Charlotte Sargent

Size Matters and the Adonis Complex

The pressure to look a certain way, be a certain size, or to look beautiful, etc. has always mainly been targeted towards women. Men are not thought of as having to worry nearly as much about their looks, weight, hair, or much of anything else, whereas women are compelled to constantly alter their appearance. Both the articles, “Size Matters” and “The Adonis Complex,” describe the pressure that men actually do feel about their appearance. The articles discuss how men worry about their hair, skin, fat, muscles, faces, etc. and how damaging the effects of their insecurities can be. Men are feeling the same level of pressure that women are, even though it may not appear to be so in society.

            In the article, “Size Matters,” it focuses mainly on the fact that men are supposed to appear strong and muscular. Advertisements emphasize men’s muscularity mainly in their core and arms. Most magazine covers are solely of a man’s upper body. “The fundamental assumption that underlies men’s fitness is that men should strive to increase their muscle mass and decrease their body fat” (74).  The ads for men are for supplements that will add muscle mass or they are of techniques to get bigger and stronger. Whereas women’s magazines portray a slender, fit woman, and the picture is usually of her full body. Women’s magazines and advertisements primarily focus on weight loss and nutrition facts or tips. The focus for women’s workouts is fitness and nutritional advice. “Our sample of women’s magazines had seven times the number of weight loss articles as men’s magazines” (76). When I flip through a magazine, there are always numerous articles and advertisements on eating right, getting the body you want, healthy meals or diets, and so on. However, when men flip through a magazine, “masculinity is displayed though strength and size” (78) all throughout. Men often thrive and can overwork themselves into trying to have this ideal masculine body. They may feel that if they don’t workout and look big and strong as they are “supposed” to, they will be looked at as weak or feminine. While reading this article, I noticed how even though women and men feel the same pressure of appearance, men and women are targeted and go about it in different ways. Men do extensive exercise workouts, eat copious amounts of food, and they call their ab exercises for example, “inner tube deflator,” “beer belly buster,” or “love handle handler” (83). Women on the other hand eat much less, workouts are less intensive, and exercises would never be called such names as the men’s are. Men have to deal with the consequences of being considered weak or feminine or of being perceived as having a lack of commitment or self control if they don’t push themselves to workout and become strong and muscular.

            The article, “The Adonis Complex,” focuses on men with severe insecurities beyond just muscle and fat, and those who suffer with BDD (Body Dismorphic Disorder). “Men frequently develop worries about their skin, facial features, breast fat, and, commonly, penis size” (152). Society depicts men as being the confident and women as usually more insecure. However, this article described the severe anxiety many men have over their appearance. I had never heard of BDD, until reading this article, and many of the problems these men deal with to such an extreme level, shocked me. “Men with BDD develop health-threatening worries that something is terribly wrong with how they look, when in fact they look fine to others"(153). Many men have multiple insecurities, which can affect them, but not all men's worries interfere in their daily lives as severely as other men’s insecurities are capable of doing. “The appearance preoccupations cause significant distress (such as anxiety or depression) or interfere with functioning,” (154) such as difficulty focusing on work or having a hard time being around other people. One man absolutely hated his nose, so he intentionally smashed his nose with a hammer, so he could have surgery done. Men have committed suicide due to suffering from BDD. One man in the article had an extreme fear of losing his hair. “I constantly monitor myself for hair loss- I have to keep complete track of each and every hair I lose….If I lose more than ten a day, I go ballistic” (163). This seems insane to me, yet sad, and it shows how serious and real the insecurities that men deal with are. It truly is not just women who suffer from pressures in society.

            Men with BDD can damage their relationships, jobs, and way of life because of their worry about appearance and being judged. Men need to begin to realize that the norm in society is not always “ideal.” They should not have to strive to be or look a certain way that is unhealthy or unrealistic. The media makes it appear that a “real man” is supposed to be big, muscular, and strong, and if those qualities are nonexistent, then a man's masculinity is questioned. Women’s bodies have been targeted for years, but now men also need to realize that they cannot fall into the trap of the media or societal expectations on appearance, otherwise the pressures will rise and only get worse.