Gender observation: Boys also have physical anxiety! Why am I less than 175 cm tall, which is semi-disabled?

No 170 is totally disabled, do not understand fitness is fat house, as a man, of course, there is body anxiety. Today we tend to think of superhero images: tall, wide shoulders, inverted figure, angular face, is a typical ideal male appearance.

However, in fact, it is relatively late to appear. There have been reports of changes to the appearance of "superheroes" in different eras, and it has been found that the appearance of such heroes has actually been in fact less than 30 years old.

"High and Handsome": The Expression of Men's Body Anxiety

A male friend (who puts on his shoes, 170 cm tall) told me about his past emotional troubles:

University feel that I have a classmate is beautiful enough, is the goddess level, about 170, but has maintained a distance, or dare not become familiar, invisible I also feel probably impossible, so there is only a gentleman's turn. But I sometimes think, if I'm 175, I'm not going to try it.

Because height is not up to standard, and feel that they are not good enough, no self-confidence. At the same time, fashion, film, television, and magazine networks keep telling boys that if you're "not tall enough," you may be treated as unattractive to men.

In addition to height, there is also a physique. Open the dating software, you will be surprised to pay attention to the body of more than women. Many men's profiles look out to countless people who say they're interested in fitness, selfies are re-trained to keep sweat, or toilet selfies reveal vague lines. But when did this "ideal male" standard of appearance begin? What if I'm a man who doesn't want to pursue my ideal appearance?

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"Masculinity" Male Globalization: Fairy Prince, Superhero, Where Does It Come From?

Mike Thompson and Dan Kinderlen's "The Seal" mentions that "masculinity" has long shaped what a normal male standard is. In contrast to the "feminine trait", masculinity contains a psychological and physiological dimension, generally referring to men are expected to be brave and masculine, unyielding, and compete with each other to win. It encourages competition on the one hand and demeans weakness on the other. S1

On the outside, masculinity characterizes how to be an "ideal male appearance" with different cultural contexts. Masculinity is not a fixed system, it will be different with different cultural contexts, but different appearances. For example, in some cultures, men are tall and have muscles and lines. In some cultures, men with long white hair and blue eyes may be found to be more attractive. Still, they're a reminder that you're likely to be "unwelcome" as long as you're not by these ideal male standards.

However, behind these diverse cultures of different looks and styles, it is still a positive and stressed that, as a man, you should follow your cultural situation and follow these appearance rules, otherwise it may be "unwelcome".

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Today we tend to think that the image of a superhero: tall, wide shoulders, inverted figure, angular face, is a typical ideal male appearance. However, in fact, this image, but also relatively late to appear. An Atlantic report found that the appearance of today's heroes is less than 30 years old, compared to the changes in appearance of "superheroes" of different ages.

Superman, for example, played by Kirk Alyn in 1948, looks like an ordinary college boy. Adam West's 1966 Batman is a similar one.

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In fact, the first superhero to actually have what we call "strong" appearances today is probably Christopher Reeve's superhero series, which began in 1983. And in Ben Affleck's Batman series, the aesthetic is almost at its peak: he's 193 centimeters tall. Among the characters in Marvel's Series Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Black Panther, we can also see that these films still follow the standards of the male hero's body, which are still largely in line with it.

The ideal male appearance brought about by mainstream American culture, through which popular culture is transmitted to the audience, tells them what kind of masculinity is more popular. Raewyn Connell, a gender researcher, calls it a phenomenon of "globalization of the male body". S2

The most obvious example of advocating height and muscle is that many Taiwanese men have been derided as "no 175 cm, that is, half disabled, no 170 cm, it is totally disabled." Interestingly, though, the average height of Taiwanese men is only 173 cm. In other words, almost half of Taiwan's men are "semi-disabled".

Men are "bombarded" by images of masculinity every day, no less than women. Mainstream movies, magazines, advertisements, and all trying to tell you that "money" and "career" have laid down your inner, while "appearance" is not enough to be masculine enough to lay your way.

Little boy's troubles: height is not high enough, should live to be scolded half-disabled?

Taiwan's male fashion trend from the late 1990s, along with men's fashion magazines into Taiwan. In 1996, "Shuffling GQ" was officially launched in Taiwan, in 1997, Taiwan's first men's fashion magazine "men's uno" was launched, in 2000, "FHM Men's Gang" Taiwan edition of the first. In particular, Taiwan is also influenced by Japanese culture, and the once-emerging fashion is the Japanese male fashion of "long hair, blue eyes, lips slightly open". S3 S5

Although the magazine provides male dress advice, maintenance rules. However, communication scholars Yuan Zhixiang and Xiao Bing (2010) argue that these men's fashionable texts are merely in response to "the anxiety generated by men's structural changes in the consumer society" but do not help much in relieving the tension in gender relations, as they still lack more content about sex and intimacy. S3

A male friend once told me that he had been instructed to joke about being "not tall enough" because he was "not tall enough":

"This term will guarantee the number of physically and mentally handicapped teaching assistants, and if there are not enough students with disabilities, there will be a certain limit on the number of teaching assistants," he said. Then the teacher joked, told me to hurry up to apply for the manual of physical and mental disabilities, so that the department's teaching assistant will not be short of people, ha ha ha dry. 」

I was so shocked that I asked him how to answer.

Man under the eaves! And I haven't had an oral test, I have to say, "The teacher won't, my height is no problem, intelligent comparison needs to apply for a question!" Hahahaha! Dry but the teacher is already humorous. 」

He says he's been through this "joke" many times, and he's used to it. It sounds sad, but it's the real life experience of many boys. To be an ideal man, the road is actually very narrow: you have to look right, sit right, laugh right, be right, watch certain movies and listen to certain music. (Extended reading: Interview with The City Men's Old Heart Station Director Huang Huiren: Boys and Girls, "Making Yourself" is the most important)

And the real malice is that these discriminations and jokes about "men who don't look good" can be changed by learning how much fashion is worn and trying to pander to their eyes.

"All the boys have feelings," the seal reads. But the way others treat them often is as if they don't feel it. Such an educational process also allows men to move away from their feelings. If I were a man who didn't fit the frame, I was ridiculed and had to laugh at myself. Feel hurt, can't say. Over time, also developed a depressed character, not good at expressing emotions. S4

The friend later told me, "I sometimes remember some successful people who are of a similar height to me." Did you know that Thom Yorke is only 168? Yes, there are Tom Cruise (170), Daniel Radcliffe (165), James McEvoy (170), Dustin Hoffman (166). We hope that one day, men who think they are "too short" will one day not have to remember who is as short as me, but who is "very successful".

"In a highly competitive environment, men are often encouraged to pursue success rather than to be themselves, " said Huang Huiren, director of the City's Men's Affairs, in the past. 」

On the wall of a woman's fan, there is a saying that a person can make himself, is the most important thing. I think it's a great word. It's important for boys and girls.

Putting down magazines, movies, animations, series, we know that as men, it's hard to tell yourself to be anxious and restless. But we hope that one day you will understand that you are yourself, it will be good enough.