Human beings have always tended to codify, and the case of ideal beauty is not different at all. Already in ancient Egypt it was ruled that the ideal proportions of the human body were 18 times its fist. In classical Greece, Polykleitos maintained that the ideal body contained seven times the head, while the Roman Vitruvius stated a little later that the ideal was, in reality, 8 heads.
What can be deduced from all this? Well, simply, ideal beauty varies depending on the historical moment and the place that codifies it. Because what do the Venuses of the Paleolithic, which exalt a beauty based on the roundness and width of the body, have to do with the classical Greek canon? Well, in fact: nothing.
History and the different cultures that have passed through it have had their own vision of what is beautiful and what is not, and they have not always coincided. And not only in terms of feminine beauty, but also in terms of the masculine ideal. Because, contrary to what is usually thought, men have always been (and, in fact, continue to be), subject to the cultural and temporal variables of aesthetic canons.
In this article we will briefly analyze the different canons of male beauty that we find today in different societies and cultures In a world as highly globalized as ours, it may seem that the concept of beauty is also unified, but nothing could be further from the truth. It has been shown that aesthetic differences still exist, the result of the historical and cultural evolution of different peoples.
Male beauty standards around the world: complete globalization?
In 2015, the video that powered the digital platform Buzzfeed became a viral phenomenon. The video in question analyzed, based on surveys and studies, what the ideal male prototype was in each country. The experiment focused on a few states, such as Italy, Turkey, Nigeria or Australia.
The result made it very clear that, Despite the intense globalization in which we are immersed (and which is increasing), the ideal of male beauty continues to vary, depending on the place and culture. For example, and according to the study’s data, in Turkey comprehensive male hair removal and a prototype of a man very similar to that of Turkish soap operas have become fashionable, while in India the ideal continues to be the typical Bollywood actor. On the other hand, in Italy the concept of a bearded but well-groomed man predominates, who dedicates great care to his appearance. In other words, what the Italians call sprezzatura; an apparently bohemian and careless man but who, deep down, knows very well what he looks like (and who spends a lot of time preparing).
It is common, therefore, for the current masculine ideal of a country or region to be related to national actors, models, singers or artists. In the United Kingdom, for example, the “Beckham” style is still in fashion: a tall, blonde man, with a beard and many (many) tattoos. Another clear example is Korea, whose “pop” style has spread throughout almost all of Asia and brings a man with delicate features and who profusely uses makeup to increase his attractiveness.
From all this it can be deduced, as we have already pointed out, that the ideal of beauty is not completely subject to globalization, and that the traditional canons of each country still weigh heavily when deciding what makes a man handsome or attractive.
Asia and “demasculinization”
In ancient China, the masculine ideal included the containment of emotions and a suitably wide and strong body. According to Chinese studies professor Kam Louie, from the Australian National University, what he prioritized above all was “wen-wu”, that is, the combination of intellectuality (wen) and martiality (wu). In other words, a cultured and intellectual man who, at the same time, knew how to handle weapons with skill and had enormous military discipline. The “masculine” aspect was greatly reinforced during the People’s Republic, to the detriment of any possibility of “feminization” of the Chinese man.
However, in recent years this ideal seems to be changing. Currently, as we have already mentioned in the previous section, the “pop” man prevails, influenced by Korean pop music. It is what has come to be called “soft masculinity”, represented by a man without facial or body hair, thin and stylized and very focused on his self-image. To enhance it, this type of man does not give up makeup or cosmetic surgery.
This change in the ideal of Asian men has not pleased everyone, and in China itself a movement has appeared that aims to once again “masculinize” the new generations, which has sparked harsh criticism.
Africa and the survival of “tribal” beauty
Currently, there are still ancestral cultures that resist entering the wheel of globalization. We find many cases in Africa, where the hallmarks of some of its peoples still survive, and where unique canons of beauty can be traced.
An extraordinary case is the Bodi tribe, in Ethiopia. And we say “extraordinary” because, in truth, the concept of male beauty in this culture has nothing to do with what we are used to in the West. Bodi men eat a high-calorie diet for months to gain excess weight (they triple their weight in a short time). Why do they do it? Well, because the man with the greatest abdominal volume is the most handsome man and wins the hand of the most beautiful young woman in the tribe.
In our society of exacerbated cult of toned bodies, which demonizes everything that has to do with body fat, the aesthetic canons of Bodysuits are frankly surprising. And we are so accustomed to the idea of a “unique” beauty that we often forget that we are not, at all, the navel of the world.
Other African cases in which an absolutely tribal aesthetic predominates, which has nothing to do with Western canons, are the Karo men, also from Ethiopia, and the Wodeabé, located in the Sahel area, on the limits of the Sahara. The first paint their entire body (including their face) with white stripes and geometric figures. The latter (also known as Bororo), similar to the Bodi, perform a ritual in which it is the women of the tribe who choose the most beautiful man. To get the award, the Wodeabé paint their faces with yellow ocher and wrap their hair around a headband decorated with ostrich feathers. Black kohl serves to elongate the shape of the nose and soften the lines of the face, which seems to be a symbol of beauty
Wodeabé men take extreme care of their bodies and their image, much like a Westerner might. The dresses they use to display in the “contest” are the result of a year of work, and they are truly colorful and impressive. Dressed in this way, Wodeabé men dance until dawn, contorting their bodies and making a series of grimaces that emphasize their teeth and eyes, since their extreme whiteness is synonymous with beauty.
A curious fact is that, In many African tribes, the ideal of female beauty is a shaved head or very short hair while, in peoples like the Masai, the most beautiful men are those who wear the longest hair, like a lion’s mane, a symbol of beauty and power.
The “modern” that comes from old
We have previously commented that, in the United Kingdom, the “ideal” man is having many tattoos on his body. This ideal is quite widespread in many countries around the world; You just have to see the fashionable actors to corroborate it.
But where do tattoos come from? No one ignores that, originally, they were a ritual symbol. In fact, the word tattoo comes from tattoo either tatauthe name given to these signs in the Maori language The Maori are the native people of New Zealand who, more than 1000 years ago, colonized the island from Polynesia. Among this people, the display of tattoos all over the body was and is very common; It was precisely the sailors who arrived on the island in the 18th century who “exported” tattoos to Europe.
Maori men tattoo black lines and stripes on their faces, the traditional ta moko. Each tattoo is unique and no two men have the same drawing, which is why it becomes a symbol of identity. In addition to tattoos, Maori men dance the haka, the traditional dance that consists of hitting certain parts of the body and, similar to the Wodeabé, sticking out the tongue and opening the eyes wide.
Definitely; The concept of ideal beauty continues to be in motion. In fact, it does not seem likely that there will ever be anything resembling a “unique beauty,” no matter how much globalization there is. Much better this way, since, after all, what is truly beautiful involves diversity.
