Body Positivity and Its Place in Toxic Masculinity

Over the last few years, the body positivity movement has been a growing movement on social media. This growth in social media has led to companies being more inclusive in their advertising and outreach to customers.

This push towards body positivity is reflected in its online website, which features women in wheelchairs, women with tattoos, women with blemishes, scars, and stretch marks.

Scholars have studied the effects that media has on a woman’s perspective of her own body. The media shapes what is considered “perfect” and if a woman doesn’t fit these criteria of perfection, it can lead it to a negative body image, depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders.

But what about men?

The one group that seems to be left out of this movement towards body inclusivity are men, and there seems to be a reason for that: toxic masculinity.

This theory of toxic masculinity is very much perpetuated in mainstream media and has effects on the body image of men. Men in ads and photos are often shown in excellent shape, sometimes shirtless, and in poses which signify toughness and strength.

If these same messages of what an“ideal” body should look like are affecting women, how could we not expect them to also be affecting men?

For me, it was my first time seeing a plus-size man model for such a well-known brand. It was also the first time I realized that the body positivity was not being inclusive to all of those, including non-binary folk and men.

But that’s not to say that the movement isn’t heading in that direction.

The content put out by Savage X Fenty illustrates the impact that companies can have on social issues such as body positivity and inclusivity. More clothing companies should work towards also including men in their movement of trying to become more inclusive brands, for everybody and every type of body.

Related posts:

The Massey Ferguson 385 tractor has established itself as a powerhouse in Zambia’s agricultural landscape. With its robust design, exceptional performance, and reliability, this tractor has become a…

My wife and I are financially conservative. We like to think of our monetary perspective as good old fashioned common sense. We only spend what we have, pay off credit cards to zero every two weeks…

Mary and I fell into this trip more than we outright planned it, which is not the cheapest way to travel. A friend and career coach inspired the idea of putting separation between then and now…