Some Men Are Just Too Confident For Their Own Good....

So I am reading one of my last articles for my literature review, "The Impact of Media Exposure" which focuses on body image disturbances in men, when I had a thought.  I wanted to conduct a small, very unscientific survey (on one person, my husband) using the latest issue of Rolling Stone Magazine which has a cover story and pictorial of muscular teen actor and Twilight star, Taylor Lautner.

My 6'1" 160 lb. husband is sitting across the desk from me working and I hold up the magazine with the cover shot showing the young actor frolicking on the beach in dark jeans and a wet t-shirt that accentuates his well developed biceps and torso.

I ask my spouse, "When you see this picture, how do you feel about your body?  Comfortable?  OK?  Do you want to change something about your body?  Tell me how you feel after looking at this photo?  He answers, "No different, I feel OK."  Just to make sure, I ask him, "You don't want to change ANYTHING about yourself?" which he again verifies, "No."  I then flip to another, more revealing photo of the young actor where his chest is exposed and his well-toned, tanned, six-pack abs are on display.  Again, I ask my husband, "What about THIS picture?"  "No different," he says.  "I feel fine about my body, honey."

Grrrrr!  Part of me wanted him to feel just as bad as I do after I see Heidi Klum working the catwalk at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show six weeks after the birth of her fourth child while I'm still struggling to lose the baby weight from my last child--seven years ago!

Is it that this man is just blessed with confidence or is it that society has put more pressure on women to hold up the ideal image of beauty and attractiveness?

kcr
 
 
Rolling Stone Cover