If you think drag queens spend a lot of time contouring, shading and highlighting, you’ve never seen a professional photoshopper in action.
It’s no secret that the finished product in ads and magazine spreads have passed through some serious editing phases, with the result always coming out the same: chiseled, smooth and bulky in all the way’s you’d expect.
Related: One Man’s Body Is Morphed To Fit 19 World Beauty Standards
In a recent Buzzfeed “Try Guys” video, the gents try their hand at recreating some iconic shots to see how much power those tech-savvy photo magicians really have.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Along the way, some interesting conversation happens. Insecurity, body image, societal standards…what does it all mean?
Love yourself seems to be the answer, in whatever form that takes for you.
Watch below:
ProfessorMoriarty
Love it. More articles like this, please.
Tackle
These guys are so fuck!ng clueless! Do they even realize that guys they are being photoshopped to resemble don’t even look like that, 100% of the time? Not hating on anyone, but the Krasinki’s, Pratt’s, Bieber’s and the Ronaldo’s do not even look like that. That’s the results of themselves being photoshopped (Bieber they admitted )body make-up, lighting, cosmetic surgery, steroids and hundreds/hundreds of rolls of film, and the best being picked. And truth be told, I bet the guys they are being photoshopped to resemble have the SAME insecurities they have…
Masc Pride
@Tackle: Justin Bieber is on steroids? You don’t need steroids to be a lean 130 pounds (if even that much). If he is, he needs to get all his money back. Cristiano Ronaldo DOES look physically perfect all the time. Do a Google image search and see if you can find even one bad photo. Magazine shoots are obviously retouched (though I imagine they do very little to Ronaldo), but they don’t Photoshop him on-field. He’s just really that perfect.
Stache
What a bunch of whiny lazy fucks. They’re only in their twenties. Easiest time of your life to change your body. The changes were subtle and these idiots were all I don’t think I could do that. How do expect others to want to fuck you if even you don’t like your own body.
redcarpet30
@Stache: And thats why people like you are the problem.
redcarpet30
@Tackle: I think that was the whole point. For them to see how ridiculous it is to hold yourself to these standards. But they are so prominent in the culture that its impossible to not be affected by them, no matter how much you intellectually know you shouldn’t.
redcarpet30
I’d happily fuck all 3 of those guys as-is. They are hot to begin with.
Stache
@redcarpet30: You either want to change or you don’t. Clearly they like being where their at that’s fine too. However, I’d rather they find 3 guys that were actually looking for a change. Not offer some after school special wrap up on loving yourself for who you are no matter what.
The other eye rolling BS that was kind of funny actually was their take on why they couldn’t achieve it. It will take tons of money and you’ll have to live at the gym full time. This advice from guys who clearly have never even seen the inside of the gym. Lol
WatsonJb
I thought it was an awesome epiphany for the Asian dude, that “Wow, I can be photoshopped to Oblivion to match what my perfect ideal is, and I still don’t mentally measure up…” Hence the solution to low self esteem isn’t always the “gym”. Also, some of those aesthetic changes can be subtley mimicked, but not always achievable. There were some alterations to frame size so perhaps you could mimic that, but there aren’t enough reps in a gym to regrow that dude’s hair.
Tackle
@Masc Pride: I emphasized in my post that Justin Bieber was photoshopped. However being around bodybuilding, and sports for over 30yrs, one ABSOLOTUELY can use steroids to be a lean 130lbs. In fact, it’s done all the time in the world of sports. Many professional and non-professional boxers take steroids. And I’m not just referring to the heavy weights. You have Flyweight: 112lbs. Superfyweight:115lbs. Bantamweight:119lbs Superfeatherweight:130lbs Lightweightweight:135lbs. I’ll skip some, but on to Superlightweight:140lbs. And in bodybuilding, many times the categories with regard to weight class are similar. Among other things steroids are use for accelerated recovery and healing, and to maintain body mass and weight. One of the biggest misconceptions is that everyone steroid user will look like the guys in a Mr Olympia lineup. So false. And with regard to Chrissy Ronaldo, that’s your opinion. Because I have seen MANY pics of him online looking very average. In fact, there are MANY Footballers who have a much better body than he. A few, Thierry Henry: Didier Drogba : and Jermain Defoe…
Tackle
@redcarpet30: Yes I hear what you are saying, but I don’t think that was the whole point. I got more of something I’ve seen on “America’s Next Top Model,” many times. And that is , “we’re gonna have fun, and have you recreate, with our help, an image of a famous person you admire.” I don’t think from the photographer, makeup artist, stylist, or from Queerty, there was some DEEP philosophical reason or meaning for them to get, or take from this. However, the Korean guy did experience an awakening…
SportGuy
That’s pretty cool. Maybe if more people saw what they could look like with some exercise and good eating, then maybe the nation wouldn’t be so dang fat!
Blackceo
This was kind of sad but also a reinforcement of how much body image and body shaming is so prevalent in our community and how much it really affects a guy’s self esteem. If it was as easy as wanting to make a change then we’d all have amazing bodies. Clearly its not that simple and I hate when people put it in such simplistic terms.
Even though I have a fiance I feel like I could never even attempt to “let myself go”. I hate working out so I mostly do cardio stuff (tennis, running, swimming, spin class) to stay in shape. I hate weights but I feel like I have to keep some definition in my arms. I love clothes and the bottom line is that clothes look better on you when you have a lean, toned body. Polo shirts and henleys look good when you have a nice chest and nice definition in your arms. I wear a lot of suits and have them tailored and having the right kind of body makes your tailored suit look better on you. So for me I am actually more motivated to stay in shape because I”m a clothes whore and like to look good in my clothes. I personally want to look good for my man even though he says he’d love me no matter how I looked (which by the way I don’t buy for a minute).
Masc Pride
@Tackle: Actually, you typed out a long list of tricks that broadly applied to all the names you mentioned. If you meant it differently, you structured your wording wrong. Surely someone with all your steroid “expertise” already knows that NONE of the guys you mentioned have physiques that look like results of anabolic steroids. It’s also just your opinion that these guys are only good-looking because of editing and steroids. Let’s be honest, you hate them because they’re good-looking white and Hispanic guys that the gay community generally finds physically-appealing.
jestgr
I hope each of these guys walk away from this with at least one thing – the realization that they’re already extremely attractive physically with personalities to match.
Tackle
@Masc Pride: And you make TWO misconceptions. The first being that there is a physique that looks like it is the results of steroid use. No such thing! Everyone, and every body is different. I have had many tell me, and seen many who have been users, and have been shocked because they do/did not have what I thought was a typical steroid users physique. It’s not list of tricks that are doing you in. Just admit that you’re out of your league on this subject…
And I will admit this, the guys are not my cup of tea. Definitely not my preference. But that is far from hating them.
KiDAciDic
God, sometimes straight guys just can’t be honest and admit that they just DONT want to put in the effort to be more physically fit. Instead they parade out this narrative of “the unattainable god” ideal and point to celebrities. Krasinski and Pratt did have intensive routines for months that, yes demanded great trainers, perfect diets and the spare time but that was all jammed into a small time frame. Anyone who plans and puts away one or two hours 3-4 times a week to an exercise routine based on challenging their limits will have better bodies than these guys. Our bodies are all built to react to challenging physical stimuli by becoming stronger and more efficient. It just takes the will to say that your physical fitness and maintaining your health are important factors in your life. Like any project you do in life, when you focus on building the Great Pyramids instead of starting with a cabin you’re dooming yourself for failure.