Male Impersonators: Men Performing Masculinity (ISBN 0415909910)

AN INSPIRATION TO TARANTINO?:
One of the most interesting - and funniest - books I've ever read, and certainly by far the best on masculinity. I especially enjoyed the masterpiece chapter on the movie 'Top Gun' which completely convincingly interprets it as a gay movie and shows how Cruise's real interest is Val Kilmer not Kelly McGillis. Shortly after this book was published Quentin Tarantino appeared in a film called 'Sleep With Me' arguing this exact point. I wonder if he had a copy of Simpson's book in his dressing-room?

LAMBDA BOOK REPORT:
`These smashingly provocative essays by the spunky Brit writer Mark Simpson... detonate myths, stereotypes and icons, gay as well as straight. The psycho-social line separating homo and hetero maleness, he fulsomely shows, is much fuzzier than Robert Bly and Pat Buchanan find it to be.'

CHOICES REVIEW:
`This set of high-spirited essays displays more insight into the masculine mystique than has the decade of earnest men's studies that preceded it. Simpson has an unerring eye for the inner logic and pretences of a wide range of masculine enterprises and symbols. ` - Choices

GUSTO AND WIT - John Ashbery Review:
"Mark Simpson detects and dissects the myths of machismo and its attendant media circus with refreshing gusto and wit."`

INTELLECTUAL ORGASMS - Margi Clarke Review:
"Like me this book plays with men. Provocative, irreverent, acerbic and witty, it offers one gigantic intellectual orgam after another." - Margi Clarke