ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews a number of public sites in contemporary society which are central to how issues of masculinity are played out. It considers sport and the various electronic media as contexts in which masculinity is produced. Boys can purchase the merchandise that accompanies programs and play independently or with other boys in games that rely predominantly upon beat-'em-up, knock-'em-down strategies requiring little verbal exchange. Engaging in sport is for many boys and men, one of the most enjoyable pursuits of everyday life. Just as sport provides a critical nexus for masculinity, linking the male-female dichotomy, the male body and violence, electronic game culture performs a similar function. The gaming industry offers boys of all ages the opportunities to play masculinity at home. It is important to recognise that popular cultural practices produce and market a politics of gender under the guise of apolitical pleasure and entertainment.
