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Men'n'Women'n'Health'n'Popular Culture
AnnPT77
Posts: 34,600 Member
I have no particular axe to grind with this, but I find it amusing to compare and contrast similar health/fitness magazines aimed at men and women. It doesn't get more similar - in theory - than Women's Health and Men's Health. Here are the covers of their annuals, just in time for New Year's resolutioners.
Any reactions?
My first was: At least they cut off both their heads.
Any reactions?
My first was: At least they cut off both their heads.
15
Replies
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His is all about being powerful while hers is all about being attractive.10
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The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.18
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
I'm not 100% convinced. The glamor-guy heartthrob actors and pop stars of the 1940s-1960s weren't ripped like the ones of today. Some classical statuary of men is pretty ripped, though.
Troy Donahue, say, just to pick one off the top of my head:
http://pulpinternational.com/images/postimg/right_on_q_03.jpg12 -
I think the woman's physique is attainable and sustainable, whereas the man's physique would be more difficult to achieve and maintain17
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »I think the woman's physique is attainable and sustainable, whereas the man's physique would be more difficult to achieve and maintain
Good point. He's probably around 7-8% BF tops.
LOL at the "Your Best Body In Just WEEKS!" on the women's mag. And the "Gain Hard Muscle" on the men's. Because nobody wants to gain Soft Muscle, amirite?12 -
Agency ("power") vs. audience reception ("sexy")?
She doesn't look all that strong to me, either - pretty and sleek, though. Reasonably fit, achievable if young and gifted with 'proper' proportions. He seems like more of an outlier. Perhaps I'm endorsing @JeromeBarry1's point here?
(I feel compelled to say - truth in advertising - I'm a sapiosexual myself, and old, so this is all academic to me.)7 -
I note the poses.
The man is standing, turned to show muscles, maybe flexing. Okay, a pose, yeah, but a recognizable one.
The woman...what the heck is she doing, exactly? Not any exercise I recognize.
She seems to have a case of what my teens call 'wobbly spine,' where the woman's spine must so flexible that she can't make any pose without her butt/hips canting out to one side or the other, no matter how ridiculous or odd it is to stand that way.
Interesting to note that completely shaved skin is so popular. Neither of these two have much body hair at all.
And no eyes...that's fascinating that both of them are photographed just below the eyes. Kind of dehumanizes them a little, IMO, so they are more 'a body' than 'a person,' you know? Maybe to make it seem more attainable, like - you, too, could have this type of body if you really tried.
Instead of us remembering - these are actual people, and while you can have the best body YOU can have, you can't have these bodies because you are a completely different person from these models.11 -
I note the poses.
<interesting, frank, provocative, insightful comments snipped>.
Instead of us remembering - these are actual people, and while you can have the best body YOU can have, you can't have these bodies because you are a completely different person from these models.
I'd go further: Even these two people can't precisely have these bodies.
Photoshop, I'm certain.11 -
Honestly, I don't have much of a reaction to either of them. I'm a little disappointed that the women's one depicts that as "strong", but that's more based on my own preferences.
I do agree with the previous comment that the women's image seems more attainable/maintainable than does the men's, but I'm a man and only relate to one of them.3 -
I have no particular axe to grind with this, but I find it amusing to compare and contrast similar health/fitness magazines aimed at men and women. It doesn't get more similar - in theory - than Women's Health and Men's Health. Here are the covers of their annuals, just in time for New Year's resolutioners.
Any reactions?
My first was: At least they cut off both their heads.
Same publisher, same general idea on content.2 -
Belly fat reduction is a universal goal.2
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Not actually true. During the late 19th/early 20th century the fashion for men was to be overweight. Regency gentlemen padded their thighs if they didn't already look muscled enough. During the Middle Ages it was thought more manly to be large and well muscled (a sword fighter's build) but during the Renaissance it was preferred to be slimmer (a fencer's build). Fashions change all the time and preferences with them.13 -
I note the poses.
<interesting, frank, provocative, insightful comments snipped>.
Instead of us remembering - these are actual people, and while you can have the best body YOU can have, you can't have these bodies because you are a completely different person from these models.
I'd go further: Even these two people can't precisely have these bodies.
Photoshop, I'm certain.
I bet they even photoshopped her abs away to make her look softer.3 -
I note the poses.
<interesting, frank, provocative, insightful comments snipped>.
Instead of us remembering - these are actual people, and while you can have the best body YOU can have, you can't have these bodies because you are a completely different person from these models.
I'd go further: Even these two people can't precisely have these bodies.
Photoshop, I'm certain.
I bet they even photoshopped her abs away to make her look softer.
And her left shoulder looks wonky.1 -
They both have the same amount of body hair.
What a pair of pluckers.
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quiksylver296 wrote: »I note the poses.
<interesting, frank, provocative, insightful comments snipped>.
Instead of us remembering - these are actual people, and while you can have the best body YOU can have, you can't have these bodies because you are a completely different person from these models.
I'd go further: Even these two people can't precisely have these bodies.
Photoshop, I'm certain.
I bet they even photoshopped her abs away to make her look softer.
And her left shoulder looks wonky.
Now that you mention it, the whole upper arm to shoulder area looks a little odd. Perhaps she got "too bulky"? 0 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Hmm, don't think I agree - I feel the body most men actually train for has changed massively in my lifetime (DOB 1960).
When I was young the (main) aspiration in gyms was to be big and strong - not big and very, very lean. Strength and size rather than aesthetics.
I simply don't remember the obsession with abs and muscle definition at all outside of what was a tiny niche of bodybuilders.
Eat / train / beer as opposed to supplement / train / sun bed perhaps?6 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Hmm, don't think I agree - I feel the body most men actually train for has changed massively in my lifetime (DOB 1960).
When I was young the (main) aspiration in gyms was to be big and strong - not big and very, very lean. Strength and size rather than aesthetics.
I simply don't remember the obsession with abs and muscle definition at all outside of what was a tiny niche of bodybuilders.
Eat / train / beer as opposed to supplement / train / sun bed perhaps?
That sounds about right.
I think if anything, guys have become more body conscious and more concerned with showing off muscle rather than what the muscle can actually do for them.
And the abs obsession is definitely something that was not around 40 years ago. Men or women.4 -
This is the reason I prefer Oxygen magazine. Big, strong women. Though, to be honest, I'm annoyed by their 1600 cal "muscle building" plans.2
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He has a better tan.0
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Oh, TMac, that was painful to see7
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2
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Hmm, don't think I agree - I feel the body most men actually train for has changed massively in my lifetime (DOB 1960).
When I was young the (main) aspiration in gyms was to be big and strong - not big and very, very lean. Strength and size rather than aesthetics.
I simply don't remember the obsession with abs and muscle definition at all outside of what was a tiny niche of bodybuilders.
Eat / train / beer as opposed to supplement / train / sun bed perhaps?
I (b. 1955) see your point. I think that men being this lean/cut was not a mainstream thing in my younger years, even though there existed a niche "body builder" subculture where it was more valued. Being strong was valued, though.
I feel like the focus on being vs. doing is a contemporary neurosis across domains, instantiated in this case - as you say - by an increased emphasis on aesthetics vs. strength. It's tempting to presume that as our culture as a whole moves further toward mass spectator-hood (with a small performer class of athletes and whatnot whom we're supposed to watch and admire), perfecting appearance is elevated as a mass-market goal, and performance (relatively) deprecated.
3 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Hmm, don't think I agree - I feel the body most men actually train for has changed massively in my lifetime (DOB 1960).
When I was young the (main) aspiration in gyms was to be big and strong - not big and very, very lean. Strength and size rather than aesthetics.
I simply don't remember the obsession with abs and muscle definition at all outside of what was a tiny niche of bodybuilders.
Eat / train / beer as opposed to supplement / train / sun bed perhaps?
That sounds about right.
I think if anything, guys have become more body conscious and more concerned with showing off muscle rather than what the muscle can actually do for them.
And the abs obsession is definitely something that was not around 40 years ago. Men or women.
Not really borne out by these covers, but it seems like the pop-culture fitness norms for men have really become obsessed with a six-pack, whereas the mainstream women's magazines seemingly more often tout a "flat belly".
1 -
MaggieGirl135 wrote: »Oh, TMac, that was painful to see
Quoted for truth. That hurts.
Yeah, I pull that one out every so often when I start feeling complacent.0 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Hmm, don't think I agree - I feel the body most men actually train for has changed massively in my lifetime (DOB 1960).
When I was young the (main) aspiration in gyms was to be big and strong - not big and very, very lean. Strength and size rather than aesthetics.
I simply don't remember the obsession with abs and muscle definition at all outside of what was a tiny niche of bodybuilders.
Eat / train / beer as opposed to supplement / train / sun bed perhaps?
That sounds about right.
I think if anything, guys have become more body conscious and more concerned with showing off muscle rather than what the muscle can actually do for them.
And the abs obsession is definitely something that was not around 40 years ago. Men or women.
Not really borne out by these covers, but it seems like the pop-culture fitness norms for men have really become obsessed with a six-pack, whereas the mainstream women's magazines seemingly more often tout a "flat belly".
The desire for abs has increased in women too. JMO. I don't remember seeing 6-packs flouted in hollywood so much when I was a young adult. I think muscles, and the leaness required to show off those muscles, has become much more popular.
Remember when Terminator 2 came out and people were amazed by the large amount of muscle she was sporting? It wouldn't be so unusual today.
5 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Hmm, don't think I agree - I feel the body most men actually train for has changed massively in my lifetime (DOB 1960).
When I was young the (main) aspiration in gyms was to be big and strong - not big and very, very lean. Strength and size rather than aesthetics.
I simply don't remember the obsession with abs and muscle definition at all outside of what was a tiny niche of bodybuilders.
Eat / train / beer as opposed to supplement / train / sun bed perhaps?
That sounds about right.
I think if anything, guys have become more body conscious and more concerned with showing off muscle rather than what the muscle can actually do for them.
And the abs obsession is definitely something that was not around 40 years ago. Men or women.
Not really borne out by these covers, but it seems like the pop-culture fitness norms for men have really become obsessed with a six-pack, whereas the mainstream women's magazines seemingly more often tout a "flat belly".
The desire for abs has increased in women too. JMO. I don't remember seeing 6-packs flouted in hollywood so much when I was a young adult. I think muscles, and the leaness required to show off those muscles, has become much more popular.
Remember when Terminator 2 came out and people were amazed by the large amount of muscle she was sporting? It wouldn't be so unusual today.
Frankly, she mostly looks skinny to me, not truly muscular. I remember that cultural flurry, too, though, now that you mention it.
I agree about the desire for abs now in women, too - just commenting on my perception (possibly distorted by observer bias) of the relative frequency of the terms "flat belly" vs. "6 pack" on recent men's vs. women's fitness magazine covers. (I never actually open either. Life is short, and I'm already old. ) 1 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Hmm, don't think I agree - I feel the body most men actually train for has changed massively in my lifetime (DOB 1960).
When I was young the (main) aspiration in gyms was to be big and strong - not big and very, very lean. Strength and size rather than aesthetics.
I simply don't remember the obsession with abs and muscle definition at all outside of what was a tiny niche of bodybuilders.
Eat / train / beer as opposed to supplement / train / sun bed perhaps?
That sounds about right.
I think if anything, guys have become more body conscious and more concerned with showing off muscle rather than what the muscle can actually do for them.
And the abs obsession is definitely something that was not around 40 years ago. Men or women.
Not really borne out by these covers, but it seems like the pop-culture fitness norms for men have really become obsessed with a six-pack, whereas the mainstream women's magazines seemingly more often tout a "flat belly".
The desire for abs has increased in women too. JMO. I don't remember seeing 6-packs flouted in hollywood so much when I was a young adult. I think muscles, and the leaness required to show off those muscles, has become much more popular.
Remember when Terminator 2 came out and people were amazed by the large amount of muscle she was sporting? It wouldn't be so unusual today.
Frankly, she mostly looks skinny to me, not truly muscular. I remember that cultural flurry, too, though, now that you mention it.
I agree about the desire for abs now in women, too - just commenting on my perception (possibly distorted by observer bias) of the relative frequency of the terms "flat belly" vs. "6 pack" on recent men's vs. women's fitness magazine covers. (I never actually open either. Life is short, and I'm already old. )
Good point. Women will often call it a flat belly rather than a 6-pack. Often. More when we were younger I think.
And yeah... she does look skinny to me now but back then she was considered quite bulky. LOL1 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The ideal body of a woman has changed over your and my lifetime. The ideal body of a man hasn't changed in 5000 years.
Hmm, don't think I agree - I feel the body most men actually train for has changed massively in my lifetime (DOB 1960).
When I was young the (main) aspiration in gyms was to be big and strong - not big and very, very lean. Strength and size rather than aesthetics.
I simply don't remember the obsession with abs and muscle definition at all outside of what was a tiny niche of bodybuilders.
Eat / train / beer as opposed to supplement / train / sun bed perhaps?
That sounds about right.
I think if anything, guys have become more body conscious and more concerned with showing off muscle rather than what the muscle can actually do for them.
And the abs obsession is definitely something that was not around 40 years ago. Men or women.
Not really borne out by these covers, but it seems like the pop-culture fitness norms for men have really become obsessed with a six-pack, whereas the mainstream women's magazines seemingly more often tout a "flat belly".
The desire for abs has increased in women too. JMO. I don't remember seeing 6-packs flouted in hollywood so much when I was a young adult. I think muscles, and the leaness required to show off those muscles, has become much more popular.
Remember when Terminator 2 came out and people were amazed by the large amount of muscle she was sporting? It wouldn't be so unusual today.
Frankly, she mostly looks skinny to me, not truly muscular. I remember that cultural flurry, too, though, now that you mention it.
I agree. When I saw that pic and the read the post I was confused. I don't remember thinking she was muscular back in the day. She just looked like she needed to eat a good meal.1
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