Hollywood's Prizefight Films

Violence or 'Jock' Appeal

Bibliographic Data

ID2349612
AuthorsThelma Mccormack (0000-0002-5370-4496, York University, corresponding author)
Year1984
Volume8
Issue2
Pages19-29
Publication date1984-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Sport and Social Issues (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0193-7235 • E-ISSN: 1552-7638
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/019372358400800203
OpenAlexW2161485334
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited6

Many psychological experiments on aggression use prizefight films as their stimuli. This paper questions the use of such films for studies of media agression. Examining prizefight films from 1939 to 1982, it is suggested that they are primarily about 'jock' appeal rather than violence. Jock appeal is defined as male narcissism, and the 'jock' is contrasted with the professional athlete who must be a thinker and organizer as well as a doer. Hollywood, however, prefers the less holistic model of the 'jock' which is easier to comprehend by mass audiences. To the extent that the films deal with violence, it is the contrast between the instrumental violence of the ring and the expressive violence of the fans. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the value of 'jock' appeal in discussions of media experiences, and the relevance of the 'jock' concept in some of the newer films about women athletes

Advertising · Aesthetics · Aggression · Appeal · Art · Art history · Athletes · Criminology · Hollywood · Narcissism · Political science · Relevance (law · Sociology · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports Analytics and Performance · Sports, Gender, and Society

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