Ideal Body, The

Ideal Body in the Eye of the Beholder?

[Page 349]The criteria for what constitutes an ideal body is always located within a specific society, culture, and period in history. In addition, the timeless adage “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” indicates the subjectivity of identifying beauty. Taken together, these notions suggest that ideas of beauty differ widely from person to person, while simultaneously being shaped by strong cultural, social, and historical norms centered on what is commonly accepted to be beautiful. For example, in Victorian England, buxom women were viewed as sexually desirable, whereas nowadays they are perceived as chubby. Besides historical differences, cultural norms differ among contemporary societies. For example, in West Africa and Latin America, a heavy woman is viewed as healthy, attractive, and sexually desirable. Whereas “little fatty” is an insult in English-speaking countries, its equivalent in Spanish (gordita ) is recognized as a term of affection and, depending upon the context, a compliment.

Compared to females in contemporary Western society, males do not have the same degree of pressure exerted upon them to cultivate and display an ideal body. Magazines such as Men's Health and GQ promote masculine standards of health, beauty, and style, but such publications do not significantly compare to the vast number in circulation dedicated to defining female beauty. That said, from an early age, males experience pressure to participate in competitive sports, although this may serve primarily as a socialization process and reaffirmation of masculinity. In current times, the ubiquitous presence of gymnasiums verifies the relative pressure on males to maintain a physically attractive body. Gay culture, in particular, includes a frank foregrounding of the male body—to the paradoxical point of hypermasculinity—a focus that can be variously interpreted as a mixture of glorification, idealization, celebration, and objectification, among other possibilities.

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