Building the Hegemonic Male Body

Muscle magazines are such an interesting case when it comes to building gendered bodies. Every single cover features a man with bulging, rippling muscles (and usually muscles upon muscles, which I have no frickin' clue how you get those). This cover features Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, for decades has been considered a God in the bodybuilding world. Using a well-known figure like Arnold on the cover of a magazine like this puts him (and his socially sanctioned manly body) up on a pedestal. To see his perfectly sculpted body on the cover of a magazine forces us all to take a look at our own bodies. Almost no one actually looks like Arnold (even he doesn't look like this anymore) so we are all subjected to feelings of inadequacy. Arnold's body is presented as the ideal body that all men should strive for. Of course, that's what is supposed to get you to buy the magazine, but these magazines sell more than just bodybuilding tips, they are selling ideology. Arnold embodies the ideal hegemonic male in this picture, his face is expressionless (emotions are for the women), he has a mountain of muscles (men must be strong and aggressive, women, the opposite), and by his stance he is master of the space around him (men dominate, women submit). He is almost like some kind of Neanderthal in a way, big muscles, few clothes, and enough testosterone to choke a bull elephant. His appeal is based on the man's man image that has been perpetuated especially in the last half century. Mass media portrayals of men's bodies has helped shaped our culture's view of what is masculine. It is so simplified to the point when you could sum this image up as MASCULINITY = MUSCLES.