About Stories of Men

We are your hub for exploring relational manhood and finding examples of it in our entertainment.

Stories of Men is a community-driven project dedicated to changing the way we think about masculinity in media. Using the Men in Media (MIM) test, we (and you!) evaluate movies and TV shows based on how they portray male characters — specifically, whether those characters demonstrate relational manhood or if they uphold or question dominance-based masculinity.

We believe that the stories we consume shape the way we understand ourselves and each other. By highlighting media that portrays healthier models of masculinity, we hope to contribute to a cultural shift toward more authentic, connected, and compassionate ways of being a man.

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2026 Men in Media Research Project

Equimundo, the Geena Davis Institute (GDI), and Stories of Men founder Stephanie Tholand have joined forces to finalize the Men in Media (MIM) test, building on Tholand’s initial version developed in 2024. Led by GDI, we are applying the MIM test to a large sample of popular movies, TV shows, video games, and vlogger content from 2024-2025. The study’s results will be published in June 2026. Stay tuned!
The Stories of Men website is unaffiliated with and run independently from the 2026 Men in Media project.