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Wrestling with Manhood is the first educational program to pay attention to the enormous popularity of professional wrestling among male youth, addressing its relationship to real-life violence and probing the social values that sustain it as a powerful cultural force. Richly illustrating their analysis with numerous examples, Sut Jhally and Jackson Katz - the award-winning creators of the videos Dreamworlds and Tough Guise, respectively - offer a new way to think about the enduring problems of men's violence against women and bullying in our schools.

Drawing the connection between professional wrestling and the construction of contemporary masculinity, they show how so-called "entertainment" is related to homophobia, sexual assault and relationship violence. They further argue that to not engage with wrestling in a serious manner allows cynical promoters of violence and sexism an uncontested role in the process by which boys become "men."

Designed to engage the wrestling fan as well as the cultural analyst, Wrestling with Manhood will provoke spirited debate about some of our most serious social problems.

The DVD includes two versions of Wrestling with Manhood. Both contain violent physical and sexual imagery, and viewer discretion is strongly advised. The abridged version (45 min.) is edited for profanity, nudity, and length.

Sections: Taking Wrestling Seriously | Happy & Escalating Violence | Making Men: Glamorizing Bullying | Homophobia & Constructing Heterosexuality | Divas: Sex & Male Fantasy | Normalizing Gender Violence | It's Only Entertainment?

Duration: 60 min
ISBN: 1-893521-76-1
Date Produced: 2003
Subtitles: English

Discussion Guide
Transcript (full version)
Transcript (abridged version)

Filmmaker Info
Writer, Director: Sut Jhally
Producer: Ronit Ridberg
Editors: Ronit Ridberg, Sut Jhally
Script Consultants: Jackson Katz, Jeremy Earp

About Sut Jhally
Sut Jhally is Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Founder and Executive Director of the Media Education Foundation. He is one of the world's leading scholars looking at the role played by advertising and popular culture in the processes of social control and identity construction. The author of numerous books and articles on media (including The Codes of Advertising and Enlightened Racism) he is also an award-winning teacher (a recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award at the University of Massachusetts, where the student newspaper has also voted him "Best professor"). In addition, he has been awarded the Distinguished Outreach Award, and was selected to deliver a Distinguished Faculty Lecture in 2007. He is best known as the producer and director of a number of films and videos (including Dreamworlds: Desire/Sex/Power in Music Video; Tough Guise: Media, Violence and the Crisis of Masculinity; and Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire) that deal with issues ranging from gender, sexuality and race to commercialism, violence and politics. Born in Kenya, raised in England, educated in graduate studies in Canada, he currently lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

About Jackson Katz
Jackson Katz is one of America's leading anti-sexist male activists. An educator, author and filmmaker, he is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work in gender violence prevention education with men and boys. He has lectured on hundreds of college and high school campuses and has conducted hundreds of professional trainings, seminars & workshops. He is the co-founder of the Mentors In Violence Prevention (MVP) program, the leading gender violence prevention initiative in professional and college athletics. Visit Jackson Katz's site at www.jacksonkatz.com. Jackson Katz is available for speaking engagements at colleges by contacting Kevin MacRae at MacRae Speakers. In addition, Jackson Katz conducts full or half-day trainings for college staff, faculty, and administrators; high school educators; sexual assault and domestic violence program staff; health-care and human services professionals; law enforcement personnel; and others. For schedule and fee information, e-mail Jackson Katz.