More Man Than You'll Ever Be!: Gay Folklore and Acculturation in Middle America / Edition 1

by Joseph P. Goodwin

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 of gay men's folklore. Whether funny or sad, poignant or shocking, each story and joke contains messages, sometimes surprising ones. Goodwin decodes some of these messages to help us understand not only the gay subculture but also ourselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253204974
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	03/22/1989
Series:	Midland Book
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.47(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

Editorial Reviews

Seeing gay folkore as a neglected area in the field, Goodman demonstrates that folklore is a major factor in acculturation within the gay community and is consistent with folklore use in other subcultures. The primary examples presented here--jokes, cautionary tales, experiential tales, etc.--were collected in the early 1980s and show some age, such as the explanation of the color coding of bandannas. Most useful will be the exploraation of a separate argot, or vocabulary, used within the gay community. Based upon the author's doctoral dissertation, this is a well-researched and documented work that will be valuable for experts in the field and motivated general readers.-- James E. Cook, Dayton and Montgomery Cty. P.L., Ohio

Library Journal

Goodwin examines the jokes, language, and behavior that allow gay men to identify and communicate with one another. He identifies how these behaviors help gay men maintain group cohesion in the subculture and cope with conflicts and stresses, including AIDS. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews