuminating to be satisfying to more advanced students and scholars.?" (International Journal of Communication,Katherine Sender) "Lotz explores modern visions of masculinity following third wave feminism and epitomized in the rhetoric of male protagonists in cable programming. Mostly eschewing networks depictions of problematized males, Lotz zeroes in on straight male one-on-one friendships, what she calls the & homosocial enclave of the male group, and a genre that particularly challenges male characters, the emerging & male centered-serials." (Choice)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
7 black and white illustrations
ISBN-13
978-1-4798-0058-2 (9781479800582)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
03/2014
New York University Press
€36.50
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Amanda D. Lotz is Professor in the Digital Media Research Center at Queensland University of Technology and the author and editor of several books, including Netflix and Streaming Video: The Business of Subscriber-funded Video on Demand, Media Disrupted: Surviving Pirates, Cannibals, and Streaming Wars and The Television Will Be Revolutionized, Second Edition.
Content
AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Understanding Men on Television2. Trying to Man Up: Struggling with Contemporary Masculinities in Cable's Male-Centered Serials3. Any Men and Outlaws: The Unbearable Burden of Straight White Man4. Where Men Can Be Men: The Homosocial Enclave and Jocular Policing of Masculinity5. Dynamic Duos: Hetero Intimacy and the New Male Friendship Conclusion: Is It the End of Men as We Know Them? NotesBibliography Index About the Author
