Male Body Image: The Construction of the Perfect Body in the Twentieth Century

Month: February 2018

“Fitness Craze Sweeps the Nation”

This video may end up being one of my primary sources. It highlights what was going through people’s minds around the time that Pumping Iron was released. It also has some hilarious quotes as well. Check out the link to the CBC digital archives below.

http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/fitness-craze-sweeps-the-nation

 

Reading Log #5

Reading Log #5

This week’s readings focused on the different ways in which men and women view their bodies and how they can alter them through exercise. In Jenny Ellison’s chapter, Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985 she discusses how many overweight women found comfort in exercising at classes hosted by “Large as Life”[1]. Ellison explains how the women who were a part of this movement were allowed to “participate in health and popular culture in a way that they had not previously believed was available to them”[2]. Ellison’s chapter highlights the fact that at this time women began to feel as if their bodies were there own. Although the problem was not entirely fixed, women came a lot closer to being able to feel as if they had some control over how their body was perceived and also how they felt. This is an interesting contrast to Thomas Wendelboe’s chapter, The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era he explores how many men were controlled by heterosexual stereotypes, that were dominating marketing campaigns. Wendelboe highlights how masculinity was linked to “the image of the male athlete”[3] and also how “the healthy male body was a disciplined body”[4]. This is interesting, because it shows how early advertisements began to push men into a certain direction. Furthermore, it proves how men have had issues with their body image for far longer than most people think. The link between both these articles, is the fact that both sexes have issues with how their bodies look and feel. However, in Ellison’s chapter, the women are dealing with being overweight, however, there is a much more positive takeaway from her chapter. Through the LAL movement, many women found empowerment and a sense of community with others who were experiencing similar circumstances. Whereas, Wendelboe’s chapter focuses on how advertisements have led to men feeling very negative about their bodies. Furthermore, Wendelboe shows how these ads promoted homosexuality as a type of disease and that healthy men should refrain from any homosexual tendencies. That notion is extremely psychologically damaging to any man struggling with their sexuality. On a purely physical level, these ads promoted the use of steroids in men for them to fit in and be more masculine. Again the difference between approach is astounding. However, Wendelboe is studying ads that are made to sell a product, whereas, Ellison is focusing on a group of women who are trying to help each other. It is psychologically viable that the overall tone of the chapters are different. However, although the chapters are different, they both show how important body image is and how there are both negative and positive ways to negotiate these images. This week’s readings were enjoyable and I think that the Wendelboe chapter could be useful in my research paper.

[1] Jenny Ellison, “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017), 193-210.

[2] Jenny Ellison, “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017), 193-210.

[3] Thomas Wendelboe, “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light (Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011), 245-263.

[4] Thomas Wendelboe, “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light (Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011), 245-263.

Bibliography

Ellison, Jenny. “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh, 193-210. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017.

Wendelboe, Thomas. “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light, 245-263. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011.

In my own readings this week, I looked at the article by Stephen Edwards and Catherine Laudner. In this article, they discuss the results of a recent survey they conducted to determine how men feel about their bodies. What is interesting is that many men wanted to be more muscular, in order to become more attractive to women. They also found out that men were just as concerned with their body image as women were. However, the different sexes go about it in different ways. Men want to be muscular and women want to be thin. I think this article will help to highlight how men are very concerned with how they look. Furthermore, they are specifically interested in becoming more muscular. This may help to link to the film Pumping Iron. Also almost every secondary source I have found was written in the 1990’s, so there may have been a resurgence in physicality or just a stronger interest in studying men’s obsession with body image.

 

               

An example of how body image concerns don’t fade with age (He’s 70)

Research Project Outline

Jared Chomyc

Research Paper Outline

History 4250

Dr. Tracy Penny Light

30 January 2018

          The research question I am seeking to answer is how does the idea of the perfect male body change men’s view of their own personal body image. Furthermore, I hope to bridge the gap between what is physically attractive and what is physically and psychologically healthy for men as a whole. I intend to focus on how the culture around the male body has changed with the primary source of the 1977 film Pumping Iron. The second primary source I found was an interview on the CBC archives that featured a popular gym and interviewed some of the members. The third primary source is an interview in the CBC archives with Arnold Schwarzenegger from 1978 where he discusses his body image and his new book on the subject.

 The first article I found “Muscle, `Hard Men’ and `Iron’ Mike Tyson: Reflections on Desire, Anxiety and the Embodiment of Masculinity” shows how masculinity is quite often associated with muscle tone. The second article “Are There Body Image Differences Between Older Men and Women?” will help to show the difference between how men and women think about their bodies and also whether or not ideas of body image change with age. The third article “A Study of Appearance Anxiety in Young Men” will help to show how young men are dealing with these issues and also how it can be psychologically damaging. The fourth article “Body Image and Exercise: A Study of Relationships and Comparisons Between Physically Active Men and Women” will again highlight the importance of exercise to body image and also the gender differences.

The fifth article “The Embodiment of Masculinity” focuses on what it means to be attractive and aesthetically pleasing and how it has shifted from a concern for women into a concern for both sexes. The sixth article “Body Image Attitudes: What Difference Does Gender Make?” provides more evidence for the fact that both men and women are struggling with perceived notions of what their body should look like. In the seventh article “Marital Status, Marital Satisfaction, and Body Image Dissatisfaction” will provide evidence as to how body image ideas can affect both personal relationships as well as personal health. The eighth article “Evolving Ideals of Male Body Image as Seen Through Action Toys” helps develop the theory that young boys are being influenced about how their body should look based on the toys that they are playing with. The ninth article “Effects of Body Image on Dieting, Exercise, and Anabolic Steroid Use in Adolescent Males” will help to prove how young men are looking towards performance enhancing drugs to meet their ideal body image. The tenth article “Eating Disturbance, Body Image Dissatisfaction, and Reasons for Exercising: Gender Differences and Correlational Findings” will help to string together the idea of eating, gender and exercise in one article. The eleventh and final article “Marketing muscular masculinity in Arnold: the education of a bodybuilder” shows how Arnold’s book changed the landscape of male body image and marketing.

Bibliography

Boyle, Ellexis. “Marketing muscular masculinity in Arnold: the education of a bodybuilder.” Journal of Gender Studies 19, no.2 (2010): 153-166.

Davis, Caroline, Howard Brewer, and Marc Weinstein. “A Study of Appearance Anxiety in Young Men.” Social Behavior and Personality 21, no.1 (1993): 63-74.

Davis, Caroline and Michael Cowles. “Body Image and Exercise: A Study of Relationships and Comparisons Between Physically Active Men and Women.” Sex Roles 25, no.1 (1991): 33-44.

Drewnowski, Adam, Candace L. Kurth, and Dean D. Krahn. “Effects of Body Image on Dieting, Exercise, and Anabolic Steroid Use in Adolescent Males.” International Journal of Eating Disorders 17, no.4 (1995): 381-386.

Friedman, Michael A., Amy E. Dixon, Kelly D. Brownell, Mark A. Whisman, and Denise E. Wilfley. “Marital Status, Marital Satisfaction, and Body Image Dissatisfaction.” International Journal of Eating Disorders 26 (1999): 81-85.

Gzowki, Peter. “Arnold Schwarzenegger, from muscles to movies.” March 27, 1978. CBC Digital Archives, 15:52. http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/arnold-schwarzenegger-frommuscles-to-movies.

Jefferson, Tony. “Muscle, `Hard Men’ and `Iron’ Mike Tyson: Reflections on Desire, Anxiety and the Embodiment of Masculinity.” Body and Society 4, no.1 (1998): 77-98.

Jellini, Linda M. “Are There Body Image Differences Between Older Men and Women?” Western Journal of Nursing Research 15, no.3 (1993): 327-339.

Mansbridge, Peter. “Fitness Craze Sweeps the Nation” Feb.25, 1984. CBC Digital Archives, 2:07. http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/fitness-craze-sweeps-the-nation.

McDonald, Karen, and J. Kevin Thompson. “Eating Disturbance, Body Image Dissatisfaction, and Reasons for Exercising: Gender Differences and Correlational Findings.” International Journal of Eating Disorders 11, no.3 (1992): 289-292.

Mishkind, Marc E., Judith Rodin, Lisa R. Silberstein and Ruth H. Striegel-Moore. “The Embodiment of Masculinity.” American Behavioral Scientist 29, no.5 (1986): 545-562.

Muth, Jennifer L. and Thomas F. Cash. “Body Image Attitudes: What Difference Does Gender Make?” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 27, no.16 (1997): 1438-1452.

Pope Jr., Harrison G., Roberto Olivardia, Amanda Gruber, and John Borowiecki. “Evolving Ideals of Male Body Image as Seen Through Action Toys.” International Journal of Eating Disorders 26 (1999): 65-72.

Schwarzenegger, Arnold. Disc 1, Pumping Iron, DVD. Directed by George Butler and Robert Fiore. Hollywood, CA: Cinema 5, 1977.

Statement of Process

  1. The topic of men’s health and in particular their obsession with their body image has always fascinated me. I was born in 1994 and much of the research about this subject was done in the 90’s so I could be subconsciously drawn to this subject. Regardless of how I became interested in this subject it is very important to me. For two reasons, one is because I have my own issues with my body and what I would like to look like. The second reason is that I think it is important to understand why men have this view of their bodies and why it leads to unhealthy behaviour in some cases. Even in today’s society there is still the idea that body image is a uniquely feminine problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. Since the idea came about that in order to be masculine one had to be muscular and fit, men have become obsessed with chasing this ideal. This often leads to unhealthy activity such as: steroid use, unhealthy diets, and uneducated decisions. For these reasons, it is important to research how men are affected by the media’s portrayal of the perfect male body. Furthermore, the idea that men don’t care about how they look must be interrogated, because it can lead to denial and unhealthy behaviour.
  2. The sources I chose are all pertaining to the idea that men have been struggling with their body image for a long period of time. I was fascinated with the article that suggested that the shape of action figures could actually influence how a child thought a man should look like. Furthermore, the article by Drewnowski and his colleagues that shows that some men use steroids in order to fit into their ideal body image is crucial to my argument and it also could be a supporting argument as to why the film Pumping Iron had such long lasting effects. There are also quite a few article discussing the difference between how each sex view their body, such as the Muth, McDonald and Jennini articles highlight. Furthermore, the Friedman article points to how a obsession with body image can lead to issues in the personal lives of both men and women. The Davis articles and the Jefferson article will illustrate how the perfect body image has made it’s way to the forefront of men’s mind and popular culture. The Mishkind article talks about masculinity and how it relates to body image. The Boyle article speaks to how Arnold Schwarzenegger has influenced male marketing and male body image. I believe all these articles are valuable to show how the idea of male body image is very important to society. They are also different enough to provide insight into different aspects on how body image can affect men’s lives. The primary sources which include, the film and the two interviews are valuable because they show the type of thinking that was prevalent at the time and how it led to the issues that men have with their bodies, as is shown in the other secondary source articles I have chosen.
  3. I think before I began research on the subject of male body image, I assumed I was alone in my worries of my appearance. Or at the very least, that it was a minority of men who actually thought about this. I was surprised to learn that historians have been grappling with this idea for at least forty years. I reconsidered my notions that I was alone because the evidence points to the opposite. This revelation was extremely important to me because it helped to show that many men struggles with the same issues that I do. Furthermore, the fact that this subject is being studied, means that maybe in time men can talk more freely about how their body image affects them.
  4. I had a negative view of the past because I thought that people in the past ignored how negatively the idea of body image could impact men. The opposite turns out to be true. This subject has been studied for a long period of time and society is still wrestling with how to deal with it. I would still like to know what steps current society is taking to combat the idea that men don’t care about their bodies and how people can strive for a healthier idea of what the male body should look like and how to achieve that in a healthy way.
  5. Next time I will start my research a bit earlier and meet with the librarian earlier so that it is not so stressful trying to meet the deadline. Also, next time I may pick a subject that is easier to find sources on. That being said, I believe this research has pushed me to become a better student and to not give up even when the sources are difficult to find. Overall, I think this research will come together and lead to a well developed thesis.

Reading Log #4

Reading Log #4

This week’s readings focused on cancer and the various effects it has on gender ideals, psychology and the physiological body. Miele and Clarke’s article focused on how men can be overlooked on the issue of prostate cancer. They contribute this to the fact that “hegemonic masculinity”[1] inhibits the ability to talk about and come to grips with the reality of being sick, let alone having a disease like cancer. This kind of toxic masculinity stops men from discussing their individual health for fear of being unmanly. Furthermore, men were afraid to admit that they may be dealing wit prostate cancer because it could lead to “impotence”[2] and a loss of “sexual function”[3]. This suggests that cancer does not just have the physical manifestations that society is aware of but it also has a psychological effect on many men. Similarly, in Patricia Jasen’s article she speaks to the psychological aspects of breast and cervical cancer in women. Furthermore, Jasen comments on how many of the psychologists were working with the “Freudian vision of the female psyche”[4]. Which in the context of the time was absolutely ridiculous. These researchers even go as far as to say that cancer in women was linked to the idea that women wanted to have a “career”[5]. They were labouring under the delusion that any woman who did not fulfill the ideals of traditional feminity was more likely to be diagnosed with cancer. Furthermore, they argued that sexual deviancy and cancer went hand in hand in relation to women. It is extremely troubling that these researchers were more interested in diagnosing women based on some outdated Freudian psychology, than actually dealing with the psychological issues that arise from cancer. This is also seen in Wendy Mitchinson’s article, where she suggests that doctors would remove “the breast”[6] without “a definitive diagnosis”[7]. This is absolutely terrifying. It shows how doctors at the time did not even consider the psychological impact that a women would have after losing both of her breasts. What becomes clear after reading these articles, is that the real needs of cancer patients were often being overlooked for multiple reasons outside of their control. In Mandy Hadenko’s article she speaks about the difficulty of arranging screenings for cervical cancer. Hadenko highlights the difficulty that many women had with these screenings, especially considering many women found them invasive and cruel. She also hints at the fact that there was an obvious class distinction when it came to these screenings. She states how fees of many clinics were as high “as $19.13”[8]. The reality of the fees of testing, prevented many women from a lower social class from being screened. All of these articles highlight the fact that cancer is extremely difficult to deal with both psychologically and physically. Furthermore, each article seems to want to discourage people who would try to diagnose and treat cancer patients in one certain way. Instead a multi-faceted approach should be employed, that takes into consideration all the aspects of cancer such as: psychological effects, racial and economical issues, and gender issues.

1] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[2] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[3] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[4] Patricia Jasen. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History no.2 (2003): 265-297.

[5] Patricia Jasen. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History no.2 (2003): 265-297.

[6] Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

[7] Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

[8] Hadenko, Mandy, “The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective.” In Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Ed), Gender, Health and Popular Culture: Historical Perspectives. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011: 127-152.

Bibliography

Hadenko, Mandy, “The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective.” In Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Ed), Gender, Health and Popular Culture: Historical Perspectives. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011: 127-152.

Jasen, Patricia. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History 20 no.2 (2003): 265-297.

Miele, Rachelle, and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

The article I looked at for my own research this week was Evolving Ideas of Male Body Image as Seen Through Action Toys. In this article, the authors emphasize the difference in action figures and how they reflect the changing ideals of male body image. This article will be useful because it shows how more and more men are feeling as uncomfortable about their bodies as women are. Furthermore, it helps to show how young children are playing with these toys and as a result are forming ideas about how their body should look like one of their action figures. It is also beneficial to my thesis statement that many of these figures were influenced by bodybuilders and Hollywood. Because of these action figures, many young adults become confused about how their bodies should look. Furthermore, the article also speaks to how many young men want a muscular body, which is something more unique to men and body image. This article will help argue the fact that the growing popularity of gyms and male body dissatisfaction, could be a result of films like Pumping Iron, which helped to influence how men want to look. In conclusion, I think this article will be helpful to further my thesis and show a different aspect of body image, specifically how children think of their bodies through their action figures.

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