Analysis Of The New Standards Of Male Beauty

American poet Sarah Tisdale once said, “beauty, more than bitterness, makes the heart break.” It is a perpetually dressed topic just how much social roles and social media influence the public’s confidence, and whether or not they could go as far as causing one harm. Throughout history, the desire to fulfil the standard of attractiveness has provoked hidden effects on people of every social class and status. Media and society greatly influence people’s views on conventional beauty, and damage their morale.

Society has painted a conventional idea of beauty, even from primitive eras of human development. In terms of physical appearance, the ideality has evolved throughout different period of interests in fashion, and cosmetic, or aesthetic

This leaves the great majority of the population who do not meet the respective criteria in a self esteem crisis. The article The New (And Impossible) Standards of Male Beauty, quotes; “those who don’t measure up are taught that they’re failures – that they are inherently less desirable, even less manly, than the shiny-chested, leaned out Dolce and Gabana model.” Many people face self consciousness and awareness of insecurities as part of human nature, and being constantly surrounded by the promoted status quo, can seriously detriment one’s confidence and self esteem. Furthermore, not only is the public presented with a seemingly perfect model or movie star, but the media further “enhances” their status, with things such as photoshop, or manipulation. The process of trying to achieve the model body could cause serious mental and physical disorders. Many cases of anorexia and bulimia can be linked as an attempt to “look beautiful” as said by the victims. Pressure from society, and the desperation to fit in can trigger self esteem disorders, social anxiety, depression, and can even trace the path for many forms of self harm. Media norms could be a factor in the decline of neurotypical teens and young

This can have the effect of a lack of originality, or genuine interest in a teen’s personality. For example, teens are heavily influenced by films and TV, in today’s world. In most films, the main character, or the main character’s romantic interest, or often both, have specific qualities. In a great majority of storylines, the desirable characters are some form of “thin,” or in many male cases, well built and sturdy. They are fashionable, confident, and commonly caucasian and heterosexual. The lack of POC, plus sized, and non-neurotypical characters can have unspoken effects on the audience. Obese characters are often viewed as the comic relief, POC characters are scarce and often subjected to stereotypes. According to TIME Magazine, a study from UCLA shows that in the film and television industry, women and minorities are underrepresented, compared with true diversity in the real world. Misinterpretation and lack of accurate representation can cause issues such as culture appropriation, which is heavily controversial in today’s society. Once again, those exposed to the deficiency of acclaim to someone similar to them, are left uncertain and self-diminishing. Not only is there a lack of representation in the media, but most young people are barely allowed to have genuine interest in anything concerning their appearance. If a young girl shows an inclination to