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Julia's avatar

I was talking about this topic with two male friends recently. We had all re-watched Gladiator for a movie night, and one of the things that stood out to me is that in 2000, Crowe's body was considered muscular but not...overbearing in its aesthetic. It was a fit body. A body meant to do work, not be possible due to dehydration, endless hours in the gym, or, because we all know they use it, testosterone. Both my friends talked about how inadequate they felt compared to current male swole standards and how a body like Crowe's isn't seen as enough has an impact.

We don't have that anymore for men now unless you look like you've superglued sixteen hotdogs to your stomach and haven't been able to fit through a doorframe since puberty; you're disgusting, slovenly, undisciplined, you're like a woman. Swole culture is just misogyny in a different package, the need to be so diametrically opposite to women that we've essentialized and aestheticized what it means to 'be a man.'

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

This issue makes me think of Kumail Nanjiani, who swiftly went for being celebrated for his transformation from softish need to jacked Avenger Bod to being mocked for looking TOO jacked (possibly by enhancements, or not.) Like women, there are unwritten rules for guys about how the transformation happens, if it’s “honest” or not.

If we could post pictures on SubStack comments, I would include some photos of the way Spiderman and Batman are portrayed in my kids’ books and action figures. Spider-man in particular— if he’s just a teenage boy under that suit, how come his thighs are twice as wide as his calves?

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