Bordo

Susan Bordo’s “Beauty (Re)discovers the Male Body”

Pg. 178 Q.4)

Susan Bordo broke through a barrier of silence about ads of male models and how it has progressed in the past couple of decades. Up until recently it was taboo to exemplify a man half-naked in an advertisement unless it was for masculine activities like sports or working out. As exposed by Susan Bordo, companies have begun to advertise their products with male models more often and usually without a shirt in a sexual pose.

I have always wondered what women think when they are exposed to beautiful women in sexual poses multiple times on a daily basis due to television and magazines, and that they are rarely exposed to men. Throughout reading Bordo’s essay I felt uncomfortable looking at male models in half-naked poses that usually show off their genitals. I’m not a women but I would hate to be exposed to those uncomfortable feelings throughout a day. I could understand why women develop addictions such as bulimia and anorexia because they want to look like these ideal models because I want to go workout to obtain a six-pack after looking at these ads. What is upsetting is that most advertisements are not even of real people; these people have been airbrushed and computer enhanced to look “perfect.” Therefore, companies are not being socially responsible by printing these “perfect” ads because they send the wrong image to the public and create disorders just to sell a product.

“Perfect” ads are not just the result of profit-run companies who believe “sex sells.” Society has engraved ideal bodies and behaviors genders should abide by throughout their life. Men should be muscular and athletic, where women should be beautiful, skinny, and be able to cook; “Men act, women appear.” With this in mind I began to question whether or not Bordo’s essay was wrong to expose my eyes to these ads or if society is making me feel awkward and uneasy to be looking at these pictures. I blame society for these...