(University of Oregon, 2008-09) Hancock, Elizabeth, 1975-
This thesis examines ideals of masculinity and the male body in ancient Greek art
and literature, and in contemporary advertising and mass-media publications. Persistent
themes concerning what is ideally masculine affect the way men perceive their bodies,
and ultimately, themselves. I argue that such ideals are visible in the way men present their bodies and personal attributes to others in online public forums using photos, text,
and other media. In order to discover how some men view their bodies and to observe the
way in which they present them to others, this thesis will analyze existing photos and
written texts posted on an online public website, MySpace.com. The large and diverse
membership of MySpace.com makes it an excellent place to observe ideals of
masculinity and the male body operating in individual men at the vernacular level.
