Monday, January 25, 2016
The Lover's Suicide
In the article, “DadBod: A New World for a Timeless Physique,” by Spencer Kornhaber, he talks about how the term “dadbod” came about and how it is viewed in today’s society. Over the years, there were many attempts to label this flabby form and one Clemson student was able to get this trend going. “Dadbod” refers to the male body type that is in-between an active gym rat and a sedentary couch potato. This radical movement has “liberated” man from the fear of not being “in shape.” Though women all over have also brought to light their support for this flappy figure. They state that it is desirable, less intimidating, easier to snuggle with the man, a way to make women feel prettier and the list continues. While I agree that men should not be ashamed of their current body’s. I disagree that men should settle and is exactly what they are doing—settling. This creates complacency and if it’s one thing that I have learned from my life experiences is that complacency kills. Maybe it will not literally kill, but it can kill that which we cherish and work hard to obtain.
“The Death of the Pretty,” by Pat Archbald, brings to the reader’s attention that idea of “pretty” is either dying or dead altogether. While everyone has their own preconceived notion of the term “pretty,” Archbald states that in his article it refers to “a mutually enriching balanced combination of beauty and projected innocence.” With this information, we can deduce that what is left for women to strive for is to be seen as “hot.” First of all, when I think of hot. I think of a fire. Fire is a mesmerizing phenomenon. It burns brightly, demands the attention of all around it, and must be carefully managed. It is a friend and a foe at the same time. Fire provides warmth one moment and painfully burns you in the next. Leaving nothing behind ashes as a reminder of what once was there. But why is that women would want to be seen as such?
Both the “dadbod” and reduced public value in being “pretty” have changed the way social norms are viewed today. One supports a man to adopt a complacent mentality, while the other attempts to grasp onto his carefree world only to burn for a second and fade away. Eventually, these two creeds will die a lover’s suicide.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree with your interpretation about the "dadbod" it had liberated man to be less intimidated by the perception of society always pressing for the perfect figure and washer board abs. However I think that when Archbald talks about women losing their "pretty" and embracing hot, I think of this as a positive thing. This just shows, and although not all men will be interested in women as such, because they are use to the conventional women part-time jobs or stay at home wife and men being the hard worker bread winners, I feel as though when women are being spoken about as hot, it shouldn't be perceived as a bad thing but rather a way of women embracing each others individualism and independence. In this I think that some may be intimidated by this ideal of the female being the stronger, more "masculine" one in the sense that they are great breadwinners and can fend for themselves and still provide themselves with great luxuries. So I don't think women want to be seen as just a vicious fire, and i agree with the ideal that it can be kind and warming but at the same time vicious and burn. This analogy is exactly right. Women want to be seen as independent , strong, warm and beautiful but when deception happens they wont go out without a fire and burn those that hurt them. In a sense I feel like the movement for "hot" is another way of women expressing the love and admiration for the strength and progression of women to become stronger and independent women.
ReplyDeleteThe points made in this blog is certainly ones I agree with. I mostly supported the second paragraph when "The death of pretty" article was discussed. The hot and fire concept creates a visual image that allows one to more clearly understand the results a girl will have when she aims for the "hot" image. Even the author, in the article, reveals that one most commonly feels "sorry" for the girl who blindly aims for such an image. Moreover, it is also reasonable to conclude that, just like the "dadbod", the "hot" idea will lead to the dying out of self satisfaction, for the individual is only following the trend in contrast to following what would really satisfy that individual personally. Only following what is popular will limit what one can achieve.
ReplyDelete