It's common knowledge that the images of women shown in the media are unrealistic and they do not represent what the majority of women really look like. For years, women have been under enormous pressure to have the 'perfect' body. But what about us guys? It's a subject that is not often spoken about, but we feel a lot of pressure to look 'perfect' too.
It's been an issue for women for as long as I can remember but I believe that many women are now starting to understand how unrealistic these images really are. They're even going to the extreme of boycotting brand campaigns to prove women shouldn't feel pressured to attain a beautiful bikini body. Whereas guys seem to be giving themselves a hard time for not having the 'perfect' body
With the recent flood of reality shows such as: The Only Way is Essex and Geordie Shore you can't seem to turn on the TV or scroll through a website without seeing a toned, tanned and hairless man. But let's be realistic here, I don't know about you but I don't have naturally olive skin or 5 hours everyday to achieve this 'perfect' body. So is it really attainable and what effect is this having on the average guy?
With the decline of the 'dad bod' and a recent increase in male grooming - more guys than ever are taking care of their appearance and trying to achieve the 'perfect' body. "Manscaping" is becoming a part of the daily routine; men are turning to waxing studios, threading their eyebrows, slapping on the fake tan and hitting the gym hard.
Not me though, I'm pale, hairy (in the nether regions) and flabby, well at least I was until I started my journey to explore the pressure to look good, all of which I filmed for a short film on BBC Raw. I wanted to find out what this male grooming lark is all about and to find out if it's all really worth the effort. The journey involved me ditching my dignity, stripping off and putting on a tiny G-string so I could receive a very embarrassing spray tan from a stranger, whilst being filmed on camera - talk about pressure! Then if that wasn't enough I endured the most painful torture I've ever experienced...I got my girlfriend to wax me. The only thing I have to say about that is...NEVER AGAIN!
You can see me going through this terrible (but hilarious) ordeal here:
So what did I learn? I learnt that looking 'good' is very hard work, very expensive but most of all very painful. I understand that you should try your best to look after yourself (I still enjoy the odd haircut and try to eat a balanced diet) but I just don't think we should be pressured to look a certain way, especially if that involves waxing. The sooner we realise that the guys we see in the media have almost unattainable, photoshopped, airbrushed bodies the happier we will be...now, pass the cakes.