Analyzing the meanings of masculinity in contemporary culture, this book examines specific cultural male icons like Mohammad Ali, Harvey Keitel, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dan Quayle, and Newt Gingrich and explodes the male stereotypes such as the cowboy, the father, the homosexual, and the Black terror.

Written by cultural studies scholars from departments of film, media studies, English, women's studies, and sociology, the discussions touch on almost every conceivable issue concerning the complex meanings of masculinity and contemporary society.

The contributors do not offer simple answers to the dilemmas they uncover; rather, they explore the ways different forms of masculinity cut through and invalidate generally accepted monoliths of masculinity. These writers argue that it is inappropriate to ask, "What is masculinity?" Instead, they focus on what masculinity isn't, demonstrating that there are only masculinities in the plural, defined by differences and contradictions.

Boys reveals the depth and breadth of these complexities, offering readers a far more satisfying definition of what it means to be male in our current culture.