The Viagra Ad Venture: Masculinity, Media, and the Performance of Sexual Health

by Jay Baglia

Since the FDA approved Viagra in March 1998, the «little blue pill» has been prescribed to over twenty million men. The Viagra Ad Masculinity, Media, and the Performance of Sexual Health chronicles the story of Viagra as reported in our nation’s news outlets and promoted by Pfizer Pharmaceutical’s marketing materials. In this critical discourse analysis, author Jay Baglia uses feminist and performance theory to uncover the meaning of Viagra and its relationship to performances of masculinity. At stake are the ways in which we construct normalcy, particularly as it relates to health, sexuality, gender, and the body. This book fits well in a variety of classes including gender studies, media studies, research methods, feminist theory, human sexuality, and health communication.

165 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005