Suplement Post #3- Madeline Virga

While I was eating my breakfast over the weekended, I scrolled across an article about the ideal men's body of today. In the article from GQ, from what I assume, a seemingly average late 20s male has decided to research the switch in body image of Hollywood male stars. The topic of this article was promoted after the author, Clay, watched the new Baywatch movie and noticed Zac Efron's new ripped body. From his perspective Zac's body is different from the status quo; no longer repping huge arms such as the likes of his co-star The Rock.

Clay sought out a trainer and asked him questions about men's body of today, and if there is a shift to a more "Efron" type body. The trainer first tells him that most men coming to his gym don't want huge muscles anymore but rather a lean look that shows off the muscles they already have and lose body fat--no more getting swole. This statement seemed to give Clay hope that he to could look like the stars of Hollywood. But as the trainer continues, he squashes those dreams and bluntly tells him his goal of looking like a movie star would take copious amounts of money and all of your time. With his dreams squashed, Clay begins to track this transition among other Hollywood male actors such as Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Michael B. Jordon.

On the topic of body image and masculinity that we have been having in class, this article is significant signifier for the standards of men in and out of Hollywood. Often I don't think about how the "hunks" of Hollywood may affect how "common" men see themselves. Albeit not scholarly, it is a look into the changing standards that we have for men in Hollywood. Like the author states, in the past, the status quo was a more rugged build with huge arms like The Rock and Arnold Schwarzenegger, or the toned but semi-lanky Ryan Reynolds from Van Wilder, and a young Efron. But as they proposed today, we are leaning towards a more lean look.

My question for the class is, do you think the standards of Hollywood men have changed? Do you think there are more varieties (Dadbod, lean, bulky)? Do you think it will move to more body positivity like women are moving towards?

https://www.gq.com/story/no-country-for-swole-men