“What it Means to Be a Man”: Examining Hegemonic Masculinity in Two and a Half Men

Abstract

Two and a Half Men chronicles the experiences of 2 brothers living together in Los Angeles. This television show provides the opportunity to compare alternative portrayals of modern masculinity. The current project studies the masculinity of the show's main characters by examining its first 5 seasons using narrative thematic analysis. Literature on gender and hegemonic masculinity frames this research project, offering both a historical perspective and a critical understanding of media representations. I argue that the performances of hegemonic and subordinated masculinity on Two and a Half Men reconstruct and reinforce the dominance of hegemonic masculinity within our society as the only acceptable performance of manhood. Effeminate masculinity, an alternative masculinity, fails to find legitimate cultural articulation within the show.