Bigger, Stronger, Faster*

In the hopes of exploring American culture's increased obsession with winning, documentary filmmaker Christopher Bell examines the anabolic steroid use of his two brothers. After setting the stage with a look at the cultural backdrop of the 1980s -- in which hulky stars like Sylvester Stallone and ...more

Hyper-masculine heroes abound in the United States. Muscled men, whether movie stars or world-renowned athletes, are looked to by boys—and perhaps even some young women—as emblems of strength, success, and the promise of grandeur in American culture. But when truth uncovers the moral and physical fallibility of these individuals, once celebrated figures are often quickly cut down by the public which built up their majesty to begin with. Consider Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, baseball record ...more