Background: Klaus Theweleit's Male Fantasies offers an interesting look at the connections between masculinity, fascism, hatred of women and violence.

Focus on the Ads: Recent visual compositions in Maxim illustrate the connections between masculinity and violence. Images 1 and 2 are features of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Like ad 6, these two ads suggest that male power (such as in the war machine) is connected to a violent and competitive sexuality.

Why? How to Read Reaction to Ads Controversy Constructions Male Gaze Male Sex Violence Against Men Male Ads Male is Culture Phallic Male Fantasy Homophobia Male Normalization Man as Hero Men in Control Roles Normalization Exotics Women of Color Exotics Surreal Exotics General Difficult Femininity Dolls Naggers Body = Tool Nymphomania Male Objects No Subject Body Parts Becoming Objects Sex Objects Contorted No Product Connection More Body Parts Dehumanization Women as Stupid Women Consumers Women = Nature Only the Body Political Violent Women Faux Power Wet Women Reductionism Body as Landscape Captured Legs as Framing Violence Against Women Women and Fear Death Relationships Sexual Violence Competition Faux Lesbianism Linguistic Violence Constructions of Marriage U.S. Values Global Ads Social Class Ads Kids and Ads Ageism Video Games Advertisers Response Man Show Maxim Side by Side Mock Ads Progressive Ads New Constructions Social Change Bibliography Links Action Hall of Shame