
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, but not as much has been said on behalf of men. What negative effects do media advertisements have on male body image? When confronted with appearance based advertisements, men are more likely to experience both physical insecurities and emotional issues related to body image. I will clarify how these media advertisements lead to negative effects on male body image, and its effect on the above insecurities.

Over the years, pop culture has created an inherently negative body image toward men's physical outlook. It portrays increased muscle definition in anything from male-oriented toys to Playgirl magazine models (Barlett, et. al). As a result, males are submitted to what appears to be the "ideal" muscle definition. Underwear models on television and bags from brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch also promote this muscle definition standard. Agliata and Tantleff-Dunn conducted a study in which 158 males were exposed to television advertisements containing either ideal male images or neutral images that were placed between segments of a television show. According to the study, it was found that exposure to the muscular body can increase muscle dissatisfaction in an individual (Agliata & Tantleff-Dunn).

Another study was conducted by Lina A. Ricciardelli, et al., which not only concurred the above, but delved deeper into the issue. Leanness, or the thinness of an individual's body, is also a negative effect that is created by the media advertisements. "Body image and body change methods in adolescent boys and Role of parents, friends, and the media" was designed to examine the socio-cultural influences affecting both body image and the methods used to change body size and shape in adolescent. Of the participants in this study, 20% contributed a negative effect to the media advertisements with statements such as "I think I have a lot of work to do." 12.5% stated that it [the media advertisements] promoted less eating in order to lose weight and slim down. It also showed that 37.5% of participants felt they were being pushed to go to the gym (Ricciardelli, et al.) The individuals in this study were ages 12-15, showing that the media has a strong effect on adolescent males.

Trying to comply with the 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). The same option occurs for men trying to lose weight as well. However, with leanness, men can harm their organs. This is a result of such actions as "binging and purging," in which you indulge yourself on a vast amount of food, only to vomit it out later. Another causation is from starving oneself in order to lose weight (Agliata & Tantleff-Dunn). These physical effects can do so much harm to oneself, all as a result of trying to obtain an "ideal" body type.

Not only are the above physical insecurities produced by the media advertisements, there are also emotional aspects. Personal body image differs from physical body image because it primarily deals with emotions. The "ideal" muscularity and leanness portrayed can increase depression, and constant exposure over time could have extremely negative consequences on personal body image (Agliata & Tantleff-Dunn). In "The Impact of Media Exposure on Males' Body Image," it was found that after exposure to appearance based advertisements men were more likely to have anger and/or anxiety toward showing their own body in public (Agliata & Tantleff-Dunn). This is an issue because no one should feel uncomfortable in their own skin; however, the media has unabashedly created these negative feelings towards oneself.

Bartlett, et al. discusses the comfortability with one's own skin in their research and concluded that esteem, whether it be self-esteem or body esteem, and body satisfaction are also key factors of personal body image. 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. In "A Meta-Analyses of the Effects of Media Images on Men's Body-Image Concerns", the conclusion from the study conducted was that "pressure from the mass media was significantly related to men feeling worse about their own bodies" (Bartlett, et al). 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. From the study, it can be concluded that extremely muscular and "ideal" male body image types that media advertisements portray cause a negative effect how men think, feel, and see themselves on a daily basis (Barlett, et al.).

These articles point out the various ways that the media advertisements negatively impact the male body images. On the physical side, men are getting an idealized perception of what the normal muscle tone and weight is. This body type is a highly unattainable one, which leads to the personal side of body image. Males are subjected to esteem issues due to not achieving the "ideal" body type. These esteem issues can lead to anxiety and/or anger issues, depression, and possibly suicidal ideations. Axe recently released a new advertisement that reflects a positive body image by portraying alternatives to the usual chiseled abs that their commercials usually contain, such as "the nose" or "the suit." Other male brands, such as Old Spice where the actors are extremely muscular men in towels, should follow suit with these types of positive advertisements, because as the articles have all confirmed, there is definitely a negative effect from the media advertisements on male body image.

