Jerome
what does questioning an others masculinity say about your own? Does it make you more masculine?

Laquan
Why is it considered humor to define masculinity through misogynistic and homophobic speech?

Margaret
It seems like the men discussed in this book go through a lot of trouble to prove their masculinity to themselves as well as the rest of the world.  Isn't the main idea of masculinity that it is self-sufficient and does not need to be proven?

Simone
Why do you think that it is necessary for these men to belittle women's sports in order to "reinforce to male preserve in sports?"

Tiye
How can can Rome feminize males as an insult, yet condemn others for doing sexist things like domestic abuse and making misogynistic comments?

Zach
Do you think it is possibile to talk about equality with different standards?

Danielle
Do you think that it will ever be possible for women to be equal to men in sports? Are they even trying to be equal in sports?

Beth
Is sports talk radio a version of escape?

Lauren B.
Nylund said that the men on The Jim Rome Show have the potential for “meaningful discussions.” Do you think that this is what he men are intending, or are they just trying to express themselves the same way as any sports radio show? 

Lauren H.
Nylund discusses how sports talk radio can "serve as a vehicle for discussing race and diversity issues." Do you think this medium is making any progress in regards to changing society or is it all just a lot of talk with little action?

Tommy
Is it mens' fault that womens' sports aren't more popular?  Shouldn't more women be willing to support their own gender on the sports fields?
Collin
WNBA advertisements are full of female athletes in suggestive clothing and makeup.  What can be said about these marketing strategies that try and hide and change the image of these women in a league that preaches equality?

Brandon
Do you think that an openly gay sports radio host would ever be accepted and grow to the same level as Jim Rome or would the socially constructed relationship of masculinity and sports not tolerate such a thing?

Peter
Are Jim Rome's efforts to have female guests on his show enough to negate the hyper-masculinity that he promotes on a regular basis?

Katie
Why is it that callers are silenced when making comments about race, but they are allowed to speak freely about a persons class?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Meredith
How does "tradition" (or, in Jim Rome's case, "real-ness") affect the way that men are portrayed in sports talk radio?

Ashley
Is it "natural" for men to desire sex-segregated places to bond?

Suzanne
How is it possible to gain respect through sexism and irony as long as one appears open minded about racism and homophobia? Does one pair cancel out the other two and should respect be given to those who are only partially openminded?

Jennifer
Does Jim Rome truly believe everything that he is discussing on his show, or is he simply trying to keep his fan base? Advocating women's violence may potentially lose fans, although he clearly does not support equality of genders.

Greg
Is it true that ONLY sports offer males an outlet to strive and have a connection with other males (a psychological safe place)? This is a bold statement.

Ivan
Could the reason for such brash comments views on the radio from otherwise 'socially appropriate' males stem from the anonymity phoning in? (i.e. people are more willing to say something offensive through an email than to someone directly)

Allison P.
On page 55 Nylund says, "while many scholars have critiqued laddism as just another clever way of making money by resurrecting the working-class lad who was hell-bent on having a good time, other still regard the trend as a genuine rebellion, a reassertion of essential masculinity."  Is there really such a thing as a genuine rebellion?
Allison P.
On page 10 Nylund says "mediated sports texts function largely to reproduce the idea that traditional masculinity and heterosexuality are natural and universal rather than socially constructed."  We have discussed in class the danger of naturalizing things that are actually socially constructed.  In what ways it be dangerous here?

Marquis
Are shock jocks what gangsta rap is to hip hop?

Beth
Many scholars discussed in this chapter agree that "sports talk on the radio can momentarily break down barriers of race, ethnicity, and class."  Is this due to the fact that it is only heard and not seen?  Do sports talk shows on television have the same effect?

Katie
The author says that sports talk radio is a site of misogyny disguised as an escapist expression of masculine identity, do you think that the romance novels we read about could be viewed as an accurate expression of female identity?

Danielle
Men can talk sports equally regardless of their class or their race. Do you believe that sports talk radio is creating equality or inequality?

Collin
Sports talk radio is, "... not simply a feminist backlash medium."  How are the masculine undertones presented in this medium and how strong are they compared to other types of media we have discussed thus far?

Margaret
Can sports talk radio be viewed as a form of social control in reguards to gender standards?

Meredith
Do you agree with Nylund's assertion that, "sports talk radio ... may represent an attempt to symbolically reassert straight men's superiority over women and gay men"? (12) Why or why not?

Peter
Is the masculinity enforced in sports talk radio harmful to the feminist movement? Women's equality? Women in general? Perhaps even men?

Zach
"Men can pay a cost- in the form of poor health, shallow/narrow relationships, for conformity with the narrow definitions of masculinity that promise to bring them status and priveledge." Does this conformity really bring about status and priveledge? What other types of costs does conformity bring?

Laquan
If the sports radio industry is centered on gender politics, should power barriers and authority ideals be examined as well?


Greg
Like many other forms of media and arts we have discussed this semester, sports talk radio seems to have the same trends regarding regulation and corporate hegemony. In the case of sports talk radio, how does the loose regulation by the government and powerful regulation by the corporations hurt the abilities for radio hosts to discuss what they really want to discuss and to be more diverse? Corporations create norms that do not necessarily reflect what the host wants to talk about or what people necessarily want to here.

Lauren B.
How do you perceive the relationship between sports radio and politics? Is there a large connection to each other? Do you think the relationship between them is a good thing or a bad thing?

Jerome
If masculinity is always changing how do we keep up?

Melissa
Because some sports radio talkers feel that they may get fired for saying certain things about a sport in general or a specific team/player, does that make you think that they are not speaking truthfully to their audience because they are holding back?

Jarred
Why are people who express pro-gay, pro-women, and pro-racial equality beliefs marginalized by sport?

Ashley
Is it possible for a pop culture medium to project masculine ideas without diminishing or marginalizing other groups of people?

Jennifer
If people use talk radio as a way to hear viewpoints of others, are they taking less time to form opinions of their own?

Suzanne
As a college student, do you find that you listen to talk radio? Do you believe it is as popular and influential amongst our demographic as the author suggests?