Real Men Don't Sing

Crooning in American Culture

By: Allison McCracken

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Hardcover | 25 September 2015

At a Glance

Hardcover
444 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.9 x 15.2

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$343.75

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The crooner Rudy Vallee's soft, intimate, and sensual vocal delivery simultaneously captivated millions of adoring fans and drew harsh criticism from those threatened by his sensitive masculinity. Although Vallee and other crooners reflected the gender fluidity of late-1920s popular culture, their challenge to the Depression era's more conservative masculine norms led cultural authorities to stigmatize them as gender and sexual deviants. In Real Men Don't Sing Allison McCracken outlines crooning's history from its origins in minstrelsy through its development as the microphone sound most associated with white recording artists, band singers, and radio stars. She charts early crooners' rise and fall between 1925 and 1934, contrasting Rudy Vallee with Bing Crosby to demonstrate how attempts to contain crooners created and dictated standards of white masculinity for male singers. Unlike Vallee, Crosby survived the crooner backlash by adapting his voice and persona to adhere to white middle-class masculine norms. The effects of these norms are felt to this day, as critics continue to question the masculinity of youthful, romantic white male singers. Crooners, McCracken shows, not only were the first pop stars: their short-lived yet massive popularity fundamentally changed American culture.

Industry Reviews

"[A] rich, intriguing account of how microphone-assisted heartthrobs won over American ears in the early 20th century." -- Ann Powers * NPR Book Concierge *
"A painstakingly researched book, sure in its thesis and apt in its presentation, this versatile study is of immediate appeal to those interested in music but will also be a valuable resource for those in gender studies, African American studies, American studies, and all concentrations of history. Highly recommended. All readers." -- J. Neal * Choice *
"... marvelous... The author's evidently deep research increases the pleasure of reading the book-and creates a nagging desire to stop reading it to seek out clips from the movies and songs she discusses." -- Art Blake * Journal of Popular Music Studies *
"As befits an academic author, McCracken is primarily concerned with the social aspects of the phenomenon, especially the sexual implications as the style developed in the late 1920s. ... Recommended for readers interested in American social history, popular culture, popular music, and gender studies." -- Bruce R. Schueneman * Library Journal *
"Real Men Don't Sing: Crooning in American Culture is an excellent book. Those looking for ways to blend modern theory, historical context, and popular culture (in this case music and film) would do well to use McCracken's work as a model. She tackles many complex issues, from queer theory to technology and its impact, in a way that's readable and succinct." -- Kenneth J. Bindas * American Historical Review *
"[A] stunning account of crooning and the development of American pop." -- Charles L. Hughes * American Quarterly *
"Real Men Don't Sing is a forcefully argued and thoroughly engaging book that would be an ideal text in courses on popular culture or gender and the body." -- Maxine Leeds Craig * Men and Masculinities *

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