“Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others.” — Oprah Winfrey
The issue which we tend to overlook. From having acne scars to owning a small, skinny body type, a beer belly, excessive sweating, and body odor. Yes, we are addressing the social issue of male body shaming, which has often flown under the radar by society.
We strongly believe that men rarely suffer body shame compared to women. But for an exceptionally looooong period, men have also endured body shaming, and are we even bothered to debate this matter?
Why don’t we talk about male body shaming?
Unfortunately, the victims (men) are not able to talk about it because they don’t find it a problem. But (most of the time) they are not the ones to blame.
“If men speak about body image, their manhood might be questioned.” - Dr Ben Barry
We have grown up in a society where the concepts of “macho” and (toxic) “masculinity” are so ingrained in our culture and education that every outburst is viewed as a normal course of things. We don’t ask ourselves why we need to become (big and strong), to change the shape of our body, to show our fuzz. We do it because it is so.
Despite the relentless pressure that men can feel from social media, celebrities have also since broached the topic of body insecurity. Numerous celebrities have gone through body slamming, including Simbu, Prasanth, Suriya, Sivakarthikeyan, and many more as well.
You can always easily make an argument that some people consciously choose to have excessive weight due to their eating patterns or a lack of effort to work out. But, bear in mind that each of these issues is connected to the other.
The attempt to tackle the issue opens the door to the “sweeping” of man into others’ eyes. The prohibition against expressing weakness, a vulnerability of our own body which is born because it would be “like sissies”. So we tend to hide and avoid speech.
"Just because it's common doesn't mean it's normal."
Needless to say, body shaming can happen to anybody, and we have to be very serious about this high-sensitive issue before it hampers the mental health of those who are going through this to date.
An advice to all victims (MEN) out there. Take control and stay positive as life is beautiful. Live life by loving yourself!”
Image Credit & Source: Wikipedia & PxFuel
Revathi
Fri Jun 28 2024