Masculinity in the Media Masculinity has changed and evolved since the beginning of human creation. Males had to adhere to the social norms of their time to survive without undue persecution. At the beginning of the 19th century, a change occurred in how men could reach adulthood. It was no longer easy for a man to enter adulthood with simple expectations and rituals. The status of manhood became difficult to obtain due to its precarious nature. During the same period, the industrial revolution was in full bloom giving rise to mass media such as newspapers, magazines and advertising: the media. This created a prevalent state where boys and men alike could obtain material on how to become or be men through the media. With the pervasiveness of the mass media came a cultural hegemony that endures to this day. Hegemony is defined as the dominance of a power or state within a league, confederation, etc., or of one social class over another. In the case of American culture, a select few set the standards for what it took to be a man. These men usually occupied positions of leadership and did not belong to the same social class as the common American population. Currently, mass media (especially television and films) play an important role in how men and women perceive gender roles, sexuality and beauty. The media has shaped expectations about masculinity and men's interpretation of family in different ways over decades of television. How does television influence men's perspective on masculinity? There is no doubt that the media has a profound effect on people. Several studies have shown this to be true, but it is important to understand how it affects society. Men and masculinity are represented in relation...... at the center of the card...... our society. References Hatfield, E. ( 2010). 'what it means to be a man': Examining hegemonic masculinity in two and a half men and f hatfield.Communication, Culture & Critique, 3(4), 526-548.Johnson, J.G., Cohen, P., Smailes, E.M., Kasen, S. and Brook, J. S. (2002). Television viewing and aggressive behavior during adolescence and adulthood. Science, 295(5564), 2468.Scharrer, E. (2001). From Wise to Foolish: The Portrait of the Sitcom Father, 1950s-1990s. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 45(1), 23-40.Skill, T., & Robinson, J.D. (1994). Four decades of families on television: A demographic profile, 1950-1989. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 38(4), 449.Ward, L., Merriwether, A., & Caruthers, A. (2006). Breasts are for men: Media, ideologies of masculinity, and men's beliefs about women's bodies. Sexual roles, 55(9), 703-714.