Media images of masculine attractiveness are a bit unrealistic, too. Agree/disagree?

Question

CelticBunny, I agree... please feel free to answer my question which pertains to female beauty. It should be posted right next to this one.

Jodie - I like the point you are making about the wider variety of acceptable appearance for men in the media. It would seem that their celebrity status is based more on talent than appearance. For how many women in media can you say the same?

Answer 1

I can add a little bit of humor to this topic. It seems that what the media is presenting as masculine attractiveness towards women is just gay. Many straight women google over men in ads, etc. but they need to realize these men are gay with their metrosexual looks, etc.

Funny, many of my gay male friends don't find these men attractive...they are going after truly masculine men....football players, lumberjacks, etc.

Answer 2

Some are, but...

There are certainly a huge number of men who wouldn't get a second look if they were teaching high school or checking groceries. Media images of men are not limited to a certain age or a certain look, or even a certain body type. They're not even all physically fit.

Drew Carey, John Goodman, Mick Jagger, Regis Philbin, Tom Hanks, Jay Leno, David Letterman (and on, and on) are not extraordinarily attractive. I know you can name a lot more.

Answer 3

How so ? If we are talking that brad pitt look we see in SOME of his movies, yes that hard defined look is hard to maintain, but if we look at somone like dicaprio in his last movie, blood diamond, that can be done with healthy exercise, which you should have anyway. Too bad for him he cant be bothered to keep it after the last take, but that is his buisness. And if we look at other celebs, Iam pretty sure I have a better body than Matt damon and Gerorge clooney, if you like somewhat muscular and lean, which leads us to a fundamental problem, unlike men women differ widely in their preferences, one swoons for schwarzenegger, the next is turned off by anything looking remotely muscular.
If you are talking about the whole package, well yes its a movie but Iam sure if Clooney practiced a bit he can be a smooth talker without a script.

Answer 4

Gives us guys something to work toward. Seems fine to me. I keep fit and strong.

So... I disagree.

If our images of masculine attractiveness was a dude with slightly bigger arms than normal and a beer gut... well, I'd have nothing to work toward at all. Just drink some beer and watch TV all day. Yeah I know, there are plenty of guys who find that ideal.

Now, obviously the super body builder that's all oiled up is not the idea of attractiveness and I know most women aren't looking for that. I just go for the obviously fit and strong look.

Answer 5

They definitely are unrealistic. Men are expected to have hairless chests and enormous muscles. The only way they can get those muscles is through use of steroids. It bothers me to see men walking around with extra wide shoulders and huge chests because I know that is not natural.

Answer 6

oh, every image in the media is unrealistic! BUT, if you'd like proof that the male image in the media is MORE realistic, check out all of these pics from famous movies/tv shows:

http://www.damagewear.com/images/king%20of%20queens%202%20(comic).jpg

http://ronniemervis.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/knocked-up.jpg

http://www.jimbelushi.ws/images/08_103187_d_0519_pre.jpg

http://www.tvguide.com/images/pgimg/george-lopez-show-new.jpg

http://www.theaspectratio.net/annie-hall.jpg

Just a few examples of the diverse (and often conventionally unattractive) men paired with beautiful, thin, younger women.

Answer 7

I Disagree, and I think there are WAY MORE issues with what the media portrays as attractive in women.

Answer 8

Agree.

Answer 9

Agreed.

But *I think* there are more women out there who see the shallowness when men are portrayed that way.