More Man Than You'll Ever Be!: Gay Folklore and Acculturation in Middle America

by Joseph P. Goodwin

Book Overview

No one is brought up to be gay. Lacking the formal support systems--families, schools, churches--gay men rely on their folklore in interacting with one another and to relieve the pressures of belonging to a stigmatized group. Jokes and other forms of humor, language, and personal experience narratives help gay men to identify and communicate with one another--even in straight settings.

More Man than You'll Ever Be explores the uses...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0253204976
• ISBN13: 9780253204974
• Release Date: March 1989
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

an outstanding sociological perspective of gay life

"More Man" is really a great sociological text. It's chocked full of short, funny gay stories. It's very easy to read and I, as a gay man, found it very interesting and illuminating. It is written very clearly, such that str8 and gay readers alike can learn about the culture. One criticism is that the information might be slightly outdated, and that not all aspects of gay life, including S/M, closeted gays, and ordinary gays who don't participate in the club scenes, are neglected. Overall, though, well worth the $ for studying gay culture.