Before reading the chapter titled “The Rise of the Adonis Complex”, I had heard of the term “Adonis Complex” before, but only with regards to my high-school Latin classes. Therefore, to gage a further understanding on the concept, I did some basic research and discovered that not only does this psychoanalytical concept derive from the Greek god of beauty and desire, which seems pretty obvious. However, I then came across “muscle dysmorphia”- a condition where one believes they are not muscular enough, which has known to stem from the Adonis Complex. With a simple understanding of the concept, I was still stunned by the statistics provided, that basically show how incredibly insecure men are today. The chapter continues by delving into the reasons why, including the constant morphing of childhood toys, the increasing equality among men and women, and the infiltration of these “macho men” in the media.
One of the many interesting aspects of the article, is the global perspective that they offer the reader. Specifically, the article discusses the Wodaabe tribe in Africa, which values male beauty much more than female beauty – the complete opposite from our culture. “They carry pocket mirrors and combs with them at all times…The Wodaabe tribe even stages male beauty contests with women as judges” (49). This is mind-boggling to me. While, I’m aware that male beauty contests do exist, they aren’t advertised very much and most of the time, it seems as though they focus on the muscular aspect of the male’s body, not “eveningwear” or interviewing, which appears in female beauty contests. In the popular yet disturbing TV show, “Toddlers and Tiaras”, some boys do participate in the beauty pageants. However, I feel as though, once they hit a certain age, it is deemed inappropriate for a heterosexual male, and if they do want to continue in the “pageant direction”, they should instead, focus on entering bodybuilder contests. Another difference that appears between young girls and males that this chapter touches is on, are toys.
As it has been illustrated in many sociological readings I have discovered throughout college, this chapter also discusses the increasing size of the G.I. Joe figure, and the decreasing size of the Barbie. Thinking back to my childhood and the range of toys that are available today, I can think of a few options for female dolls that don’t depict these unrealistic body proportions, such as the American Girl Doll. However, for boys there has never been a successful, popular equivalent for a male dole. In fact, it would be interesting to look if the size of Ken, Barbie’s “boy-toy”, has changed over the years, as the concept of masculine muscularity has grown.
Finally, one other element of this chapter that struck me was the hypothesis involving why men feel so insecure about their bodies. While it does make complete sense that one of the fundamental reasons why male’s insecurity has sky-rocketed over the years due to the increasing equality that has developed between men and women, I also think it has something to do with the increasing homosexual population in America, and in turn, the increasing amount of homophobia. I feel as though males fear to be categorized as homosexual, and because of this, try to be the “anti-gay guy”, which entails becoming as muscular as possible. In the end, I sadly do not see light at the end of the tunnel. Males are obsessed with this culture, and I don’t know why. There are so many stigmas that work against being this muscular – being a meathead is the first one that comes to my mind. But until GNC stops coming out with the newest and greatest protein powder or an awful string of tragedies takes place, I'm confident it will not stop - but come on, how big can one really get?
Jenn- You do a great job job in talking about the Wodaabe Tribe and comparing it to our society. I too was shocked by the fact that it was the males carrying around the pocket mirrors and the ones participating in the fashion shows. I really liked how you mentioned that for heterosexual males there is a certain age in which it is acceptable, but once that age is reached one must act the way society has deemed acceptable for heterosexual males. In terms of our own society, if a male were to compete in a fashion show today, a majority of society would thing that male is gay, yet we get to see how this is the opposite in another society. I like how you talked about towards the end of your response the idea that gay men need to look as anti-gay as possible, therefor they try to look as muscular as possible. Protein powders and Body fat trimmers are the in right now, and your right when you say that things will not change unless our image of perfection changes.
ReplyDeleteI like Jenn was stuck by the hypothesis presented by the article. Jenn make an important point that the recent rise in homophobia and a desire to be “hyper-masculine” contributes to the “rise of the Adonis Complex”. Males fear being seen as either weak or unmanly, this fear definitely has contributed to increase in male body issues and the desire to be bigger. Males feel that in order to be masculine they must emulate all aspect of manliness and prove to others that they are masculine and not weak or girly. Jenn accurately brings to light the cultural obsession that males experience and their idea that in order to be truly a man they must be “perfect” and obsess over their appearance. I too think that in order for this obsession to stop, the supplier, GNC, but also the media needs to sell an alternate image of masculinity. Males experience an extreme amount of pressure for all aspects of their lives and the pressure and expectation to have a perfect body is not an exception.
ReplyDeleteI, like Jenn, was struck by the contrast between the cultural views and ideals of beauty held by members of our culture and those of the Wodaabe tribe. It was difficult for me to comprehend the existence of a male beauty contest, which, as Jenn points out, is the Wodaabe equivalent of a body building competition in America. It is surprising that in some cultures, such as that of the Wodaabe tribe, men are encouraged to flaunt their physical appearances in public venues and to monitor and maintain their beauty through the use of a mirror and a comb, which they constantly have at their disposal. I was especially disturbed to learn that those who are deemed ugly or physically unattractive become pariahs within the tribe and receive little respect from their neighbors. This is very similar, yet much more extreme, to the way in which physically unattractive (by society's standards) women are treated in the United States. Our society tends to stigmatize women who are overweight, have small breasts, wear little makeup, or have excessive body hair and these women, it has been shown, have a more difficult time finding a life partner or getting hired at certain jobs. Like the unattractive men of the Wodaabe culture, women who fail to meet many of society's standards of beauty are treated, more or less, like social outcasts.
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