Molly Bienstock-Adonis Complex

This article explaining the Adonis Complex truly opened my mind to our destructively corrupt and worsening society.  It is upsetting to know that these articles come out in the first place, claiming to be oddly similar to articles regarding women's bodies.  The article begins with research describing a shattering change in men's thoughts about their bodies.  "Men's dissatisfaction with body appearance has nearly tripled in the past thirty years- from 15 percent in 1972 to 34 percent in 1985 to 43 percent in 1997.  And dissatisfaction with nearly every individual body area has risen steadily,” (27).  This problem is happening so rapidly in this lifetime and was not occurring several decades ago.  Now, though, we live in a distinct period of time controlled by advanced technology paired with a desire to share these thoughts globally.  The little boys playing with G.I. Joe in the 50’s did not know about facebook or barstool, yet at least the former site is one of the highest grossing social networking sites in the world used by virtually all citizens with access to a computer.  The Rise of the Adonis Complex is directly connected to our industrial and technological boom that has become only about growth, no matter who it hurts in the process.  Our entire country functions on a technological grid.  If you are not on that grid, you are marginalized by society, whether it be intentional or somehow eerily fluid.   

         I began to think about my own body as I continued to read this article and kept being reminded of how pervasive something like facebook is in our current moment of civilization.  The statistics mentioned in this article are only rising as we, too, continue our addiction to technology and endless bodily critique.  If you’re not commenting on how jealous you are of someone’s picture on facebook, you probably just move on to the next one or begin to criticize the person’s appearance in the photo.  In my experience with looking at a girl’s album of pictures on facebook, my girlfriends and I will either say “Oh, she’s hot” or “That’s embarrassing.”  I don’t mean to paint this condescending picture of myself, but I know we all go through several facebook pictures a day and think whatever we want about them, even if it seems really judgmental.  We look at half naked people in bikinis all the time on facebook or any other site and make a note of that person’s body.  It seems odd that there is such a taboo around sex, yet we prance around in the nude all the time.  If we are all so ashamed of our bodies, why are we trying to show everyone more and more of it?  My question is how has the increase in technology also coincided with a rise in insecurity and judgment?

         The article touches on aspects of the increasing dissatisfaction of men’s bodies by also talking about going to the gym.  I personally think it is very healthy to go to thy gym once a day as it increases brain activity and releases endorphins, but I know this can get unhealthy fast.  Like anything you do everyday, you become accustomed to the routine.  If the habitual nature of going to the gym is done for a reasonable amount of time each day while also eating well, the person will feel great.  But if a person has a skewed thought pattern regarding their body, working out, and eating, then that person will unfortunately become extremely unhappy.  Both boys and girls growing up will soon learn that our society expects certain things from them and they will either accept that fact and ultimately suffer a cruel future or understand the reality of our worsening situation and learn to reach for happiness and not disillusionment.