Dr. Pepper 10: "It's Not For Women"

How does a soft drink company create a “diet” soda for its customers? By alienating half of them, that’s how! In 2011, Dr. Pepper released a new version of their drink named Dr. Pepper 10. The ten stands for the number of calories the drink has. Because the brand already makes Diet Dr. Pepper, the new soda was aimed specifically at men. However, the company’s research found that "men shy away from diet drinks that aren’t perceived as ‘manly’ enough.” To combat their customers’ prejudices, the company released commercials that proclaimed that Dr. Pepper 10 was “Not For Women.”

300: "Tonight, We Dine In Hell"

300 is a film about the story of the 300 Spartan soldiers who fought against the massive Persian army in ancient Greece. The film is extremely stylized and views history through the lenses of a comic book. It is by no means an accurate account but that was probably not the filmmakers’ intentions. The movie presents the Spartan warriors as brave embodiments of pure manliness. It is also a shrine to the male body. Every single Spartan is extremely muscular, toned, and oiled. The camera frames their bodies to take up as much of the screen as possible. 300 is filled to the brim with masculine images and themes, but displays instants of homoeroticism.

Jersey Shore: "Gym, Tan, Laundry"

The MTV reality television show Jersey Shore is about a group of young Italian Americans living in a house on the beach where the show gets its name from. The women wear provocative clothing and party every night and the men are tanned “guidos” with massive muscles. The show has been controversial since its inception due to claims that it is propagating negative stereotypes. The show managed to overcome those claims and became one of MTV’s biggest hits. Even though it has ended, the show still remains an interesting depiction of masculinity that has been infused with feminine features.

The Departed: "What Do You Got Your Period?"

Martin Scorsese’s The Departed is a masterfully made crime drama with a tense story and well-developed characters. However, it also delves into the theme of masculinity within a tough criminal underworld. Scorsese creates a world where men communicate with violence and reject any potential emotion. Throughout the film there are various examples of the subtle masculine façade created by men. The film depicts a world where ideology forces every man to be tough or endure being ridiculed.

The Social Network: "I Believe I Deserve Some Recognition"

In 2010, director David Fincher released the film The Social Network about the creation of the social networking website Facebook. Before it came out many people were skeptical about how the story of the foundation of a website could possibly make for a good movie. When it was released many viewers were surprised by the deeper themes the film discussed like friendship, greed, and, above all, masculinity in the 21^st century.

Kendrick Lamar: "I'm A Sober Soul But I'm With The Homies Right Now"

West Coast Hip Hop artist Kendrick Lamar has come to the forefront of rap and hip hop at an introspective phase in the history of the genre. Rap is no longer about being a gangster, killing people, or being a “P.I.M.P.” Rap, which has always been an extremely masculine medium, has been transformed in mainstream culture artists like Drake and Kanye West. Today, hip hop music is a vessel for emotions, disappointments, dreams instead of ultra-macho posturing. It is only natural that Kendrick Lamar’s album good kid, m.A.A.d city was released during this kind of emotional renaissance for the genre.

Breaking Bad: "A Man Provides"

“And a man, a man provides. And he does it even when he's not appreciated, or respected, or even loved. He simply bears up and he does it. Because he’s a man”

With those words crystal meth kingpin Gus Fring convinces protagonist Walter White to continue cooking meth for him in the critically acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad. After realizing his bad decisions have caused his family to leave him, Walter decides to leave the meth business he so eagerly entered just a few seasons before. Fring’s stinging words to Walter play on his masculine insecurities. As Jezebel.com details, “Early on in the series Walt is portrayed as a weak, emasculated schoolteacher, whose sole source of power, his scientific genius, buys him nothing in a hyper-masculine capitalist world.”