Muhlenberg college

Janiel Pfaff
Toughen up!
Masculinity, the Male Athlete, and Body Image

This project explores the social construct of masculinity in our society through history. While taking Sport Media I became increasingly interested in media's portrayal of masculinity. Masculinity is often associated with power, dominance, and control. Over the years media images of men in magazines, movies, and on the television have become larger and more muscular. Size and strength have come to measure the level of masculinity. Much research explores the media and women's body image however; the topic of male body image seems to be neglected. In reality, some men suffer from eating disorders, engage in excessive workout routines, and/or engage in drug use to change their body. This project helped me see that the impact of media on distorted body image is not only a women's issue rather it is something that influences our entire society.