Body Image Issues in Men

When people think of beauty ideals, many of their minds jump to thin women on magazine covers and beauty queens in glittering crowns. While the beauty industry certainly targets women (or feminine-expressing people) through makeup and clothing, men are also targeted in other ways. It’s true that as a society we have made great strides against body shaming in women, and we still have a long way to go. It is important, though, that while we continue to promote body positivity in women, we do so with men as well.

If we task ourselves to think of the “ideal” guy, chances are that image has been altered by the media in some way. This is not much different from the ideals we hold for women. Think of the saying, “tall, dark, and handsome”. This is a common saying from previous generations that was meant to describe the dream guy, and it has stayed alive through the media. These three little words leave lots of men out of the running, though.

Tall, Dark, and Handsome

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In the past, the most successful men in media seemed to fit that mold perfectly: stars like George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Denzel Washington to name a few. If you’re not convinced yet, think of the leading man in any movie you’ve seen today: Chris Evans, Dwayne Johnson, and Bradley Cooper among others. They all qualify as conventionally attractive if we use the phrase “tall, dark, and handsome” as our metric. It is evident, then, that the media (including movies and TV) all influence our idea of the “perfect” man, and this has not changed in decades.

In the video above, several men confessed their insecurities about their bodies. One of them mentioned a phrase that stuck to me. I had heard the phrase “tall, dark, and handsome” or some version of it before, and suddenly I remembered where I recognized it from. It was in one of the earlier episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants called “The Chaperone”. In this episode, SpongeBob completely reinvents himself in order to fit in at Pearl’s high school prom. I mention this because, even as a young kid, I remembered what his goal was: to be like Pearl’s popular ex-boyfriend, “Mr. Long, Tan, and Handsome”. He was also influenced by a magazine that went by that same name. In the end, by pretending to be something he wasn’t, SpongeBob only embarrassed himself.

This phrase, which has become the standard for male attractiveness, was also one of the first things uttered in the video above. The men go into detail about how this standard has affected their body image.

Here are some of the main concerns they mentioned:

• Not being athletic enough
• Being shorter than average
• Being too skinny
• Being too fat

Now, I’m sure you recognize some of the things on that list—regardless of your gender identity. Many of us worry about the same things, when in truth, it is okay for our bodies to look different. So, we know this already. Why do we still care?

Men & Media

Well, the most obvious reason is that we perpetuate these impossible standards through media. All the time. In the same video I mentioned earlier, one of the guys jokingly cites an Old Spice commercial as the source of his insecurity. In this commercial (above), actor Isaiah Mustafa asks viewers to compare his body to that of their boyfriend. This is a big ask; his abs have been visibly spray-painted to enhance their appearance. No man would ever have abs that defined, even if they exercised regularly. Yet, the commercial suggests that the actor’s appearance is precisely what makes him a man. That, and the fact that he uses Old Spice, of course.

Another example of this comes from the movie “The 300” (2007). Pictured above, this film starred Gerard Butler in the role of the Spartan warrior, King Leonidas. The workout that Gerard and his fellow castmates used while preparing for the film became popular shortly after the movie’s release. Regular men around the world were now following “The 300 Workout”. However, even with this workout regimen, no average man would be able reap the same results as Gerard Butler did. Not unless they were following a strict diet and working out for several hours a day. This is simply unrealistic for the average man (unless they plan on starring as a Spartan war hero anytime soon).

So, what do we think of those men that don’t fit the mold? In the film “Accepted” (2006), Jonah Hill’s character seems awkward, embarrassing, and weak when we compare him to the rest of the cast. If you’ve ever seen a Jonah Hill film, you know his characters have the same “loser” quality that makes him likeable. This is a popular Hollywood trope in which the “fat guy” serves as the film’s comic relief, but he is never really taken seriously. He’s certainly not seen as a man, even though that’s what he is. Instead, he’s just the loveable-but laughable-guy. This tells men that they can only be the protagonist if they look a certain way. They shouldn’t be confident or too assertive if their body mass index is above a certain range. Of course, one would hope that their physical attributions never overshadow their personality.

Having Realistic Expectations

In the end, it’s important to remind ourselves and others that media can alter our sense of reality. For men, women, and non-binary people alike, it can be difficult to look like the people we see on our TVs and phones—and this is just fine. How can we can combat such unattainable ideals when they’ve been in place for so long? We can do so by promoting body positivity for all and by recognizing the media’s high potential for idealization. And most of all, treat everyone with kindness!

Author: Katherine Castro