Hammers to the face and amphetamines: hypermasculine looksmaxxing invades the internet

"Two years ago, we were asking ourselves here at EL PAIS if the normal man would make a comeback meaning, whether we weren't seeing the return to glory of the guy lacking in chiseled abs, generous biceps and a square jaw, represented in today's cinema by Hovik Keuchkerian and Josh O'Connor and, classically, by legends like Humphrey Bogart and Marcello Mastroianni."

"But it now seems clear that the hypermasculine physique remains deeply entrenched. Gigantic, gym-sculpted male bodies are dominating our screens, particularly in hits like Rivals and Emily in Paris and of course, in their natural environs: action and superhero movies. In media, like comics, where superhuman physiques are rather common, this can be taken to the extreme. From the bulging of muscles, some of which don't exist, to the squareness of the jawline, writes Anastasia Salter in Toxic Geek Masculinity in Media (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017)."

"Though traditionally, aesthetic pressure has been linked to women, it seems that it's impacting more and more guys. The Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine says that up to 31% of patients who undergo such treatments are men. From jaws to penises to height, the cosmetic surgery industry ceaselessly exploits male insecurities, as it long has done with those of women."

Hypermasculine physiques remain entrenched in film and popular media, with gym-sculpted male bodies dominating screens in hits like Rivals and Emily in Paris and in action and superhero genres. Superhuman proportions in comics and genre media intensify unrealistic standards through exaggerated muscles and jawlines. Aesthetic pressure increasingly affects men, with up to 31% of cosmetic medicine patients being men. The cosmetic surgery industry exploits male insecurities related to jaws, genitalia and height. Two contrasting trends characterize male body modification: softmaxxing, which promotes diets, skincare and exercise, and hardmaxxing, which includes surgeries and dangerous practices such as bonesmashing.

Read at english.elpais.com