What About the Guys?

When body image is discussed, most students, professors, and family members direct the conversation towards the pressure placed upon women to be “perfect” to be “slim” and polite. Words like anorexia, depression, bulimia, and abuse are commonly spoken. Women are often portrayed as victims of an unfair society, and unattainable standards set by men. Teenage girls tend to be the center of the conversation, mainly because they are viewed as insecure and very impressionable. They are brainwashed by the media to look a certain way and not embrace themselves for who they are. While all this may be true, it is very rare to observe someone sympathizing with the male side of the story. People seem to forget that the phrase “body image” does not solely refer to women. The pressures and influence the media has on body image is seldom thoroughly considered form a man’s point of view.
It is easy to say that men support unfair and unrealistic standards regarding women, but how about the standards women have of men? If an adolescent boy plays sports, he has to be a jock; he is expected to have bulging muscles (guns), and six pack abs. Anyone who has played sports knows that a six pack and guns don’t develop overnight, and certainly not from playing on a town or school sports team. To be in shape a man doesn’t have to be buff, women cannot seem to wrap their heads around that terribly complicated concept. If a man is slim, or muscular he is assumed to be healthy, just as a skinny woman is considered healthy. This assumption is not true, a man with muscles could be a frequent steroid user, and that skinny woman could have crohns, high blood pressure, or an eating disorder. While most frown upon the statement of women, few mention the same stereotype of men.
A more simple misrepresentation of the male gender is that for any man to be tough or attractive he has to play some sort of sport and has to be incapable of discussing his feelings. Society seems to find it difficult to accept a heterosexual man that is open about his feelings. Woman claim they want a sensitive husband, or boyfriend, but the second a boy shows an emotion other then anger he is labeled a “fag” a “homo” he is instantly considered gay. In contrast women laugh and cry as they please, they are unpredictable when it comes to emotions and no one even thinks twice about it.
American men are unable to touch someone of the same sex without having the gay card pulled. If a handshake lasts too long, if a pat on the back is deemed inappropriate by one person, those involved are suddenly gay. Once a man is called homosexual it is very difficult to set things straight (no pun intended.) This is yet another area, in which women are given more leeway, girls hold hands, accompany each other to the bathroom, and hug, without consequence. It is arguably more common for two men who touch to be considered gay, than it is for two women.
Both genders are equally victims to an unrealistic body image; they each go through spurts of self-hate and depression due to the images forced upon them by the media and society itself. People have been brainwashed with slim fast, boflex, and swimsuit models from the time they are able to turn on the radio, watch television, comprehend the images and words on the screen and even look at a newspaper or magazine. Images of slim, blond haired blue eyed hotties haunt the everyday person, not the teenage girl, not the woman with the eating disorder or the one who cuts herself because she can’t stand to look in a mirror. It affects the young boys trying to impress their first girlfriends, the ones that resort to steroids, the ones afraid to show their true emotions. It is disturbing to consider how many people ignore the male side of the story, how many other ill effects of the perfect body image are there that we aren’t even fully aware of because the topic is rarely discussed? Next time body image is discussed don’t be like most students, professors, and family members refrain from directing the conversation towards the pressure placed upon women to be “perfect” to be “slim” and polite, instead look at it from a new perspective, try to consider the hardships men face, you might be shocked.

Thick Chicks

I saw this on deaf poetry jam and thought of class. It's poem about body image...hope you like it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FumRheNXaZQ

This was a history assignment, I had a lot of fun writing it though and figured I'd post it. I know it's very one sided and opinionated, but i'm a strong independant woman, what else would you expect?


The 1920’s, after world war one, were a time of dramatic change in the United States. Citizens had conflicting views on what the nation should do to avoid future issues. Some people concluded that expanding the United States horizons would be beneficial. They praised change, and embraced new ideas. Another common mindset however, was that the United States should go back to the ‘good old days’ before the war. The government should not be involved in business and life should be kept simple. It is evident that change was met with strong opposition, but eventually society enjoyed the fruits of an advancing nation.
One important change that is still relevant in contemporary America is the mass production of automobiles. The vehicle began as a commodity owned only by the wealthy, but Ford (still a major car manufacturer in the 2009) changed all that. Henry Ford produced the Model T or Tin Lizzy; it was a low cost automobile available to most families. The new trend in owning automobiles allowed people to travel longer distances and led to a noticeable decrease in the isolation of rural areas. Ford utilized the assembly line to speed up production rates; The Company was able to brag, “Raw iron ore at the docks at 8:00 Monday morning could be marketed as a complete Ford car on Wednesday noon, allowing 15 hours for shipment.” The quick and cost efficient method of production became a model for General Motors and Chrysler. Ford nearly doubled wages, by reducing the cost of automobiles, staving off unionization.
The new demand for automobiles created new jobs including garage owners, repair technicians and gas station workers. The creation of jobs was vital in post world war one times; factories were inhabited by women, African Americans and immigrants. Those returning from battle were unemployed, these new industries helped lower the unemployment rate. The invention of tractors eliminated the need for draft animals, revolutionizing the way people farmed.
Vehicles have become a requirement in many areas of the United States. While cities tend to provide public transportation, most of those living in small towns buy cars. There is much more variety now, wealthy people might own sports cars, and higher end vehicles like Mercedes Benzes and Audi’s, while middle class citizens drive mediocre cars including Toyotas and Fords. Consumers can choose from a multitude of colors, while you were able to purchase a model T in any color as long as it was black.
One of the most controversial changes in the 1920’s was women’s rights. Women were left to run factories as well as take care of their homes during World War One, thus proving that they were capable of doing a “man’s job.” This eliminated a small portion of the opposition they received. Some extremists called “flappers” emerged in the 1920’s, these women smoked, drank, and dressed in what was considered an inappropriate way. Eventually though, women won the long battle and acquired equal rights. They were able to drink, smoke, dress how they pleased, work, and go to school.
It took approximately seventy years for women just to gain the right to vote. They were met with strong opposition. Although women were allowed to work the government tried to regulate their hours, stating women could only work ten hours. Once women cleared that hurdle they were forced to work for unfair wages of at least fifty percent less than the average man. Women faced severe discrimination, and had extreme difficulties breaking into certain fields such as science and law. Unfortunately some women were unable to enjoy their rights, because they had been suffocated with the idea of making babies and staying at home. Society pushed them into silence and they became so complacent to their husbands that they were incapable of enjoying their newfound freedoms; the idea was too much to handle. The mindset that women belonged in a house taking care of children, cooking and cleaning poisoned them destroying the free spirit inside.
Although women were awarded equal rights in the 1920’s they still face difficulties on some fields. Women are not allowed to play baseball; they are segregated and must play the female version of the game, softball. They are not able to play football either. Although there is decent reasoning behind these rules, they are arguably unfair. Women are constantly discriminated against in nontraditional fields, such as carpentry, welding, automotive, and plumbing. If a woman wants a job in any of those industries, they have to grow a tough skin before even considering entering the workforce. The juxtaposition of women in the 1920’s and the early 2000’s is astonishing. The lives of those about 90 years ago are the polar opposite of those alive today. It was only seventy years ago that women were not allowed the same rights as men. They could not choose a career, or dress how they wished. Society has advanced tremendously, and is finally allowing women to take their rightful places in the world.
World War One was a tragic event; it generated a deep fear of change and communism. Despite its obvious negative effects (deaths, fear, etc.) the war sparked many advances in technology, industry, and individuals rights. It is understandable why some individuals were against change, yet society is much better off because it was accepted. The automotive industry is now an important part of the business world, and the pure food and drug act still protects consumers from contaminated food, and unlabeled substances. I enjoy women’s rights every day, I go to school and have chosen to study automotive technology. When I turn eighteen I plan on registering to vote, I am free to dress however I like and absolutely refuse to allow someone to tell me they are better simply based on gender. It took a lot of reasoning for the United States to decide what to do after the war, but they did in fact make the right choice.