Inspired by the Dove© Campaign for Real Beauty, designed to bolster the confidence and self-esteem of millions of women, curvy men are now reportedly starting to wonder if the products could do the same for them.
“If curvy women can stand up and say, ‘I’m beautiful’—I don’t see why curvy men can’t do the same,“ said Darryl Simonsen, 44, who is currently considered clinically obese. “I don’t need to hide my beauty!”
“I’m not going by the definition of big-and-tall anymore,” said Neil Straithers, who has never liked his thighs and has often wondered if maybe his butt was too big. “I’ve lived my whole life on edge, waiting for someone to make a comment about my big butt. Nobody ever has, but they could at any moment.”
For Straithers, it took an at-home Dove-style photo shoot in his underwear to realize that maybe his butt and thighs weren’t the enemy. “Maybe the enemy is society’s expectation that men shouldn’t be shaped like pears,” said Straithers.
“I am pear man, hear me roar!” shouted Straithers, as his cat looked up from the sofa.
A representative from Dove confirmed that the company was, in fact, entertaining the idea of a parallel body-positive campaign for men, though its message centered more on smell. While not yet finalized, Dove mentioned that they are now considering #CurvyMenRule and #TheseCurvesDon’tLie as potential slogans. In the meantime, the curvy man movement continues to gain traction.
“I never thought body positivity was a thing that applied to me,” said Todd Granth, 29. “Which shows you clueless I was about how to really love my body, just the way it is.”
“I’m tired of all these rugged, masculine, conventionally attractive men in all the magazines,” said Rob Jones, who is five foot two and weighs 267 pounds. “I’m a real man. I’m a curvy man, so get used to it,” he said, “because we ain’t going nowhere.”
