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Big Bad Wolves is a compelling and provocative examination of the construction of masculinity within American cinema. Joan Mellen uncovers the industry’s long-standing obsession with fabricating a larger-than-life male archetype: the indomitable, violent, and fearless hero. From the silent era to the nineteen-seventies, the book reveals how Hollywood manipulated the physical appearances of stars—using everything from plastic surgery to elevator shoes—to project an impossible standard of masculine strength.
Beyond the artifice of stardom, Mellen provides a critical analysis of how these manufactured idols have distorted societal perceptions of sexuality, authority, and power. By championing characters who dominate others through force rather than intellect, cinema has, in Mellen’s view, fostered a culture of passivity and justified patriarchal control. This book captures the seamy underside of the American male mystique, exploring why audiences remain captivated by these heroes and how, in the process, films have inadvertently exacerbated our own sense of inadequacy. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the profound influence of Hollywood myth-making on the contemporary male identity.
Used (good, see images, some yellowing and dust jacket tear) Hardcover ISBN 0241898609
