Four Famous Men Who Opened Up About Unrealistic Body Standards In Hollywood

From time to time, we hear about different women in Hollywood speaking up about the industry and its unrealistic body standards, but we rarely hear about men. This is not to mean it doesn't happen to them.

Unrealistic body standards and their implications apply to both genders, but men are naturally less inclined to speak out. These body standards are mainly influenced by the kind of bodies we see on screen and in magazines. The expectations of this perfection can make it challenging for people who don't look like that to feel comfortable on screen.

Over the years, several men have come out to talk about going shirtless on and off the screen and the far-reaching effects. This includes insensitive comments by online trolls, feeling self-conscious about their bodies, and so on. Keep reading to see four times famous men called out body standards in the entertainment industry.

Jonah Hill is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian. The actor is very well known for his roles in movies like "21 Jump Street," "Superbad," "Knocked Up," and many others. In October 2021, Hill released a post on Instagram, asking fans to stop making comments about his body. He explained that although the words might come from a good place, they didn't "feel good."

The post read, "I know you mean well, but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body. Good or bad, I want to politely let you know it's not helpful and doesn't feel good. Much respect." Celebrities like Sza and Beanie Feldstein jumped into the comments to support and praise the comedian.

The post came some months after the Hill revealed his childhood insecurities and how he was "exacerbated by years of public mockery about my body by press and interviewers." He posted a screenshot of an article published about him. The caption read, "I don't think I ever took my shirt off in a pool until I was in my mid-30s, even in front of family and friends."

Hill added, "I'm 37 and finally love and accept myself. This isn't a 'good for me' post. And it's definitely not a 'feel bad for me post.' It's for the kids who don't take their short off at the pool. Have fun. You're wonderful and awesome and perfect. All my love."

Simu Liu got cast in the titular role of Shang Chi by Marvel in 2019. He was their first Asian lead superhero franchise, and the casting led to many reactions by the Chinese media, not all of them good.

Not long after the casting was made public, the YouTube channel, Asian Boss, posted a video surveying people in Beijing and their reactions to Liu's appearance. The people were asked to rate the actor's attractiveness on a scale of 1-10.

In Men's Health June edition, the actor said, "I got a ton of trolls. They'd leave Chinese comments on my page, and I'd be so excited to translate them because I thought, 'ooh, they must be voicing their support.' And [instead] it would be like, 'Your face looks like a dog's anus, you don't deserve this role.'"

In the interview, Liu also revealed that he was self-conscious when he was younger, but he is now in a much better place. He said that the feedback and comments would have been much more destructive if he had been cast as a younger man for the same role.

Grant Gustin, known for his role as Barry Allen in "The Flash," took to Instagram to address comments about his body. A photo of the actor in his newest costume on the show leaked. Several members of the public took it upon themselves to comment on the actor's body.

In his Instagram post, the actor discussed how he struggled with weight gain to play the superhero and slammed people who commented on other people's bodies on social media. Several people commented on the picture and even questioned the actor's health.

Gustin's response was, "That's a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted. Some things need work, and they will be worked on. We'll get there. As far as the body-shaming, that's what pisses me off. Not even just for my sake. I've had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents I was too thin."

He added, "I went to an audition for a role I never dreamed I'd actually book. But, here I am, five seasons later. I'm happy with my body and who I am, and other kids who are built like me and thinner than me should be able to feel the same way."

Charlie Puth is a famous American singer and songwriter. He's notable for songs like "See You Again," "We Don't Talk Anymore," "How Long," and several others. In early 2021, the paparazzi released photos of the singer on his way back from the gym.

In the pictures, the singer was shirtless, on a phone call, and on his way to his car. The photos got a lot of attention, both good and bad. Some followers body-shamed Puth and dropped unpleasant comments about his body.

https://twitter.com/charlieputh/status/1373028424659308546?s=20

The 29-year old caught wind of it and released a post that said, "Hey, just a very quick reminder that it's not cool to body shame anyone. Not entirely sure what the purpose of it is. Sorry I don't have an 8 pack like damn......"