I got some flack from
some people for not blogging last Tuesday. Sorry folks, I was busy
studying for my Geography mid-term. :)
I
want to discuss a couple current observations in regards to Men's
hygiene. The first thing I thought of when I came up with this topic
idea was, “How am I going to talk about this without disclosing too
much personal information?” But here goes nothing...
I think men have gotten a LOT better
with keeping up their appearance now more than in previous years, such as
the 1970's, 80's, and even the 90's. When I was 16 years old I never
thought I would be tanning my skin, getting my eyebrows waxed,
whitening my teeth, using a facial mask every week, or occasionally
sporting some light make-up.
Observation #1:
Likewise to women, men also have
certain beauty and appearance standards that are set by the media –
most of which are unattainable and unrealistic for the average male.
I know I definitely find myself going through magazines, pictures on Instagram, etc., and thinking, "Wow, he's got good muscle tone or great skin... How can I look more like that?" However, I always have to keep an awareness that they don't really look like that. Male celebrities wear make-up and get photo-shopped just as much as
their female counterparts. For example: Harry Styles from One
Direction. I'm sure some teenage girls would kill to meet him. Yet,
from unedited pictures I've seen, he isn't that much different
(appearance-wise) from the normal, average, 18 year-old male.
Unedited:
Edited:
There absolutely no way his skin looks
this good without make-up and photo editing.
Observation #2: Men that spend any
extra time on themselves is portrayed as painful by the media.
There is another clip I wanted to share
from the movie What Women Want but I could not find a good enough
version on YouTube that was worth posting – but it was essentially
the same “painful waxing” concept. Okay... let's be honest, it
does not hurt THAT bad. It hurts more to get a sports injury than it
does to get anything waxed. There still seems to be this negative
stigma on men spending too much time on themselves; they don't want
to appear feminized. I think people in general are afraid of stepping
out of their comfort zone and becoming a non-conformist, but it only
takes one person to make a statement which ultimately constructs
something into a social norm.
So why does the media depict the waxing
as extraordinarily painful? Women get bikini waxes without cursing
and screaming out in pain...
I think another important topic your post touches on are the pressures males feel to fit into certain standards as well. The main focus for body image is often towards women, but men feel the same pressures. Like you portrayed, the guy with acne was made to look perfect. Men who are skinny are often made to look bulkier and vise versa.
ReplyDeleteThe pressures are just as strong and have just as negative of consequences. This is something I try to be conscious of when it comes to my dad, my boyfriend, brother, etc... I am sure to tell him that they are wonderful people just like I do to the females in my life.
I do not think it is wrong one bit for a guy to "try" at looking presentable. I personally have plucked my boyfriends eyebrows, taken care of his cuticles and rub lotion on his hands or elbows. The little extra effort a guy, even girls, makes a huge difference as to how people perceive you.
ReplyDeleteWith the acne problems that your picture showed, it is a natural thing that happens to everybody. People may have perfect skin but it takes a lot of time and work to have skin so perfect. Pimples happen to everybody. Even famous boy band performers. Why do people get so grossed out over it when I am positive they have had more then a couple in their lifetime.