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BENCH PRESS |
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The Cult of Muscularity |
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Anonymous.
"Untitled."
Image for Sandow's Spring-grip Dumbbell advertisement.
c.1903
The formation of 'The
Cult of Muscularity' in the last decade of the
19th century was a reaction to the perceived effeminisation of heterosexual
masculinity. The position of the active, heroic hetero-male was under
attack from the passivity of industrialisation, from the expansion of
women's rights and their ability to become breadwinners, and through
the naming of deviant sexualities that were seen as a threat to the
stability of society. By naming deviant sexualities they became visible
to the general public for the first time, creating apprehension in the
minds of men gazing upon the bodies of other men lest they be thought
of as 'pansies'. (Remember that it was in this decade the trials of
Oscar Wilde had taken place in England after he was accused of being
a sodomite by The Marquis of Queensbury. It is perhaps no coincidence
that the rules that governed boxing, a very masculine sport in which
a man could become a popular hero, were named after his accuser. By
all accounts he was a brute of a man who despised and beat his son Lord
Alfred Douglas and sought revenge on his partner, Oscar Wilde, for their
sexual adventures). Muscles became the sign of heterosexual power, prowess,
and virility. A man had control over his body and his physical world.
His appearance affected how he interacted with this world, how he saw
himself, and was seen by others, and how closely he matched the male
physical 'ideal' impacted on his own levels of self-esteem. The gymnasium
became a meeting point for exercise, for health, for male bonding, and
to show off your undoubted 'masculinity'.
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Anonymous.
"Untitled."
Gym group possibly German/Prussian.
c.1890-1910
Ultimately going to the gym has more to do with fitting a certain 'ideal' image of 'masculinity', that of the muscular mesomorph, than it has to do with getting fit. Aerobic activity such as swimming or running are much more effective ways of getting fit. But what gym work does much better than aerobic activity is that it builds muscle mass. And for a man that wants to be recognised for his physical presence, having more muscle is the epitome of the 'ideal'. In a patriarchal society, in other words in a society where men have power over women and other men, to have a masculine body was/is seen as the opposite of being feminine or gay - it emphasises the difference between the position of men and women/gays in society. The bodies of 'other' men and those of women and gays are seen as inferior whilst a mesomorphic body confirms the power of 'real' men. No wonder homosexuals found muscular working class men ('rough trade' so to speak) so enticing a sexual fantasy in the early part of this century, and still do to this day. Still, in being named by the majority limp-wristed 'nancies' and by accepting that label historically ourselves, we forget that not all gay men were pansies with effeminate mannerisms, even in those times.
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In contemporary society the division between straight and gay 'masculine' bodies can be seen to have diminished. At dance parties or on the street it is sometimes difficult to tell which is the gay body and which is the straight one. In seeking acceptance and assimilation into the general society gay men have moulded their bodies on the 'ideal' of the muscular mesomorphic model. Both gay and straight men are likely to be striving after the same muscular mesomorphic ideal so much so that they may both become homogenised into a non-feminine, asexual masculinity where, paradoxically, very little sexuality exudes from any-body at all.
Anonymous. |
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