Are there any TV shows that portray negative body image for men?

[misupanda]

I'm doing an essay on body image portrayed by the media, and I'm doing a section for children, women, and men. I can think of a lot of good examples for children and women, but I can't seem to think of any specific shows for men.

I know it exists, because a lot of my guy friends say there's pressure to be buff, muscular, tall, strong, etc., or else you're not considered a "man". I'm sure there's some show out there that portrays this, but I can't seem to think of any specifically. Can any of you?

Updates

+1 y

Thank you everyone for your input!! I turned in my paper, and everyone was so impressed that I included men in my paper!! I couldn't have done it without my fellow GAGers! :D

[BCRanger10]

I wouldn't so much say "negative" as "unrealistic". Let's be honest, how many guys really have the time, energy, or focus to get totally ripped, have a six-pack, etc?

I think the notion of appearing "unmanly" applies to more than a man's physical appearance though. We also need to consider morals and maturity. I think men receive very mixed and very conflicting messages about what a "man" is. It seems that men are expected to be one of two things: 1) a stoic killing machine or 2) a perpetual frat boy. Those may be a bit of a stretch, but I hope you'd see what I'm getting at.

[dartmaul15]

Let me see. about ANY show focusing on men being strong and heroic, and no painfull emotions, and so on... Look at the heroes in movies. Blade, terminator, the expendables... you name it. Take a good look on the hero. He's that guy who never cries and never fears, who keeps his hit together and remains seemingly unafffected by it all.
Lately they've made some bs excuse for emotions by slapping in some sappy subplot about love, but beside that he's a stone.

[misupanda]

Hm... that's very true, that's a great point! Thank you! :D

[MaskedSanity]

Err... every superhero TV show or movie ever created?

He man?

[BertMacklinFBI]

parks and recreation. Jerry is fat and everyone makes fun of him. or do you mean like, the intention of the show is targeted towards shaming a man's body? oh wait negative image as in what is expected of men in terms of body expectations? hmm.. damn i can't think of one that is specific towards that.

[JackKerouac77]

Parks and Rec is a good example. Any TV show where the guys are expected to be totally cut, buff and have anything less than a 6-pack could qualify.

Always reminds me of the quote in Fight Club:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpENE6yPV4

"Is that what a man looks like?"

[BertMacklinFBI]

@JackKerouac77 i remember that scene, they were looking at a model in an AD. srsly though, is that what a man looks like? hahaa. no cuts no scars no man. i guess in other words, he's a pretty boy.

[misupanda]

That still may work! As long as it's putting shame towards a man who isn't "perfect looking", I can probably make a good point about it. Thanks!!

[Scrambled]

300... every other Marvel movie. I read an article how men are actually getting overboard with steroids and gym. I suffer from BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) a bit and Muscle dysmorphia a lot (no matter how big and cut I am at the gym, its not enough). My rotator cuffs are broken because I gym to much.

[yaddayaddayadda02]

Maybe Sex in the City? None of them wanted to date fat guys even though SJP has a horse face, and the others aren't attractive either, although Kristin Davis is cute. Or maybe some comedies where women discuss guy's penis size.

[misupanda]

Hm.. that may work, thanks! :)

[Klaatu51]

"there's pressure to be buff, muscular, tall, strong, etc." <---- it'd be a living nightmare if i was all of that.

[misupanda]

HAHA. :p Well I mean for your average man! You are clearly unique and special! :D Haha xD

[Klaatu51]

LOL yeah for me the ideal image is being tiny and scrawny

[Eugene]

It's hard to find something in specific, since men don't really pay attention to the body image of some guy on TV, at least not unlike women do when they see some doll-like girl on a TV.

[misupanda]

Yeah, that's why it's really difficult, because there's lots of shows I can think about that encourage women to get plastic surgery to look "beautiful" or whatever, but for some reason there's not many shows like this for men, probably because men don't care as much.

[Eugene]

I wouldn't say they "encourage" women to get a surgery, it's a made up feminist myth (like the rest of whatever flies out of their mouths).
Women are more competitive in terms of looks, because basically their entire self esteem relies on attention from the opposite gender. A show doesn't encourage anything: just a combination of stupidity and natural competition that drives some women to get surgery and shit to look better than "that slut from TV".
While men are more competitive in terms of financial success and stuff like that (that's why big bosses and CEO's are overwhelmingly male, not because of some mystical "sexism" and shit), but very, very few of them give a fuck how the look, let alone how some random guy that they don't even know on TV looks. And even if we do pay attention, we understand that this guy went through a shitloads of stylists and whatnot they have on TV, not even to mention the editing of the footage before it goes live on TV. Common sense, really.

[SecretSomeone]

is Magic Mike an option?

[misupanda]

I'm not sure, I've never seen it. But maybe I can read up on it and see if it can work! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Wrestling maybe?

[misupanda]

Yeah, maybe I can have a section about sports. Thanks!