Ah, the Dad Bod. This new phenomenon has graced the Internet almost as swiftly as that extra chub has graced the bellies of the men sporting this apparently new body type.
The trending body type refers to a man crouching on the latter half of his 30s, sitting shirtless in his living room, scratching his pudgy belly while simultaneously channel-surfing and sorting through emails on a Sunday morning. He is a dad. He has a job, probably in an office where he wears a suit and tie every day to work. He is a provider, a formerly fit, soft-bellied and ?approachable man.
There is nothing wrong with the Dad Bod itself, or the fact that women are attracted to it. However, discussion around this body embodies this self-congratulatory, pure-male privilege. Allow for the mansplaining to commence.
Time magazine writer Brian Moylan calls the Dad Bod a “sexist atrocity,” not for what it says about men but what it says about how we treat women.
Men can get away with having that extra pudginess. Women, still, cannot. Even guys my age are implementing the term, whether they say they’ve got a Dad Bod they are trying to work off or they’re comfortable with an imperfect physique. ?Imagine that.
While we push for “fat acceptance” of women, the Dad Bod makes its way toward normalcy at lightning speed. Women must strive for flat stomachs and thigh gaps. Men chug six beers without a second thought.
Think about it. If someone created a female Mom Bod equivalent, the Internet might actually explode. But we already talk about the Mom Bod. We just call it a MILF.
So while we allow men to sport a little extra fat on the midsection, we continue to reinforce the same beauty standards for women, especially the aging ones.
While men can get away with extra toppings on their burgers and ice cream, women still feel the need to opt for fat-free yogurt or a salad.
For real moms, it’s all about burning off that post-baby fat or love handles. It’s about hiding those age spots and softening those wrinkles.
While products like Touch of Grey exist for men, age defying creams, Pilates classes and hair dying products exist for mothers.
Basically, we just can’t win. One frail argument in support of the Dad Bod claims that women feel more comfortable around a man with a Dad Bod. She is more comfortable with her physical imperfections because he’s got visible imperfections, too.
If he’s got stomach fat, I can too, right? Yes. But his stomach fat should have nothing to do with your self-confidence.
Last time I checked, the empowerment and confidence a woman should feel about her body should come from within — not from that chubby dude holding her hand. Body positivity is all about the self and should abstain from comparing oneself to others entirely.
In no way am I body-shaming the Dad Bod. But I am saying we need to rethink its implications about how we as a society treat women.
nrowthor@indiana.edu
