As women, we're always speaking of how society pressures us to fit an unrealistic mold. Too skinny, too fat; too short, too tall; you think of it, we've heard it being discussed from all ends of the earth. With these expectations revolving around women each day, it is not perplexing that women's body image remains a hot topic in international debates.
But enough about us and our problems: men have body image issues, too!
Don't believe me? Well, allow me to ask you, readers, one quick question.
Ladies, what do you look for in a guy? Most of you will probably say muscular, tall, handsome, and some other generic characteristics. But of course, not all men look like this.
Some men are skinny; some men are chubby. Many men are extremely tall. There're some men that are shorter than us. Lots of men have hair on every inch of their body. Some have less fuzz to worry about. Regardless of their countless differences, no man is ugly.
However, no matter how handsome they may actually be, men still unbelievably compare themselves to the photoshopped, steroid-injecting, Adonis-looking men found in Men's Health magazines on store shelves. Men believe that their appearance matters more than it actually does. Society fuels this unrealistic image, and so do most women's ideal types.
Ladies, ladies, don't get me wrong. Women are pressured into changing just as much, or even more, as well. I'm all for destroying the patriarchy and promoting a positive self-image for women around the world. I just feel that no matter how much simpler the life of a man may be in this messed up world, it's time to look at the other half of the picture.
Instead of focusing on erasing solely society's screwed up perspectives of the ideal woman, women should work on squashing the oh-so-great expectations that men live up to, also. Once we achieve that, we can move onto bigger and greater things for the world.
So, ladies, the next time we think of our deteriorating body image, think of the men, too. It's likely that they're facing a midlife crisis just like us.
