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View Full Version : Muscle-bound action toys mislead boys



sweatmachine
01-26-2004, 11:51 PM
Heres some insight into what non BB'ers think.....I found this article, I DID NOT WRITE IT, so please no smart ass comments!


Are Action Figures Harmful?
Muscle-bound action toys mislead boys, say experts

Since the 1960s, male action figures appear to have been on a steady diet of steroids, beefing up to inhuman proportions and giving boys a skewed definition of masculinity, a psychiatrist says.

In a study published this week in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Harrison Pope says male action hunks are sending boys the wrong message, much as Barbie gives girls a twisted picture of perfection.

He said his studies have shown increased emphasis on muscular males over the years, and the latest analysis continues the trend.

"We chose to study toys because we could measure them and they were good examples of the trend," Mr. Pope said. "We talked to many kids and the toys they liked most were very muscular figures."

Martin Zelin, a psychology professor at Tufts University, said studies have shown that many eating disorders have been linked to false body images. "It seems perfectly reasonable that just as women who are anorexic have been influenced by images of thin models, boys could be influenced by muscular men."

Men have to realize that they shouldn't feel pressured to conform to standards set in the media, Mr. Pope said.

Researchers measured the circumference of GI Joe's waist, chest and biceps at different stages of development over the years.

The original GI Joe from the 1960s, scaled to human dimensions, had a biceps circumference that equated to about 30 centimeters, similar to an ordinary man. But a GI Joe Extreme from 1997 had a biceps circumference of more than 66 centimeters, almost the size of a small man's waist. In comparison, the biceps of home run slugger Mark McGwire measure about 50 centimeters.

"Before the 1960s, people weren't using anabolic steroids so men would life weights and stay within their natural body size," said Mr. Pope. "But now, the unnatural is possible."

Another reason to explain the trend is the emergence of women in traditionally male fields.

"Women can now fly F-16s and join what were male organizations," Mr. Pope said. "Men's bodies, particularly their muscles, are the only thing that can't be taken away from them by courts and other organizations."

I measured my own biceps at 12", which is exactly average. I then measured Duke's biceps (2.5"), assumed he'd be around 6'4'' in real life, and found that, were he human, his biceps would be a whopping 27.75". Wow.

Do you think unrealistically proportioned action figures send a bad message to children about their bodies?

chelle
01-27-2004, 12:07 AM
Do you think unrealistically proportioned action figures send a bad message to children about their bodies?

NO. :rolleyes:

sweatmachine
01-27-2004, 12:19 AM
DITTO

homonunculus
01-27-2004, 12:22 AM
Originally posted by sweatmachine

"Before the 1960s, people weren't using anabolic steroids so men would life weights and stay within their natural body size," said Mr. Pope. "But now, the unnatural is possible."
----

I measured my own biceps at 12", which is exactly average.

12"?... Huh?... (Yes, I know that's not you, Sweat. LOL).

BTW, this Pope character is the guy who coined the term muscle dysmorphia and has been studying it for some time now.

Who the hell is he to say what is "natural?" This term is one of huge speculation among those in the sport's ethics circles. You could argue that lifting weights is not natural - what is the point of repeatedly raising and lowering the same weight over and over again. In today's society it certainly doesn't fulfill some Darwinian need to remain fit to propagate...

The issue is much deeper than what Pope seems to say (I don't know that he was quoted correctly.)

Shit, is it natural to get in an airplane and fly?...

Is a 28 foot long-jump "natural?"

Do we eat "natural" foods when we drive down to McDonald's and have a burger made with beef from 1000 mi. away, yeast from another state, and ketchup made with man-made chemical preservatives.

What *happens* is natural - how can it not be?... We are part of nature, so whatever happens does so according to its rules. (I am obviously constraining my comments to the realm of nature, omitting religious implications of what I am saying simply for the sake of argument. I certainly don't intend to offend by omitting a higher power(s) here.)

Speaking of religion, I gotta throw this in: (Consider the horrendous affects that the common depiction of Buddha as a fat man has on the body image of Buddhist youths... For shame... LOL.)

-Rantin' Randy LOL (How 'bout that little catchy number for my new MC column!!!)

sweatmachine
01-27-2004, 12:30 AM
I like it!

You just rant your ass off, we're here to listen!

supersport
01-27-2004, 01:15 AM
I measured my own biceps at 12", which is exactly average. I then measured Duke's biceps (2.5"), assumed he'd be around 6'4'' in real life, and found that, were he human, his biceps would be a whopping 27.75". Wow.

I bet Duke has Synthol in those Biceps!!!!

GetnBigr
01-27-2004, 07:04 AM
there's no way the average bicep is 12"....... I guess there is but....whatever

nice response Randy!

sweatmachine
01-27-2004, 08:36 AM
Duke is probably more silicone than synthol...old school , ya know?

Agent Graves
01-27-2004, 09:03 AM
well considering that the most popular action figures are of comic book super heros and most kids get the fact that they are not real people i dont think that they are a bad influnce. so the kid doesnt want to grow up to look like the penguin(spelling sucks) but would rather look like Batman cant be that bad.

supersport
01-27-2004, 10:48 AM
Originally posted by homonunculus


Shit, is it natural to get in an airplane and fly?...



Not to mention these crazy cats that jump out of planes too!! That ain't natural either!!:nope:


Randy-I enjoyed the rant bro-that was good stuff!!!

saturn
01-27-2004, 11:25 AM
Ok I admitt it....I do steroids because my GI made me. Not a distorted body immage but he actually talks to me and plans my cycles. That little plastic dude really knows his stuff.:D

jipped genes
01-30-2004, 12:00 AM
i work out to impress barbie screw gi joe.