What constitutes ‘stocky’? (Photo: Unsplash | Public Domain)
Leading men’s magazine GQ has received hundreds of critical and questioning comments online after posting a tweet about swimwear for the stockier man.
The reason?
All the men in the accompanying image have clearly defined abdominal muscles. We’d hazard a guess that their bodyfat/weight index is also not particularly high.
The tweet that has prompted much reaction (Image: Twitter)
‘Are those the Olympic swimmers who sold the shorts to the stocky guys?’
The tweet links to an article demonstrating ‘7 swim shorts made to show off stockier builds’.
Social media was quick to respond.
‘Which of those male models would you define as “stocky” @GQMagazine?’ asked @PositiveLad. ‘You’re really not doing much to help with crippling male body image are you?’
‘Can’t wait to see their depiction of “husky”,’ offered @NickVerso.
‘Are those the Olympic swimmers who sold the shorts to the stocky guys?’ asked @sheckyyoungman.
‘My right thigh is bigger than their heads,’ said @alexanderchee.
Others posted memes and gifs in response.
sis…………. pic.twitter.com/nD3FJiiSSq
— eddie camacho (@eddiecamacho) August 9, 2018
‘Sloppy’
T-shirt and shorts designer Cobalt Club (@mojophojo) was critical of the tweet and the accompanying article.
‘I did see slightly alarming moments about the piece. Since when was losing weight everyone’s New Year’s Resolutions?’ he told Gay Star News.
‘I don’t think this was made for us big and tall guys. They overuse the word stocky and attach short to the description like they go hand in hand.
‘As for the photo, it’s just sloppy article publishing. No doubt they choose this stock photo because the first guy has a shorter torso and is in shorts. It would be nice to see a full photoshoot for “short and stocky” guys in shorts.’
‘Great gay brands out there now using a variety of body types’
Gerard Woodward is a London-based model and actor.
‘As an actor and model carrying a bit more cake than some, I’m a little offended that some gorgeous stocky men and maybe even a couple with hairy bodies, weren’t used,’ he told GSN.
‘There are great gay brands out there now using a variety of body types of men of all sizes wearing their products. I know because I’ve been featured in a couple.
‘As someone commented, it might be just a stock photo and maybe not executed correctly. Perhaps it should read: “Don’t freak out! You don’t have to have a supermodel body like this, these funky fresh trunks fit all sizes!”‘
See also
Underwear brand recruits men of differing sizes for body positive campaign
Man says ‘gays with waist larger than 32’ shouldn’t wear florals and Twitter proves him wrong
Stunning photos of naked men spearhead body positivity project
