
Advertisements play a pivotal role in what we buy, eat, wear, etc. Some individuals have even conditioned themselves to fit the mold for what has been coined the "perfect" or "ideal" body type. This social construct has been a pressing issue for many years regarding the negative effects it has had on the female physique, and changes have been implemented to correct such issues for women. Up until the 20th Century, larger women were idealized due to the fact that a larger body, or more fat, mean more wealth. It was not until the introduction of Playboy magazine in December, 1953 that the cultural shift officially began. It featured scantily-clad women and nude photos of very beautiful women, causing other women to aspire to be like them. The trend of sexy, thin models has transcended into the 21st Century with movie stars and television advertisements. In 2004, Dove launched the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty to curb the unrealistic and unattainable body image for females termed "beautiful" (Dove, 2015). This has continued into 2010 with the release of the Dove Movement for Self Esteem to ensure that all women feel comfortable in their skin. Sports Illustrated recently followed suit for positive body image with a "plus-sized" model on the cover of the Swimsuit Edition. However, not as much has been said on behalf of men. The entertainment industry should switch from male appearance-based advertisements to non-appearance based ones in order to avoid the negative effects that correspond with the appearance-based ads. In this paper, I am going to explain what appearance-based advertisements are & their function in society, why the entertainment industry should shift from appearance-based to nonappearance-based advertisements, and how to implement said change to this quietly debilitating issue.

Appearance based advertisements are those that focus on the body type of the individual more so than what the individual is actually doing. Examples of such are chiseled models on Abercrombie & Fitch shopping bags. Instead of focusing on the materials and products sold, this store focuses on the body type associated with the type of people that utilize them. Advertisements such as these cause people to strive for an unattainable perfection. In reality, these images are photo-shopped, airbrushed, edited, et cetera (Gross, 2015). 

The entertainment industry in this instance referrers to the fashion and marketing industries. The fashion industry utilizes appearance-based advertisements in order to influence individuals to buy their clothing products. They emphasis is not specifically on the clothes  --  it is on the individual wearing said clothes. The hope for the consumer is that wearing the clothes will somehow allow the individual to slightly ascertain the body image projected by the store. Advertisement agencies do the same thing: they create advertisements for companies that cause you to buy products for the people advertising them, not necessarily how well the product actually works.

The primary male audience for these ideal body image advertisements are adolescent to mid-thirties. This is important to note because adolescents are bombarded at a very impressionable age with images of very fit male models sporting defined 6-packs and bulging biceps. It is also important to note the age that it extends through because this means that college males are also influenced as well as young professionals. This can lead to issues in their later life, which will be described in more detail later.

When males are subjected to appearance based advertisements, they are more likely to experience negative feelings towards their body, which can have physical, emotional, and mental consequences. Exposure to appearance-based lean and muscular body can increase muscle dissatisfaction (Agliata & Tantleff-Dunn, 2004). In response to this effect, males respond in two ways: weight-watching and muscle buildup. Leanness is the thinness of an individual's body (Ricciardelli, et al, 2000). One of the most common ways to achieve this body type is restrict normal eating habits, usually without the supervision of a dietician. This is harmful to a growing male because he needs the vitamins and nutrients to allow his body to develop properly. Muscle dissatisfaction leads to the mentality of "bulking up," which is done by extreme workout regimens (Blond, 2008). This is also unhealthy for men because, if not done properly, the muscles in the body can strain or tear causing injury. 

Trying to comply with physical standards can have other physical side effects. When trying to gain muscle mass at a rapid rate, many men resort to talking supplements to hasten the results (Bartlett, et al, 2008). The same option occurs for men trying to lose weight/become lean as well. Taking supplements that are not supported by the Federal Drug Administration is a very risky action because this means that the supplements have not been evaluated for their side effects, etc. Leanness can have very injurious effects. Many men participate in "binging and purging," which is when you indulge yourself on a vast amount of food, only to vomit it out later. This can cause existential damage to not only the internal organs, such as the stomach and the esophagus. Why are we promoting a body type that would cause an individual physical damage in the pursuit of "perfection?"

Not only are there aggressive physical effects on males from the media's portray of body image, there are also emotional and mental effects. Esteem, whether it be self-esteem or body esteem, and body satisfaction are two of the major emotional aspects effected (Bartlett, et al, 2008). Self-esteem focuses on personal body outlook as a whole. Body esteem is how one feels about his/her own body. Body satisfaction is an evaluation of how one thinks about his/her own body. When someone's esteem is lowered, depression can occur. This is an extremely dangerous negative effect of the media advertisements because this can lead to self-harm, or worse, suicide. Mental disorders also arise in these scenarios. Anorexia, body dysmorphia, and bulimia are all well-known results of body dissatisfaction. Why are we allowing the entertainment industry to make anyone feel uncomfortable in their own skin?

