Society & Culture / Sociology / Social Research & Ethnography

Dude, You're a Fag: The Shocking Truth About High School Masculinity

Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School

C.J. Pascoe

Why do high school boys constantly call each other 'fag' even when they aren't gay? C.J. Pascoe spent 18 months inside a California high school and uncovered a brutal social ritual that has nothing to do with sexuality. This video breaks down her jaw-dropping findings: how 'fag discourse' functions as a weapon to police masculinity, why straight boys perform hyper-masculine and even homoerotic acts without losing status, and what happens to girls who try to enter this power game. If you survived high school, this will make you see your past in a completely new light. Based on the groundbreaking book 'Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School' by C.J. Pascoe, a sociologist who exposes the hidden rules of teenage manhood.