NAKED MEN... in advertisements harm body image

Tell me, what is strange about these images?

 

 They are all images that appear in advertisements for the clothing line Abercrombie and Fitch. Notice something illogical with this scenario?  For advertisements for a clothing brand these men are wearing surprisingly little clothing.

So how does this advertise clothing? Well, they are not exactly selling clothing so much as selling a brand and an image that goes with it.The main people are are buying into this image are adolescents, both boys and girls. 

There is significant discourse about girls and body image.  Concerned adults tread carefully, trying to emphasize the unreality of super-thin female models but little attention is given to how portrayals of men in popular media may relate to boy's body image.

Boys are expected not to be effected by images such as these in a harmful way while girls are expected to be deeply damaged by skeleton thin models.  I would suggest that boys are actually more susceptible to harmful body images due to advertisements like Abercrombie's, mainly because girls are educated about the dangers anorexia and bulimia as well as taught the realities of photo airbrushing.  With fewer boys advocacy groups than girls' they do not receive the same kind of education, leaving them more vulnerable to body image issues.

Perhaps this is because images of defined six packs create the illusion of health.  The assumption is that these individuals exercise and eat right to achieve their chiseled musculature but having no fat to cover these muscles is not exactly healthy. By under emphasizing these problems boys are taught that for them boy image is a non-issue.Moreover, the nature of this medium in particular, advertising, communicates something different than the photo on its own.  The fact that they use these pictures in an advertisements for a clothing company shows that to them a trim body and a six pack is more more important than anything, even than their clothes.  This seems to take on added meaning from someone who is, in fact, trying to sell clothing which covers up the body. For example, a Renaissance sculpture with similar subject matter would not communicate the same message because there is no agenda to sell the very thing in opposition to what the is image is glorifying. So, since Michaelangelo was not trying to sell t-shirt, his portrayal of a naked man says something different than Abercrombie and Fitch's.

Really, it is less about the image and more about the value messages behind the image.  Boys need education about body image just as much as girls do.  In the quest to identify gender biases and to protect historically marginalized girls we should not forget that boys face the very same problems.

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/boys-and-body-image-tips

It Starts with Media Literacy

We are always influencing and being influence by media. So, in that influence cycle there is the potential both to advance positive social change and to drown in our own social issues.  Media literacy, is the first step towards the former.
What does this have to do with gender?
Studies estimate that we see 16,000 advertisements everyday (Bullen, 2009, p. 149).  Young people who are still developing and understanding of gender roles see and are influenced by these images.  
Adults like to believe that we can shield impressionable youth from damaging images but because we too are exposed to so many of the same images some of the meanings inherent within many of them go unnoticed.  Of course, no responsible adult would allow a young child to look hyper sexual images of women in Playboy magazine, but what of images in family television which show women as passive and defined by their outward appearance? Make no mistake, images that reinforce negative gender stereotypes are everywhere.  We cannot reasonably expect that children will not see them.  Educating children on how to find and express meanings in media is essential to stop the cycle that perpetuates negative stereotypes.
Boys and Girls, Men and Women
Boys and girls both are influence by media images, and therefore both men and women are "victims" of the negative and limiting stereotypes presented. We should  look at these images without assigning blame, only meaning.
Demeaning images of women are often the subject of criticism but negative images of women sell men short as well. When girls see sexualized women presented as ideals it effects the development of their personal body image.  This can often lead to a lack of confidence, self worth, or even eating disorders as they struggle to match themselves to the gender ideals presented (Bullen, 2009, p.150).  But men and boys too are limited in the experiences they can have with the women in their lives, having such a narrow concept of what a woman should be.
An admirable project in Media Literacy for youth is Reel Grrl's annual "Wall of Shame" Project in which girls post media images of women along with their critiques, and their own interpretations (Bullen, 2009, p.151).

This in itself is not enough though.  It is important that boys be exposed to the girl's analysis of media.  Seeing their female peer's perspectives is the first step towards creating an inter-gender understanding of media, which is essential to challenging the gender boundaries asserted in the media.
A More Real Ideal
Because of the cyclical nature of media our perceptions do have the power to reverse the gender templates put forth.  The goal of media literacy is to stop young people from perpetuating the same stereotypes that limit them, in a sense preventing history from repeating itself. Only then can we advance positive change.

References
 Bullen, R. R. (2009). The Power and Impact of Gender Specific Media Literacy. Youth Media Reporter , 149 -152.