James William Gibson

The "action—adventure" genre of film—which features good men defeating bad men in armed combat—exploded in the 1980s, and since that time war and warriors have been increasingly celebrated in American culture. Other trends in popular entertainment, such as the success of authors such as Tom Clancy and his military thriller novels; the growth of warrior magazines such as Soldier of Fortune; rising sales of militarystyle weapons; and the emergence of the "hobby" of paintball, all point to a new "paramilitary culture" that has taken hold in America. These war fantasies can be understood partly as a national reaction to the Vietnam War, but also as a male reaction to the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s and...