Cable Guys: Television and Masculinities in the 21st Century Amanda D.Lotz. New York: New York University Press, 2014.

Abstract

Cable Guys: Television and Masculinities in the 21st Century Amanda D. Lotz. New York: New York University Press, 2014.In Cable Guys: Television and Masculinities in the 21st Century, Amanda D. Lotz provides a gender analysis of what she calls the that have emerged on over the past two decades (51). Through her dissection of a variety of cable serials, Lotz shows a shift in popular understandings of masculinity. Rather than assuming the traditional form of stoic, unemotional provider, the protagonists in the programs Lotz analyzes grapple with what it really means to be a man. Lotz suggests that the fact that these crises are displayed so prominently on is a new phenomenon in popular entertainment (29). In her view, this development signals a cultural shift in the definition of manhood toward what she refers to as a post-second wave understanding of gender in which men are actively trying to reconcile manhood with a more feminist conception of society (23).The masculine identity crisis on display in these shows is one that crosses barriers across family, work, and friendships. Borrowing from Michael Kimmel, Lotz notes in the second chapter that we have no history of men, masculinity, and manhood on television (7) and that in many ways the male-centered serials of the twenty-first century are a unique development as they show the entire life of the male protagonists. In one of the earliest examples of this type of show, viewers see Tony Soprano both as businessman and as family man. And, in fact, she contends that Soprano's actions, illegal and otherwise, come from a desire to provide for his family. Lotz further suggests that, in contrast to the stoic, master of his fate picture of hegemonic manhood, Soprano's masculinity is conflicted and his inner turmoil is on full display throughout the show, not the least of which during his interactions with his psychiatrist.In Chapter 3, Lotz moves beyond the family and work dichotomy and examines the moral and ethical boundaries that many of the protagonists of these shows seem to cross with impunity. From Tony Soprano's mob activities to Walter White's meth lab to Dexter's job as a killer, she shows time and again the lengths to which men in these shows go to renegotiate their masculine identities. While the author acknowledges a multiplicity of reasons for these illegal behaviors, she is quick to assert that in none of the cases are women blamed for the problems that lead to the morally questionable behavior of the male protagonists. …