Kord and Krimmer investigate the most common male types - cops, killers, fathers, cowboys, superheroes, spies, soldiers, rogues, lovers, and losers - by tracing changing concepts of masculinity in popular Hollywood blockbusters from 1992 to 2008 - the Clinton and Bush eras - against a backdrop of contemporary political events, social developments, and popular American myths. Their in-depth analysis of over sixty films, from The Matrix and Iron Man to Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lord of the Rings, shows that movies, far from being mere entertainment, respond directly to today's social and political realities, from consumerism to "family values" to the War on Terror.

Autorentext
Author Susanne Kord: Susanne Kord is Professor of German, Comparative Literature, and Film Studies at University College London, UK. Author Elisabeth Krimmer: Elisabeth Krimmer is Professor of German, Performance Studies, and Cultural Studies at the University of California, Davis, USA.

Inhalt
PART I: MEN IN TROUBLE Lawlessness and Disorder: Cops and Other Serial Killers Fathers, Crises, and Nations Cowboys, Myths and Audiences PART II: REAL MEN? Superheroes, Leadership, and the War on Terror Spies, Paranoia, and Torture Soldiers from World War II to Iraq PART III: NEW MEN? Rogues, Race, and Hegemony Lovers: Men, Women, and Gender Equality Losers, Meritocracy, and Identification