
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. An example 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 said materials. 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).

Other appearance based advertisements are targeted towards children. While this may seem like it would be a very obvious situation, it is not. Over the years, male toys have shifted towards being very defined and muscular (Mirror Mirror, 2016). GI Joe action figures are a prime example, with WWE wrestling action figures as a reinforcement. This is a risk to society because our youth are being taught to strive for an unattainable body image at such a young age, and they do not even realize it. When these children come into adolescence, studies have found that those concerned about their appearance are more likely to be depressed and engage in riskier activities such as stimulant [drug] use or binge drinking (Cruz, 2014). Why are we allowing the entertainment industry to set our children up for disappointment and failure, and ultimately put our future in danger?

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. The 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. Marketing 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. This is an issue because the industry is profiting off of individuals by feeding off of their insecurities of striving for perfection instead of being comfortable in their own skin.

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 the internal organs, such as the stomach and the esophagus (Vargas, 2013). 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 portrayal 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 cause anyone feel uncomfortable in their own skin?

While the harmful effects of appearance based advertisements give plenty of valid reasons as to why the entertainment industry should stop producing said advertisements, there are proponents for these advertisements. When interviewed, some adolescent males stated that viewing the ads and models had a positive effect on them (Ricciardelli, et al, 2000). These positive effects vary from inspiring them to eat healthier to going to the gym and working out to just exercising period. The same can be said by individuals of all ages that the mentality in which to use these images to better themselves in a healthy way. 

However, this is not the case for many people. Being bombarded by images of "perfect" men can be very detrimental to how many individuals view themselves. The ideal body image that is constantly being portrayed only accounts for about 1% of the population (Cruz, 2014). On a positive note, Axe has taken a step towards addressing ideal body image without actually pointing out that it is a problem in their latest ad campaign. Known for using very defined, muscular men in their advertisements, a recently released ad starts with a jumbo Tron of an idealized man. It then continues to use examples that can be used as equivalents to 6-pack abs, such as "the nose" or "the suit" or "the moves" (Axe, 2016). Axe is changing the conversation from "you need to strive to look like this body type" to "even if you cannot look like this, you still have something that makes you unique and attractive to certain people."

To follow suit with Sports Illustrated and Women's Running use of plus-size female models, IMG Models recently introduced a new plus-size men's division called "Brawn." This a step by a popular modeling agency toward a body positive image for men. The first male model signed was Zach Miko, who is also known for being Target's only plus-sized male model. At 6'6" and a 40-inch waist, Miko is not your typical male model. He does not represent the ideal body image that the entertainment industry has created over the years. Instead, he promotes the ideology that no matter what shape, size, etc. you can still be attractive, desirable, and valid. You do not have to conform to the industry's standards (Mahlmeister, 2016).

American Eagle tried to continue the trend of "body positive" advertisements, but was met with considerable opposition, and for good reason. The company recently released advertisements with #AerieMan. Aerie is the company's female underwear line. With the release of these videos, it was enough for one to assume that American Eagle was going to release men's underwear through this company as well as women's. However, the company stated that these videos were released as a parody ("We know our male customers respond to humor"). The company has pledged to forego retouching the male models in underwear and swim images starting during the Holiday 2016 season. This sounds like a great step for male body image  --  it promotes a positive image of showing the models as they are. The issue that arose with this campaign is that American Eagle practically made body positivity a joke, whether they meant to or not. Male body acceptance is not something to joke about, as it is already an issue not highlighted by the media, and showing it through the media in a jovial light only makes the issue diminish more (ABC News, 2016).

So where do we go from here? It is quite obvious that the cons of appearance based advertisements on ideal body image outweigh the pros. The physical, emotional, and mental damages that these ads impose are much higher costs to the majority than the minority that use these advertisements to motivate them. The entertainment industry as a whole should switch from the appearance based advertisements to non-appearance based ones in order to avoid the negative effects associated with them [ads]. Obviously this would not be able to happen all at once, but if the industry began scaling back the advertisements that they already have circulating and create new body positive advertisements, then the ideal male body image would not be so unattainable. 

Companies such as Axe, IMG, and American Eagle are just the tip of the iceberg for the change in the industry. The risk that these companies took to change the way we view the ideal man has paid off with a highly positive response, excluding American Eagle. Noting this positive change should encourage consumers to demand for new industry standards, and if this happens, the industry will have no choice but to comply with the consumer demands just as they do with legitimate product demands. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin.

