Unrealistic Male Beauty Standards Are Just As Hurtful

The (in)famous lingerie and clothing brand Victoria’s Secret recently announced an overhaul in their image and beauty standards. After years of criticism, the brand has decided to chuck the Angel Wings and rope in a whole new slew of ambassadors, ranging from Priyanka Chopra to Megan Rapinoe.

Most are not buying, no pun intended, as the move comes after years of declining sales, which is ultimately what many believe VS cares about.

However, the move has put the conversation around beauty standards back to the forefront. Revolutionary fashion brands such as Rihanna’s Fenty brand, and countless small businesses have always put body positivity and inclusivity in the forefront.

The fact that one of the most unattainable brands of all time is finally caving in shows how hard the tide has turned. As good and important this is, it is time that men too, are able to join the body positivity movement freely.

Tall, Dark, and Handsome

Apart from the quips and action-driven scenes, Marvel movies have something else that has become more or less a staple – the scene of the shirtless hero.

It happened during Captain America’s transition to a superhero, it happened in Thor, multiple times, and it happened to Chris Pratt, turning the once-lovable sitcom goof into a Marvel hero of the ideal beauty standards.

Though women face the pressure to look a certain way much more, it does not mean that men are exempt from the standard. One very common way this manifests is in height issues.

Social media is rife with TikToks and Reels and whatnot of women playfully going for problematic men if they are tall enough, or rejecting boys who are shorter than a certain benchmark (usually anywhere less than 5″10). It is surely all in jest, but it is harmful nevertheless.

There has been a dramatic up shoot in the number of men opting for painful and expensive surgeries to grow their height, just by a few inches, to cross that magical 5″1o barrier.

The problem is even more pervasive than what one might realize. Teenage years are hard on everyone, with both boys and girls undergoing rapid and unexpected changes in their bodies.

Yet, teenage boys are far more likely to be pegged as ‘gross’ for bodily attributes that they cannot play any role in, such as acne, body odor, lack of musculature, or emerging body hair.

Do You Even Lift, Bro?

Gymming is a way of life for many, and it is a very worthy hobby. To dedicate oneself to a lifestyle of discipline and physical hard work requires considerable mental effort, and it is certainly no easy feat. But, we need to stop pretending that every man who goes to the gym and looks ripped is healthy.

Again, social media is partly a culprit. Just try searching the hashtags gymlife, gymbro, or fitness on any social media, and see how many million results you get. Going to the gym is no longer about being fit – it is about being fit and putting it on social media. That’s where the problem comes from.

Firstly, those who begin sharing such photos on social media live under the constant pressure of maintaining, or even enhancing that image. It doesn’t take long for somebody to comment on how your legs are still twigs, or how your abs look less defined than they did a few weeks ago.

These posts also become a source of strain for others. ‘If they are doing it, it means I have to do it to’ is the argument that many men hear in their heads.

Of course, we never see the whole truth online. Getting in shape surely needs effort, but it needs less effort from those who have the time and money to invest. A person who works forty to fifty hours a week may not have the strength or resources to get to a gym, but all they see on social media is a mocking of their weak limbs.

Beauty standards on social media will always be unrealistic, because the focus is not on inner beauty of the self.

The Never Ending Scrutiny

There is no escaping beauty standards, and that is the harsh reality. People will always judge each other based on looks, and look for partners and even friends based on who they find attractive. That is a human truth, one that has been a part of our society since ancient times.

What has changed now however is that this scrutiny is near constant. You cannot go anywhere without things being advertised to you by chiseled men in underwear selling only who knows what. Social media is a constant comparison fest, and even dating websites have filters based on beauty standards.

Perhaps the most dangerous of these ridiculous expectations is that of sudden and extreme makeovers. Women have their fair share of lithe-bodied influencers promising flat abs and small thighs in a week. But men too, have everything from magazines to YouTube gym bros promising them abs and biceps in no time at all.

This promise of having everything within your reach so quickly and easily is simply a scam. Even if the transformation happens, how long will it last? And more importantly, how much will it damage your body and psyche to get there?

Beauty standards will never really go away, but we can control how much they impact us. It is high time that we stop expecting all men to look like Wolverine, who, by the way, looks like that only because of extreme dehydration.