Welcome to Season 3, Episode 10 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this chapter of Michael Kimmel’s "The Gendered Society," we dive into the world of media—where gender isn’t just portrayed, but actively constructed, commodified, and reinforced through everything from magazines to video games.

Chapter 10 investigates how media both mirrors and manufactures gender norms, shaping the cultural stories we tell about masculinity and femininity. Kimmel analyzes the divide between “his” and “hers” media—where male-dominated spaces often resist female presence, and women’s media continues to emphasize beauty, romance, and domesticity. Despite the rise of digital media and increasingly diverse platforms, the underlying power dynamics remain deeply gendered. This episode explores how media representations uphold stereotypes, maintain male privilege, and subtly shape our perceptions of identity, desire, and social roles. We also look at how younger generations are navigating—and sometimes challenging—these norms in the digital age.