Brando, Dean and Clift changed the way of masculinity. They used method acting - becoming the character. They were not authentic blue-collar, they learnt it. Lumberjack shirts, tshirts, the 'slob look'. They looked the same on and off screen. They projected a blue-collar sexuality.
Richard Martin said American Gigolo marked "a seminal moment in the history of menswear" - Richard Gere getting dressed for his date, lining out his shirts, suits and ties. Before this we never saw a guy 'getting dressed'. Julian loves his body, luxuriating his body. This was completely revolutionary. It upped the sales quite considerably.
1980s franchise film around the male body - Rocky, Die hard, Terminator, lethal weapon.
Laura Mulvey - visual pleasure and narrative cinema - women as an image - man as bearer of the look. 1975. Masculinity - linked to activity, voyeurism, sadism, fetishism, story. Art history shows two types of masculinity - phallic (big muscles) or slender boy. Feminism - linked to passivity, exhibitionism, masochism, narcissism, spectacle.
Steve Neal talked about mainstream cinema as not investigating the male body. Whereas the camera obsessively follows the woman, the men are associated with action.
Rudolph Valentino was the first cinematic male pin up. When he played young Rajah, he was wrapped up in pearl chain bondage. When he died, women committed suicide.
1950s was the age of the chest (Cohan). The male chest begain to be fetishised. William Holden in Picnic (1955), Paul Newman in Cat on a hot tin roof (1958), Alain Delon in Plein Sileil (1960, a french film). Delon has been used as a reference in modern advertising.
1980s menswear revolution saw the rise of grooming products, men in ads, on billboards, the new man.
Li Eldkort talks about the trend of the new male model - the rebirth of the burberry model not the abercrombie and fitch model. The earth body, the farmer, cycling etc. Not the pumped up gym body.
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