Just like plenty of things over the course of human history, the “ideal” man has changed many times over the decades. Take 16th-19th century Europe, for example: when young men were expected to have received a substantial amount of dance training to develop their lower body. They would pose for portraits with their calves pointed out, and while the modern myth is that they were displaying their calves like some sort of Baroque mating call, it was actually meant to accentuate their hips. This fascination would carry over to early America as well, before the advent of Hollywood in the early 20th century. These were your Clark Gables, Cary Grants, and Gregory Pecks: lean and clean-shaven with taut haircuts either gelled back with product or left untouched for a more rugged, windswept look. This archetype still holds power today—you’ve never seen James Bond with a beard—but is no longer the dominant one. The leading men of today capture the screen with rolling abs, popping pecs, and bulging biceps all packed into a few tight knit cashmere sweaters. Michael B. Jordan in Without Remorse, Henry Cavill in Justice League, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in…well anything! Celebrities like these are the current models that young men have to look up to, and while they are not the only ones, they’re certainly the most popular. But how healthy is that?
The first thing to address is our cultural fascination with the transformed body. When Chris Pratt went from schlubby simpleman Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation to stacked interplanetary playboy Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy, the internet nearly lit itself on fire. Not only did his stock as an actor increase, it was as though his perceived worth as a human being shot up too, merely because of his perceived desirability. A similar thing happened with John Krasinski, who got toned to portray a Navy SEAL in 2015, offering a noticeable enough distinction from his unremarkable physique as Jim Halpert to land him the cover photo of Men’s Health. Most recently the phenomenon has landed on Kumail Nanjiani, who posted this photo in 2019 to herald his role in Marvel’s Eternals. There’s certainly a pattern in Hollywood to take actors (usually comedic) who are primarily known for their sexlessness and turn them into beefcakes. And without fail, part of the associated press explosion is a bottomless curiosity about just how these actors did it. There’s always a big production about the studio hiring all-star trainers and dieticians as a resource for the actors, who spend a grueling six hours in the gym five days a week while memorizing lines and conducting rehearsals. It’s pitched as a dream job, but really sounds more like a nightmare. And all the hard work rhetoric could be dangerously misleading.
As an actor myself I understand the benefit of undertaking some physical change to inhabit a character, especially a superhero. It all goes toward helping you feel more truthful. But I think the way mainstream media covers these transformations is extremely unhealthy because it’s teaching young men that these types of physiques are achievable within a short period of time and sustainable over a long period of time when that is simply not always the case. It could wreak havoc on individual self-worth. I’m 23 years old and still struggling with accepting my body as is while considering what changes I could make to become healthier and feel stronger, all while trying to make sure that desire from change is not motivated by outside factors. It is a lot to juggle, and the noise from popular culture doesn’t always help.
The obsession with physique has also led to another unhealthy phenomenon that must be addressed: increased PED use. Much like plastic surgery, PEDs are another method in which people are trying to tap into the fountain of youth or rapidly change their body image. In a rudimentary sense, PEDs are stimulants that help the body grow more muscle more quickly. They can increase your focus during sets so you’re less easily distracted, lengthen your endurance so you can do more of those sets, and ramp up your speed so you complete those sets faster. There are plenty of medicinal uses for anabolic steroids and similar PEDs, but in addition, there are plenty of potentially adverse side effects ranging from heightened displays of aggression and irrationality to liver damage and circulatory impediments.
In the end, a friend of mine said something recently that I think summarizes this all beautifully: do what makes you feel good. Your body will tell you when it doesn’t like something, and there is a difference between positive and negative pain. Don’t jump into high-octane workout regimens or dump hundreds into some miraculous protein powder and mess with your body chemistry. Follow your instinctual habits and never make a move your body doesn’t agree with. Your body will thank you for it, and your confidence will skyrocket once you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything you do is because you want to do it.
For more info, watch this dope YouTube video by Macabre Storytelling that was a huge part of my education on PEDs.
