Date

4-19-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Comic book characters and superheroes have served as Hollywood’s biggest cash cow of the last two decades, dominating box office records, over-saturating the release schedules of major movie studios, and influencing the cultural consciousness in a way that is historically unprecedented. The most notable and financially successful example of this trend can be seen in the form of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a franchise that has grossed an estimated $29.8 billion in box office revenue since its inception in 2008. Due to their immense popularity and global reach, superhero characters serve as role models for young boys and adult men alike. However, many cinematic adaptations of comic book related properties seem to prominently feature the objectification and glorification of unrealistic male body types while negatively stigmatizing unconventional or higher weight individuals. As a result, exposure to superhero programming has been positively associated with the internalization of masculinity norms, male appearance ideals, and a drive for muscularity that may result in harmful behaviors such as eating disorders, anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse, or body/muscle dysmorphia. Using a coded-content analysis approach, the current study has selected a variety of masculinity and appearance related themes from past content analyses to evaluate how masculinities and male body types are portrayed in Disney produced MCU films.

Department

Health and Kinesiology

Thesis Comittee

Dr. Matthew Patey, Thesis Advisor
Dr. James E. Leone, Committee Member
Dr. Misti Neutzling, Committee Member

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