Jasmine Peterson wonders why so many big men want to be bigger.
As a student of Psychology, I have developed a particular fascination with the gender binary, hegemonic masculinity and femininity, body image, and media representations of bodies. I spend a lot of time deconstructing images that I see in media, and deconstructing the things people say when they speak about bodies (much to the constant chagrin of everyone around me).
It seems that discussions about the pervasive objectification of the female body have become part of popular discourse; most people are at least peripherally aware of the role of media in pervasively objectifying the female body, of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, and of the significant role that our Western beauty ideal plays in their development. Body dissatisfaction in females is so common that it has come to be referred to as a ‘normative discontent’. Part of my fascination with body image and constructions of gender stems from this reality – I want, through my research and studies, to find ways to fight back against this systemic attack on body image in females and males.
What doesn’t seem to be acknowledged at the cultural level is the rise in body image dissatisfaction among men over the last several decades. Men have become increasingly concerned with muscularity, the idea that they are never big enough. And, like others who struggle with body image and disordered eating, males are increasingly engaging in unhealthy behaviours – like excessive exercise and unhealthy eating behaviours – in their pursuit of muscularity.
Where does this drive to be bigger, faster, stronger come from? Internalization of body ideals happens in early childhood – young children learn through images, the toys they play with, and through social interactions about ideal bodies. Children’s action figures have bodies that have become impossibly large over the past forty years (their proportions exceed those of even the largest body builders – as untenable as Barbie’s body type); characters in children’s shows have gotten progressively (and excessively) larger over the years, and the male form in advertisements and film, much like highly unrepresentative female bodies, has become one that is attainable by only very few. Given this trend, it isn’t overly surprising that there is a rise in men’s body dissatisfaction.
But why this shift in media representations, and the hypermasculinization and hypermuscularity? I have my hypotheses about these shifts. Our knowledge about the world and about ourselves is dependent upon the social and historical contexts in which we live. We’re living in a time where women have gained privilege and power – shifting social dynamics, where we’re vying for jobs traditionally done by men; encouraging men to take over their share of household duties (my partner will laugh at this, because he’s forever after me to do my share; I’m working on it) and sharing parenting responsibilities. Manhood has come to be defined through large, active bodies; it’s a means of gender differentiation (it is particularly interesting to examine the phenomenon of male bodies taking up more space and female bodies simultaneously occupying less physical space in idealized images). Muscularity signifies male power, renounces feminine ‘weakness’, signifies attractiveness, and is associated with strength, dominance, sexual virility, and self-esteem.
My partner and I have conversed about male bodies a great deal. He enjoys working out, and he’s extremely muscular. In conversations, however, he always talks about a desire to be ‘bigger’, a need to be bigger. I haven’t been able to comprehend this need; I think he’s a large man (nearly six feet tall, he towers over my less than five foot frame), and he’s well-defined. Other men often admire his build and marvel over his definition. Yet he still talks about being not big enough.
When we were talking about muscularity just this evening he made an insightful comment – one that I hadn’t considered, and one that makes a great deal of sense. He talked about the utility of the male body: “men like me desire muscles for one reason only: utility”
For him, muscularity isn’t about aesthetics. This idea of utility is logical – when grownups talk to young boys, emphasis is placed on agency, abilities, and the utility of their bodies. Boys are described with adjectives like “strong”, “fast”, “tough”; this provides boys with the message that their bodies are utile. Perhaps this is particularly important for certain men in defining their masculinity (because masculinity is enacted differently in different circumstances – dependent on socioeconomic status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.). Masculinity isn’t static, but fluid, and different aspects of masculinity will be valued depending on one’s position in culture. My partner is a labourer, so he covets his muscularity for the agency it brings him, the ability to lift and move objects, and to do his job well.
I am by nature a scientist, inquisitive about natural phenomena. I am intrigued by the pursuit of ideal bodies, in the ways these body image ideals can be positive expressions of self, and the ways in which they can become pathological or detrimental to health. I am interested in both the constraints and strengths that result from gender constructions.
My conclusion thus far: there are aspects of both masculinity and femininity that are positive, and some that inhibit or constrain us. For some, the pursuit of muscularity might be harmful, and for others it might be a positive experience. For some, perhaps a mixture of both.
—Photo tinou bao/Flickr
About Jasmine Peterson
Isn’t hypermuscularity on a decline? The orange colored professional bodybuilder is something from the 70s, now part of a bizarre subculture of oversized strongmen like… weightlifters. Next to them there are countless yoga-p90x practitioners which aim for a total different image. Just compare the Mr. Universe contest with the Ironman contest. Or compare toys of now and then. The redesigned “He-Man” of today looks like the macrobiotic brother of his steroid 80s counterpart.
“Men have become increasingly concerned with muscularity…”
Because masculinity is under attack, and has been for the last couple of decades. You think the rise of man-hate and metro’s, and the rise of men wanting to be bigger don’t corelate? These generations raised by women, to dislike everything “man”, will back fire big time.
I don’t see that masculinity has been under attack. Culture is always shifting, and there has been an increased attention to the limitations of the gender binary, but masculinity has never come under fire. You’re saying ‘metrosexuals’ are somehow attacking masculinity, or manhood, by simply existing? How is it that ‘metrosexual’ cannot also be masculine? It’s this sort of narrow thinking about what masculinity is that is highly problematic.
And sure, men can be subject to misandry, just like women are subject to misogyny. But that isn’t the same as ‘attacking masculinity’. Masculinity is a construct; it shifts over time and across cultures. It is not static. I’ve been raised in this culture, and I’ve not seen the dislike of everything ‘male’ that you are suggesting exists. Again, there is certainly some misandry, but to suggest that it’s a wholesale attack on manhood is a generalization, and quite inaccurate. The desire for muscularity is far more nuanced than what you’re suggesting. Perhaps it is a factor for you, personally, but that doesn’t mean that it is a cultural-wide relationship between men and muscularity.
“I don’t see that masculinity has been under attack” Of course you don”t. Being a hard core Feminist, anything that knocks men down a peg it also advances womens’ privilage and that’s a good thing,right? As little as 3 years ago, the men to women suicide ratio was 3:1 . Now it’s estimated at 12:1. It’s estiniated that 70 men take their life every day. (I personally think that’s an undercount) Actually, there’s an article in todays New York Post (Feb. 14). It seema another N.Y.P.D. officer swallowed a round from his service gun . That makes 4 this year. All male of course so don’t expect anyone to get too upset about it. So I guess going to the gym to bulk up is a good alternative. No, it doesn’t give you anymore status in modern soceity, but at least you feel more masculine.
There is a difference between what you’re talking about and an attack on masculinity. It is the construct of masculinity that is limiting to men and contributes to health issues like suicide. As a student in Clinical Psychology, I am highly concerned about issues like suicidality in males.
It seems to me that you’re asserting that men are under attack; not masculinity. I don’t see that as the case either. Masculinity contributes the issues men experience, just as constructions of femininity can be inhibiting to women. It is my concern about the manners in which the construct of masculinity is inhibiting to males – and leads to things like higher rates of suicidality, decreased health behaviours, limited emotionality, etc. – and that is why I open up conversations about masculinity as a construct and its impact on human beings.
By the way, feminism isn’t about “knocking men down a peg”. And no, it’s decidedly not a good thing when men are torn down.
So you claim that male suicides can be attributed to the “male construct”. So how has the “male construct”changed so radically as to cause a 400% spike in just a few short years? Your a student of Clinical Psycology, so you must know the 2 overiding factors in most suicides , despair and hopelessness. your down and out and there doesn’t look like there’s anyway up, but there is a way out(this does not come fron any “Clinical Studies” but from experience). Feminist all pay lip service to this problem(whe’re studing the problem). Meanwhile, the 2 cornerstones of N.O.W. , Solanis and Drowkin , advocated reducing the male population to “10% of current levels”. Look, I realize I’m debating with an Idealouge so let me leave you with this, I don’t know your boyfriend so I can’t say why he pumps the iron. All i know is for me, it’s theraputic, the gym is one place I’m allowed to “Be a Man”.
Firstly, I’ve not said that male suicides can be attributed to the male construct. Suicide (not preceded by any gender) is a complex phenomenon that is characterized by hopelessness and emotional pain; it is not about death so much about escaping pain. One cannot narrowly attribute suicide rates of either gender to one specific cause. The issue is far more nuanced than what you’ve presented here.
I am getting really tired of anti-feminists asserting to me what feminism is about. I am a feminist. I am part of the feminist movement and I have never myself, nor heard any fellow feminists, ever suggest that decreasing the male population is a solution to anything. Just because VERY FEW people who identify as feminists might have made such absurd claims does not mean this is representative of feminism. Go beyond the internet if you want to know what feminism is about.
I am not commenting so much on the act of working out, here. Exercise is really inherently therapeutic for most people. What the piece is getting at is the pursuit of muscularity, the drive to be bigger. This is certainly tied into constructions of masculinity.
And just a final point – the best way to make a point is probably not by insulting someone. I am not an ideologue. I do adhere to feminist ideology, but I am not uncompromising in this; I am interested in the perspectives of others, and I actively seek out information from other ideological perspectives to inform my own position. If I were an ideologue, you wouldn’t find me on GMP at all, where I’ve encountered some serious anti-feminist sentiment and a resistance to even hearing me out by many of the commenters because of their preconceived notions of feminism.
First off, it’s YOU who said” It is the construct of masculinity that is limlting to men and contributes to health issues like suicide.” Despite all the fancy words and phrases you throw out there, you still didn’t answer the question, why the 400% spike in male suicides? You go to class and take good notes and think youy know what it’s like to “be on the edge”. Well lady, until you sit in the dark with a .357 Python in your hand with 2 rounds (just in case the first ones a misfire) well, you know NOTHING! Oh, by the way, it’s the president of YOUR orginization who called Valarie Solanis and Andera Dworkin the cornorstones oe the feminist movement.
You’ve clearly taken my comment out of context. It was in reply to your initial concerns – and it was a commentary on how masculinity contributes (not causes) such phenomena. Also, assume nothing about me as a person/student of clinical psychology. You cannot assert that I’ve not had similar experiences given that you have no knowledge of my life circumstances. Furthermore, clinicians, whether they’ve experienced suicidality or not, actually do have a great deal of insight into the issue particularly in terms of best practice in preventing suicide with clients. So it’s a slippery slope type of argument to suggest that just because someone is in the position of ‘expert’ means that they cannot understand.
President of MY organization? If by organization you mean feminism, then you’ve got a misconception right from the start about feminism – it’s not an organization; it’s a movement. I’m not a member of any organization that is headed by a president. The one organization I have been a member of had no president; it was a collective feminist organization. So I’m not sure precisely what it is you’re getting at. Rather than denouncing feminism outright, perhaps it would be more productive to listen to the things different feminists are saying. You might find the ideas are much more congruent with your own than you realize.
You still won’t answer my question, will you? You dance around it so i post it again. How do you explain the 400% spike in male suicides? You say that you too have felt the cold steel against the roof of your mouth. If that’s true, then you know the suffocating feeling of dispair and hopelessness. The orginization I’m reffering to is the National Orginization of Women. If your the “card carring feminist” you clain to be , I’m sure you heard of them.
You must stop putting ‘words in my mouth’, so to speak. I did not say that I have ‘felt the cold st eel against the roof of [my] mouth”. However, it is remiss to assume that I’ve not had experiences or personal knowledge of suicidality. And to be clear, I am not skirting your question; I was responding to your assertions and your misinterpretations of what I was saying.
Also, a cursory search of the literature suggests that your ’400%’ increase is a very exaggerated number. I’m not going to delve into an explanation of such an increase because it would be a multifaceted discussion, and it would require a great deal of literature review. It’s also not pertinent to the actual discussion at hand – masculinity and muscularity. (Not that it isn’t a worthwhile discussion; it’s just not related to this article).
Being a feminist does not mean I am a member of the National Organization for Women. I’ve not claimed myself to be a ‘card carrying feminist’, and one doesn’t require membership to any organization to be feminist in orientation. I can’t say I’m overly familiar with NOW, other than what I’ve heard/read of it in passing. So again, you’ve made assumptions of who I am and what feminism means to me, without taking the time to perhaps ask, rather than assume.
“A curosy search of the literature suggests that your 400% increase is a very exaggerated number” Then check out Lauren Hales’ article right here in the GMP ‘Depression, Anger ,Suicide and Men’ . You’ll find the stats I quoted from Dr. Will Courtenay Phd. You say it’s” not pertinent”, but it’s what keeps me going to the gym. I go for 2-21/2 hours 3x a week . I go until I cant stand steady, until I almost pass out, and feel vindication for surviving. The fact that i’ve gained 20lbs. of muscle while losing 50lbs. of weight is perhaps validation for what I do. But it’s the thrill of surviving the workout that keeps me coming back. Finally, it’s been my experience there are 2 basic types of feminist , the ones who hate men (and no, I don’t think your one of them) and the ones who want to help, change, train us (which is why I suppose we are constantly being compared to dogs)
What a narrow, limited view that is. That would be like me saying that there are only two types of men: misogynists and anti-feminists. That would be a pretty inhibiting view of men, and doesn’t serve anyone well. I do not hate men, nor do I know feminists who do. I do not want to change men. Again, branch out from the internet if you at all want to know what feminism is really about.
An episode came out recently on Nightly News about the reverse, boys and men developing anorexia.
http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/22/10477185-boys-dying-to-be-thin-the-new-face-of-anorexia
I was surprised that it seems to strike high achievers and then when I thought of it, it totally made sense. It’s a good thing I’m a slacker.
Yes, anorexia certainly impacts males, as well. Perfectionistic tendencies, for either gender, is highly associated with this disorder. The group of men with the highest prevalence of disordered eating has been horse jockeys. However, it isn’t surprising to me that males are increasingly occupied with thinness, given the current discourses on “healthy” bodies and appropriate bodies. Which is why we really need to move away from such language and body shaming, because it’s not resulting in healthier people, but rather in mental anguish and unhealthy behaviours in the pursuit of ideal bodies.
I’m a bisexual male that enjoys being on the receiving end when being sexual with a male. Because of this I’m inclined to try to be more feminine. Yet, I still date women also, and I feel pressure to build up a bit of muscle. Even though I’m thin and it is difficult for me to build muscle, I’ve been able to build a thin athletic physique. At the moment I’m thinner, but I feel the urge to build muscle. I’m having trouble deciding.
That’s actually very interesting, and something I didn’t really explore in this particular article, but research has shown that there is greater pressure on homosexual males to attain a culturally sanctioned ‘attractive’ body. I’m not sure if there is research on bisexual individuals (I find that often the research in that population is greatly lacking). For me, I tend to like to do things only for myself, so if I’m feeling pressure to change the appearance of my body to attract others, I avoid that. I exercise only because it feels good, I eat because I’m hungry, and I focus on how my body feels at any given time, rather than on how others perceive it or how it looks. I rather enjoy my relationship with my body, and I find that having grown to love it unconditionally, it doesn’t matter to me what others think of my appearance.
I, as a woman, actually really enjoy weightlifting and building muscle. I don’t think that it is the antithesis of feminine. It feels good and feminine people do, after all, also have muscles.