For most of the twentieth century, the “Mr.
America” image epitomized muscular manhood. From humble beginnings in
1939 at a small gym in Schenectady, New York, the Mr. America Contest
became the world’s premier bodybuilding event over the next thirty
years.
Rooted in ancient Greek virtues of health, fitness, beauty, and
athleticism, it showcased some of the finest specimens of American
masculinity. Interviewing nearly one hundred major figures in the
physical culture movement (including twenty-five Mr. Americas)
and incorporating copious printed and manuscript sources, John D. Fair
has created the definitive study of this iconic phenomenon. Revealing
the ways in which the contest provided a model of functional and fit
manhood, Mr. America captures the event’s path
to idealism and its slow descent into obscurity. As the 1960s marked a
turbulent transition in American society—from the civil rights movement
to the rise of feminism and increasing acceptance of homosexuality—Mr.
America changed as well. Exploring the influence
of other bodily displays, such as the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia
contests and the Miss America Pageant, Fair focuses on commercialism,
size obsession, and drugs that corrupted the competition’s original
intent. Accessible and engaging, Mr. America is a compelling
portrayal of the glory days of American muscle.
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