masculinity, youth and leisure-style in modern America /
Bill Osgerby.
New York, NY :
Berg,
2001.
1 online resource (xii, 232 pages) :
illustrations
Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-221) and index.
Introduction : young men of action and acquisition -- 'This side of Paradise' : the emergence of the man of style -- Lessons in 'the art of living' : the 'Playboy ethic' takes shape -- 'People of plenty' : constructions of masculinity in the promised land -- 'The old ways will not do' : youth, consumption and postwar leisure-style -- High-living with the 'upbeat generation' : the cultural currency of Playboy -- Bachelors in Paradise : masculine hedonism comes of age -- 'Turn on, tune in' : counterculture, nonconformity and the masculine consumer -- Conclusion : cultures of narcissism.
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"Post-war America was an exciting time. It was an age characterized by backyard barbecues and beach parties, mai-tai cocktails and Ford Mustangs, high school hops, Hawaiian shirts and Hugh Hefner's Playboy empire. This book charts middle-class America's move towards an ethos of conspicuous consumption and sexual license during the fifties and sixties. Focusing on two of the period's most visible icons -- the swinging bachelor and the vibrant teenager -- this book looks at the interconnected changes that took place for American youth culture and masculinity as consumption and leisure established themselves as the dominant features of middle-class life. The author draws on a wide variety of popular examples--men's magazines, fashion and style, books, film and music--to argue that the bachelor and the teenager were complementary and interrelated stereotypes that shaped America's youth. Magazines such as Esquire and Playboy, and bands like the Beach Boys, framed and shaped a new meaning of the young American male that contrasted sharply with previous values of sobriety and moderation. This book discusses the images and icons that shaped masculinity in particular. By focusing on the changes both in masculine identity and in the form and representation of youth culture, American life is looked at from a fresh and innovative perspective."--Bloomsbury Publishing.
Playboys in paradise.
1859734480
Leisure-- Social aspects-- United States-- History-- 20th century.
Masculinity in popular culture-- United States-- History-- 20th century.
Masculinity-- Social aspects-- United States-- History-- 20th century.
Young adult consumers-- United States-- History-- 20th century.
Young men-- Recreation-- United States-- History-- 20th century.
Leisure-- Social aspects.
Masculinity in popular culture.
POLITICAL SCIENCE-- Public Policy-- Cultural Policy.
SOCIAL SCIENCE-- Anthropology-- Cultural.
SOCIAL SCIENCE-- Popular Culture.
Young adult consumers.
United States, Social life and customs, 20th century.