The Siposium: Man Up? The Culture Wars Behind America's Favorite Sport

Ever wish your favorite NPR segment came with trivia, drinks, and real conversation?Welcome to The Siposium—a live, interactive gathering where we deep dive into surprisingly niche topics with expert guests, thoughtful dialogue, and just enough irreverence to keep it fun.Think NPR-style curiosity, casual community vibes, and real-time interaction. With drinks.

This Month: Man Up? The Culture Wars Behind America's Favorite Sport

Is football making men—or breaking them? Throughout the 20th century, American football was more than a game; it became a cultural battleground for defining masculinity. This event explores how debates over football's physicality, violence, and moral value reflected broader tensions about what it means to be a man in America. Was the sport a proving ground for courage and character—or a dangerous relic of outdated ideals? From locker rooms to living rooms, the contest over football's place in American culture reveals the evolving story of masculine identity, and the powerful role sports play in shaping our collective values and symbols.

Speaker Bio: John Rochford is a PhD candidate at The Ohio State University. His primary interest involves exploring martial masculinity and the relationship/s, continuities, and discontinuities between affect, masculine ideology, and masculine behavior in the context of soldiering in wartime.

*By purchasing tickets here you are agreeing to the terms and conditions outlined at thesiposium.com.

Host or Publisher The Siposium