Image source: http://www.inquisitr.com/2739833/justin-bieber-kendall-jenner-calvin-klein-spring-underwear-campaign-2016/
The Photoshop present on the covers of Men’s Health magazine isn’t necessarily the entire problem because we all know that photos get retouched all the time. The problem is the fact that these magazine covers, perfume advertisements and underwear models make males believe that this is the only way to be if you want to appear successful, strong and masculine. The media completely omits the fact that these models not only “work out” and “eat right” as the headlines suggest.
What these magazines are selling are fiction and unhealthy ways to get to a certain “fitness” level anyways. Losing a pound a day? The only exercise you need to get abs? No more man-boobs? In order to sell the magazine and the products that are within it’s pages, they must first make the reader feel inferior and create a need.
Rarely do we take a look behind the scenes, there are also spray tans, body contouring, a lighting crew, make-up artists, hair stylists and a professional photographer who has probably taken hundreds of the same photo to get the one that ends up being professionally photoshopped before it ends up on newsstands. All this work gets put into a single photo and men from all around the world are left feeling bad about themselves for not being able to achieve the photographed perfection in their everyday lives. This needs to end
This article is part of three part series in collaboration with Photoshop It Ain’t Real. To take a look the article on Photoshop It Ain’t Real click here and to read the previous article click here.
IH
Sources:
The Standard male 
Pingback: Collaboration: The Standard Male x Photoshop Ain’t Real | PHOTOSHOP AIN'T REAL!
I think this raises a really important issue that is often overlooked. While there is clearly prevalent stigmas in society when it comes to body image in fashion and/or ‘health’, I think people often only consider the detrimental effects on females and not men. I can’t wait to read on with the other articles.
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment. I entirely agree, studies show that more mental illnesses are fatal in cases of males and the link between body image and mental health really concerns us!
LikeLike
Love what you’re promoting! Both men and woman need to know its okay to not look like someone from a magazine
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks 🙂 It is both okay and not okay to look like the magazines but it shouldn’t be the end if you don’t! Love yourself for who you are
LikeLike
So true… and actually, there is a lot in the media about magazines photoshopping women, but we don’t hear nearly as much outrage about photoshopping men!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep. We just brush it to the side but when it comes to women? OH, THE OUTRAGE!
LikeLike
It’s great to see a website dedicated to the mental and physical implications that are on males, not just females. It is unfortunate and unfair that males are stereotyped to be “muscular, masculine, strong”, when like females, their bodies come in all shape and sizes, with these shapes and sizes not contributing to make them more or less of a man.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Woo, yes, every size and shape carry its own beauty. It does in the female world as well as the male world 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We hear so much about females being photoshopped in ad’s, magazines etc, but hardly ever hear about males. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for reading 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not only for men, women use a lot of Photoshop as well. I think the problem is that media emphasis the ‘perfect image’ and everyone just follow the standard which is hardly attainable, but in fact people seldom criticise on the issues.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This definitely needs to change! We need more open dialogue on body issues, especially with males, since we’ve built up a wall for so long it’ll take a while to break it down.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! what an interesting article!! Thanks for sharing
The media should be able to portray whatever the real situation is. It isn’t about the standards and perception – it should be about what the real image is!
This is so annoying that the media thinks they need to do all of this to sell magazines – all they need to do is to provide the truth about stories and stories that matter!
LikeLiked by 1 person