If 'Real Men' Posed In Underwear Ads

If 'Real Men' Posed In Underwear Ads

Brands like Dove and Aerie have already begun showing un-retouched, non-model female bodies in their advertisements, a small step in the direction of body positivity. But what would ads featuring "normal men" look like? A photo shoot from an English newspaper sought to imagine just that.

In September 2013, The Sun asked four anonymous male readers to recreate poses from male models in underwear ads, comparing them to the presumably retouched originals. The images made the rounds recently on Reddit, where many users commented on how great the "non-models" looked.

These mock ads show how men are also held to the near-impossible body standards of models and professional sports players, and inundated with images of far-from-average male bodies on a daily basis. Studies have shown that idealized images affect men and boys, and may be linked to male eating disorders.

A 2012 study showed that when we see more diverse bodies, people become more comfortable with bodies of all shapes and sizes. So, more of this please.

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Jennie Runk

Body Image Heroes

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