A win against societies expectations of body image

[shootthebandit]

http://www.cosmopolitan.co.za/celebs/conversation-starters/person-next-mens-health-cover-star/

I apologise for posting a link to cosmo. Its kinda contradictory but I couldnt find the original link I found on facebook earlier

Basically there is a competition to be on the cover of mens health. Anyone can enter and provided you get the most votes then you win. This guy called Paul Snodgrass has entered. He's not got rock hard abs or massive biceps in fact hes got a relatively normal body for a guy. He is starting to go viral and people are voting for him and he is essentially mocking the whole concept of magazines like mens health

I know this is still a huge issue for women but its also an issue for men (not as much though) and I believe this is a step in the right direction as the general public seem to be on his side

check out the link (even if the source is a bit hipocritical the pictures are pretty funny

 

[Thaluikhain]

Eh, he has the right expression, and he smokes a pipe.

 

[VanQ]

As far as I can read, he hasn't actually been selected. And is it really a win if he wins ironically because people are voting for him just because they think it's funny?

 

[Someone Depressing]

Really, do men even buy those magazines? Or are most of their customers women... for the articles, of course.

As far as I can tell, he isn't unnatractive, and I suppose most people are voting for him because

A) It'd be funny, to have some guy not deemed "Hollywood attractive" to be on a cover of Men's Health
B) Hoping that it'd be a step in the right direction when it comes to body image in men

Yes, I suppose I will vote that Paul becomes the next dude man bro. No real reason. Just 'cause why not? This will be the highlight of my Wednesday.

 

[Jennifer Valentine]

Men do get those magazines. At least the ones I've seen are the bodybuilder types who want the tips on how to look even more ridiculously shredded. But yes popular culture is corrosive to all involved. Men are supposed to be big, strong, silent, and leaders. And tanned. Lots of men don't fit those categories for one reason or another, and legitimately so. I'm glad for the guy, because there are tons of average men (and women) not being represented in popular culture. To say nothing of men like me who prefer to wear women's clothes.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I'm all for a good joke, but I don't really get this one. It's kinda funny in an out-of-place sort of way, but a stab in the eye for 'society's expectations of body image'? Ehhhhh. Sure, I find it weird how everyone on TV or in cinema has model-good looks, but attacking Men's Health seems like misdirected ire. Just as you or I shouldn't be made to feel insecure about our body image, other people have the right to work hard for their bodies and I'm guessing Men's Health is for them. Having a magazine aimed at health-conscious people is a far cry from having really, really, ridiculously good looking blokes on everything.

 

[queenie]

Eh, the guy looks fine. Hopefully he'll get genuine votes, not ironic ones.

As for societal expectations... Well, society has the right to expect me to meet certain aesthetic criteria. Sure, personal tastes don't form in a vacuum, and trends change over time, but there will always be generally acceptable standards of beauty.

And so what? Me, I'm painting-fat. Once upon a time, my body type was considered to be highly attractive. Bully for me, it's 2014 and flab is out of style. What am I supposed to do, get angry because some people don't find me attractive? Or worse, actually get on a treadmill and meet expectations?

I've got an incredibly long fuse and an even more incredible distaste for physical activity, so neither is a feasible option for me. I'll just sit here and feel good about myself instead.

 

[Lightknight]

There's a difference between expectations of body image and societal norms of beauty/attractiveness.

Nothing we see on the cover on a magazine is going to impact either of those.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Men's Health Magazine is something that celebrates the human body and hard work, as well as encouraging people to be fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. Having this guy on the cover flies in the face of that. He's not a bad looking guy, but he's average, and he clearly isn't particularly healthy considering he has a gut on him and smokes. That's not a celebration of hard work, it's a celebration of being lazy and mediocre. It's easy to sit on the couch all day and smoke a pipe, it's hard to go to the gym and work, and one should clearly be seen as more impressive than the other.

Having this guy on the cover of Men's Health would be like having a Ford Pinto on the cover of "Top Gear" or a Nerf gun on the cover of Guns and Ammo. It's disrespectful to the readership of the magazine because it sends the message that they're stupid for caring about and taking care of their bodies, and that people should be lazy.

Also, the irony is not lost on me that I'm advocating for healthy people to be on the cover of men's health magazine when the people on the cover are typically photographed after they've starved and dehydrated themselves and are at their least healthy.

 

[visiblenoise]

The whole point of these types of magazines is to be shallow (to put it facetiously, they probably have more going for them, I don't know). Why do average people feel the need to force their averageness upon them? They probably don't even buy these magazines. I personally find it quite easy to avoid them.

It's like busting into a strip club trying to ask everybody to get dressed decently.

 

[briankoontz]

Men's Health Magazine is something that celebrates the human body and hard work, as well as encouraging people to be fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. Having this guy on the cover flies in the face of that. He's not a bad looking guy, but he's average, and he clearly isn't particularly healthy considering he has a gut on him and smokes. That's not a celebration of hard work, it's a celebration of being lazy and mediocre. It's easy to sit on the couch all day and smoke a pipe, it's hard to go to the gym and work, and one should clearly be seen as more impressive than the other.

Having this guy on the cover of Men's Health would be like having a Ford Pinto on the cover of "Top Gear" or a Nerf gun on the cover of Guns and Ammo. It's disrespectful to the readership of the magazine because it sends the message that they're stupid for caring about and taking care of their bodies, and that people should be lazy.

Also, the irony is not lost on me that I'm advocating for healthy people to be on the cover of men's health magazine when the people on the cover are typically photographed after they've starved and dehydrated themselves and are at their least healthy.

Consider that "healthy" doesn't mean "excessively vain". That's actually psychologically unhealthy.

So working for "rock-hard abs" and "serious twin guns" and making lots of sacrifices along the way to gain and maintain them should never be confused for health. Those things don't even raise one's *physical* health, and are even more unhealthy when steroids are included into the mix.

I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it if they renamed the magazine Men's Vanity. At least then it would be honest. It's disrespectful to both health itself and the english language to call it's Men's Health.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Men's Health Magazine is something that celebrates the human body and hard work, as well as encouraging people to be fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. Having this guy on the cover flies in the face of that. He's not a bad looking guy, but he's average, and he clearly isn't particularly healthy considering he has a gut on him and smokes. That's not a celebration of hard work, it's a celebration of being lazy and mediocre. It's easy to sit on the couch all day and smoke a pipe, it's hard to go to the gym and work, and one should clearly be seen as more impressive than the other.

Having this guy on the cover of Men's Health would be like having a Ford Pinto on the cover of "Top Gear" or a Nerf gun on the cover of Guns and Ammo. It's disrespectful to the readership of the magazine because it sends the message that they're stupid for caring about and taking care of their bodies, and that people should be lazy.

Also, the irony is not lost on me that I'm advocating for healthy people to be on the cover of men's health magazine when the people on the cover are typically photographed after they've starved and dehydrated themselves and are at their least healthy.

Consider that "healthy" doesn't mean "excessively vain". That's actually psychologically unhealthy.

So working for "rock-hard abs" and "serious twin guns" and making lots of sacrifices along the way to gain and maintain them should never be confused for health. Those things don't even raise one's *physical* health, and are even more unhealthy when steroids are included into the mix.

I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it if they renamed the magazine Men's Vanity. At least then it would be honest. It's disrespectful to both health itself and the english language to call it's Men's Health.

Have you actually read men's health or are you just guessing at what it's about based on the cover? It's not a body building manual or anything like that. Yes, part of it is how to work out, but that's less than half of it, and most of the work out's aren't even about "getting ripped." Most of it is about nutrition and eating right, men's fashion, sexuality, etc. It's basically the same thing as something like Esquire, but with a focus on working out.

Also, seriously, steroids? I don't think there's a single magazine that would advocate their use.

And who is to say what's "excessively vain" and what isn't? Is anyone who doesn't walk around in a stained tee-shirt and sweatpants "vain?"

 

[giles]

Men's Health Magazine is something that celebrates the human body and hard work, as well as encouraging people to be fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. Having this guy on the cover flies in the face of that. He's not a bad looking guy, but he's average, and he clearly isn't particularly healthy considering he has a gut on him and smokes. That's not a celebration of hard work, it's a celebration of being lazy and mediocre. It's easy to sit on the couch all day and smoke a pipe, it's hard to go to the gym and work, and one should clearly be seen as more impressive than the other.

Having this guy on the cover of Men's Health would be like having a Ford Pinto on the cover of "Top Gear" or a Nerf gun on the cover of Guns and Ammo. It's disrespectful to the readership of the magazine because it sends the message that they're stupid for caring about and taking care of their bodies, and that people should be lazy.

Also, the irony is not lost on me that I'm advocating for healthy people to be on the cover of men's health magazine when the people on the cover are typically photographed after they've starved and dehydrated themselves and are at their least healthy.

Men's Health was never about health, was it? I'm not a reader so I can't be sure, but my impression from the covers and articles I've come across on the internet over the years was that it was some kind of power fantasy magazine for dads. Or like the male version of a shallow fashion magazine.
But that said I mostly agree with you. Even with that in mind, this fat smoking dude kinda misses the point. At least those models work hard for what they think is aesthetic, while this guy is just your average dude. Why would I want some guy who doesn't put effort into his looks over someone who does? Reminds me of this

Spoiler: warning: huge image

Consider that "healthy" doesn't mean "excessively vain". That's actually psychologically unhealthy.

So working for "rock-hard abs" and "serious twin guns" and making lots of sacrifices along the way to gain and maintain them should never be confused for health. Those things don't even raise one's *physical* health, and are even more unhealthy when steroids are included into the mix.

I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it if they renamed the magazine Men's Vanity. At least then it would be honest. It's disrespectful to both health itself and the english language to call it's Men's Health.

Do you smoke? Do you drink? Can you run even 3 measily miles? Look I'm not trying to insult you, but this is always the first thing I think when I see people judge how healthy someone else is.
It's amazing how everyone is an expert on what is healthy. To gain core/arm muscles is a lot of exercise and proper diet. That is NOT unhealthy.
The last step is the unhealthy one, cutting to ridiculously low bodyfat% and dehydrating for the photo shoot. After that though, they're certainly more healthy than that average guy.
How you even came up with steroids is completely beyond me. A sixpack is actually relatively easy to obtain and doesn't require drugs or divine intervention.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Fitness in body leads to a better working mind. Believe it or not, its the truth. I don't mean being perfectly chiseled either, I mean genuinely healthy and active. Blood flow is designed to circulate from head to foot and back, and if its not doing so, your body and brain are not going to work optimally.
So that being said, having a person who is clearly unhealthy on a magazine cover dedicated to health is the antithesis of what they're about. It would not be fat shaming by not putting him on the cover, it would say that's not what they represent.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Do you smoke? Do you drink? Can you run even 3 measily miles? Look I'm not trying to insult you, but this is always the first thing I think when I see people judge how healthy someone else is.
It's amazing how everyone is an expert on what is healthy. To gain core/arm muscles is a lot of exercise and proper diet. That is NOT unhealthy.
The last step is the unhealthy one, cutting to ridiculously low bodyfat% and dehydrating for the photo shoot. After that though, they're certainly more healthy than that average guy.
How you even came up with steroids is completely beyond me. A sixpack is actually relatively easy to obtain and doesn't require drugs or divine intervention.

I can't run 3 miles. I had an accident when I was younger that has weakened my left knee. I just worked myself up to be able to squat somewhat correctly.

I can link you to my picture that I took for the picture thread.

What I'm saying is, I have health. I have a different kind of health than others. I'm also a trainer. NASM certified and minoring in biology when I can get back to school. I know that there is no uniform idea of health other than what works well for your body, other than hold a few tenets dear. Keep away from processed food (a luxury only a few can truly afford), keep active, avoid drugs and stimulants.

I've trained people who before me ran miles every day and couldn't put get below the low 200's in terms of weight. Some bodies just do not respond.

But more over, you're right. Even though a lot of clients came in looking for Men's Health Adonis, they got people who understood the body and made them happy with each goal they've accomplished.

And a lot of time, I asked them to tell me about their fitness heroes. Then I showed them their daily routine (youtube is a wonderful thing). Then I showed the ones who were real talking about how miserable they were from cutting, the headaches, the mood swings... the fucking fact that if they curled more than 35 lb, it felt to them like their bones would break.

It was a A Fitness Scared Straight. It worked like a charm. However, a lot of them wouldn't have felt this way if the women in their lives didn't say how much they want a tall, strong man to be a man. If you weren't 6 foot, you put on muscle to compensate.

The fact is, most people don't even want health. They want the adoration. A lot of women, the majority of vocal women that men pay attention to say they want muscles and height. So, as men interested in being with women... we go and try to get that.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

A win? Sorry, but no.

Look at the pictures: they're all intended to be making fun of the fact that he doesn't look particularly fit or healthy, and isn't exactly a male model. It's just being ironic. This isn't going to magically make guys not want to look like Rich Froning, Henry Cavill, or Chris Hemsworth.