Muscles, not makeup: boys & body image

Recently, there has been a social outcry against new cartoon images for girls (Dora the Explorer, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, etc.) that project a false feminine standard of beauty.  Where is the social outcry for boys entertainment?  There is just as much need to protect our little boys' body images.  Like their female counterparts, boys are being judged using adult standards of beauty. They too are faced with unrealistic expectations of what their bodies should look like, through muscles, not makeup.

Thanks to feminism -- and to outraged grandmothers, mothers, aunts, etc -- society is routinely challenging its images of women.  But not enough is being done to combat the ridiculous notions of "manhood" in American society, especially in how it influences little boys.  There is a social expectation that boys be athletically muscular, tough, brave "little men."  This unfair notion is akin to the expectation that girls be thin, pretty, and "girly" little ladies.  Both images are unhealthy and unrealistic.  As a result, girls and boys suffer from low self-esteem, and inherit dangerous notions of what it means to be masculine or feminine.  

Achieving the "perfect body" is front-and-center to this quest to become adequately male or female.  How do boys and girls learn this?  Through the images in the media that project what girls' and boys' bodies should look like.  Since the 80's, boys have been taught that super muscular bodies are the ideal male image. The athletic V shape, with narrow hips, massive arms, chiseled abs and chest debuted in 1980's cartoons like: Batman, Superman, He-Man, GI Joe, Thundercats, Rambo, Silverhawks, etc.  Even animal hero shows, like Street Sharks, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles featured uber muscular male characters (albeit half shark or genetically mutated turtle) saving the day/planet/universe. The message was clear: tough, and athletic is the only way to be successfully masculine, no matter what species you are. 

This is an unnecessary message to send.  Cartoon characters do not need to be roided-out MEN, violently destroying things with their intimidating, abnormal muscles. The point of cartoons should be to create a safe fantasy world for kids to enjoy, and situations & characters that kids can relate to. They need to remain innocent images, full of positive influences and moral messages.  But cartoons are not the only media images that influence children.  Televised athletics contribute to their concept of the world.

Sports like football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, and, more recently, Ultimate Fighting, dominate television!  Today's athletes behave like supermen, performing impressive feats of athleticism that were previously thought impossible.  These games and their players perpetuate the notion that "real men" are super athletic, aggressive, "studs" and the admiration and respect they get from society reinforces this.   These are the men acting as role models for young boys across America. 

And lets not forget about male body builders, weight lifters, and WWE wrestlers, who resemble the Incredible Hulk, in physique and behavior.  From Arnold Schwarzenegger, to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, these men have made abnormally muscular physiques popular.  This super masculine ideal continues to trend towards more and more (and more and more and more and more) muscles!!!  Sadly, this is often accomplished through steroid use.  Kids look up to, and emulate, these super jocks.  What messages are boys learning from these men?  Gain muscle and toughness at all costs.  

The message has been received; younger and younger boys are turning to bodybuilding (and parents are encouraging it!.)  It is disheartening enough to hear of Teen/collegiate bodybuilding competitions, in which emotionally vulnerable young men are being encouraged to gain abnormally large muscles.  But at least these individuals have gone through puberty and thus received the testosterone necessary to properly gain muscle mass.  However, when elementary aged kids are pumping iron, and competing in "Little Hercules" competitions, it is time to reevaluate our culture.  Child powerlifters and bodybuilders, boys as young as four, are pushing (or being pushed) to obtain muscle mass. This is not healthy!  And while the direct responsibility lies with the parents, mainstream media isn't helping our boys have a realistic body image.

There is something seriously wrong with encouraging young boys to be muscle-obsessed.   Most boys do not resemble our society's very narrow definition of masculinity.  Yet, because media images are widespread, the hype is believed that boys should have lean muscle, and no "baby," body fat.  It was assessed that 26% of American middle school boys hate their bodies.  Are we surprised?  Their young, awkward bodies are trying to maneuver the many hormonal changes occurring, while society tells them they should look like fully developed men.  

Of course boys are feeling inadequate.  They are expected to not only be lean, but muscular, athletic, and tough.  When they do not resemble this masculine ideal they feel inadequate as males.  No wonder so many are turning to extreme weightlifting, steroids, and/or creatine in teenage years!  How else will they achieve that "jacked-up" picture we are teaching them to strive for?  Certainly not naturally.  

"The body ideal projected to boys and men in most muscle magazines and cartoon action figure heroes is impossible to achieve without illegal anabolic steroids.  There is a physiological limit to how much muscle a man can attain naturally..." {UCLA's student nutrition and body image action committee.} 

We need to recognize that boys are influenced by media body images too, and are thus susceptible to disordered behaviors because of them.  In adolescents, and pre-adolescents, both genders are prone to insecurities about their bodies. Compound this with images that conflict with their body reality, and they are in danger of experimenting with diets, pills, eating disorders, etc.  For boys, bulemia and anorexia often comes in the disguise of "super jock"-- the muscular, athletic type that meticulously counts calories, and religiously pumps iron.  

There needs to be accountability for what images are created as "role models" for boys.  Lets eliminate this hyper-masculine, superman (i.e. alien) image held up to young boys as the ideal to reach.  Lets evolve as a society, become more (not less) aware of the social influences that damage our children's healthy development.  Lets teach boys that they're valued for more than their muscle mass.  Ultimately, our boys will feel, and be, more powerful, an inner strength that will help them achieve anything they set their minds to.

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