Featuring deep dives into thirst traps drag queens Antonio Banderas and telenovelasall in the service of helping us reframe how we talk about desiring menthis insightful memoirinessays is as much a coming of age as a coming out bookManuel Betancourt has long lustfully coveted masculinityin part because he so lacked it As a child in Bogot Colombia he grew up with the social pressure to appear strong manly and ultimately straight And yet in the films and television he avidly watched Betancourt saw glimmers of different possibilities From the stars of telenovelas and the princes of Disney films to pop sensation Ricky Martin and teen heartthrobs in shows like Saved By the Bell he continually found himself asking Do I want him or do I want to be himThe Male Gazed grapples with the thrall of masculinity examining its frailty and its attendant anxieties even as it focuses on its erotic potential Masculinity Betancourt suggests isnt suddenly ripe for deconstructionor even outright