[BUFF]ET : Washboard Abs vs. The Dad Bod in Popular Media
It seems that the physique of women and their sexual appeal is something that’s always on full blast in the media. Women and their bodies are the focal point of many films, songs, TV shows and advertisements, and these alternative forms of media definitely send a message about societal standards for beauty. It’s no question that females are constantly under scrutiny for their appearance, but what about the guys? While some people think they get to slip under the radar when it comes to their appearance and what society deems attractive, that most definitely is not the truth.
Just like women, there is a lot of debate over men in media and popular culture; and after careful observation, it isn’t hard to see how Hollywood sets some pretty unrealistic expectations for men. These expectations can be equally as depracating to them and their self esteem, as similar beauty standards are for women. This can be seen through the overwhelming amount of male actors in movies, commercials and other advertisements that boast the wavy hair, washboard abs, chiseled cheekbones and bulging biceps. The worst are probably Superhero films, which not only feature characters whose ‘abs’ are literally carved into their suits, but also boast shirtless shots of the faces behind the masks of characters like Superman, Thor, Captain America and Batman. The newest Marvel f ilm— The Blank Panther — may be among the worst, showing endless scenes of buff, shirtless men.
But aside from the Marvel and DC lead roles, there are plenty of other movies who not only sexualize the male body, but also write in characters, who’s profile resemble an incredibly unrelatable physique. Channing Tatum, Ryan Reynolds, Terry Crews and The Rock Johnson in, well really any of their movies, are a few great examples of these incredibly — and unbelievably — fit.
What’s funny about the roles these actors play is that in order to portray their characters according to the script, most of the time, they have to do a ton of training and stick to a severe diet…meaning…these men don’t actually look like this all the time — except for maybe Crews and The Rock, who are former professional athletes. When talking about buffing up Ryan Reynolds, his trainer Don Saladino even said,
“Preparing for Deadpool 2 meant putting Ryan through a huge bulking phase.”
These, however, are just movie examples. Enter into the advertisements of Old Spice, Calvin Klein and Hollister and you’ll find even more examples of males in better-than incredible shape.
Recently though, to combat this narrative of chiseled chins and washboard abs a phenomenon called the Dad Bod has risen in popularity. After a 2015 Odyssey article released by Mackenzie Pearce entitled, Why Girls Love the Dad Bod, more media has surfaced celebrating “regular” guys. All hail the beer drinking, wing eating, occasional piece of pie type of dude. According to Urban Dictionary, the dad bod is defined in great detail. UD says,
If human bodies were sea mammals, dad bod would be more like a grazing manatee than a speedy dolphin. The dad bod is more mudslide than mountain, more soft serve than sorbet, more sad trombone than clarinet, more mashed potato than skinny fry. The dad bod is built for comfort.
More media is even showcasing the Dad Bod quite frequently. Movies like Knocked Up, Old School and Hall Pass have scenes where their actors have obviously skipped the bulk and gone straight for the buffet.
So, what does it really matter? It matters because it shows how popular media simply reinforces unhealthy ideas surrounding society’s standards for physical attractiveness — and men, despite popular belief, are not exempt. Because, the truth is, neither of these representations of males in media truly encompass the male population. The dialogues that have occurred since Pearson’s Dad Bod article went viral reflect the same controversial conversations surrounding the curvy versus skinny debate over women’s physique. The truth is both often result in body shaming and comparison and can be extremely harmful in how young boys and men see themselves and others.
