Pop Culture
What is the name of the 1975 Horror/Musical which featured the creation of an iconic muscular fellow named Rocky?
Rocky Horror Picture Show
How do gyms function as spaces where body ideals are reinforced through social observation?
Answers Vary
This belief assumes that a sculpted, Sandow-style physique automatically represents ideal physical condition.
What is the myth that muscles equal health?
Manfluencers encourage their viewers to buy products that improve themselves on an individual level, rather than men as a whole, which is an example of this term (Hint: There’s a branch of feminism that is paired with this term)
Neoliberalism
What “rabbit holes” lead users from basic fitness videos to extreme bodybuilding content.
recommendation algorithms
Where did the famous cartoon character He-Man get his start?
A Toy Line
Gym culture often mocks people using what kind of machines by saying it is for novices and elderly people.
Cardio
This long-standing idea claims that a larger, statue-like frame represents the “proper” form for men, inspired by classical models like the Farnese Hercules.
What is the myth that size equals masculinity?
Men taking steroids or testosterone to feel more in-tune with their masculinity is an example of this form of self-care
Gender Affirming Care
Name two “manfluencers” (social media influencers who promote toxic masculinity)
Joe Rogan, Andrew Tate, “Be A Man” Guy, etc.
What is the name of the iconic bodybuilding documentary that introduced famous bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the world?
Pumping Iron
Calling someone “natty” or “not natty” refers to this controversial topic in gym subculture.
Sterioid Use
This stereotype portrays big-bodied men as “brutes, boors, barbarians, and Blutos,” suggesting that their appearance reflects threatening behavior.
What is the myth of the aggressive strongman?
Men with low muscle mass may be viewed as unhealthy/underweight by medical professionals when compared to men with more muscle which is an example of this term
Pathologizing
What is an example of aspirational advertising
Brands showing “before and after” bodies to convince boys that buying products will transform their masculinity
Which well known muscleman portrayed Hercules in the now infamous 1983 film of the same name?
Lou Ferrigno
What does it mean to be a “mirror lifter"?
To focus exclusively on chest and arms, avoiding leg day entirely.
This belief pressures men to keep reshaping their bodies to fit a “near-mythical” ideal, turning physical improvement into an endless project
What is the myth of the endlessly improvable male body?
Brodeur describes his dissatisfaction with his body as a young man, which is an example of this theory developed by Michael Foucault
Self-Surveillance/The Panopticon Theory
How would influencers use parasocial relationships to improve sales on a fitness product
Pretending to care about their followers fitness goals being acheived
Who was Michael Andor Brodeur’s gay awakening?
Optimus Prime
This idea describes the unspoken ranking system where bigger, stronger lifters command respect, while newcomers hover at the bottom.
Pecking Order or Gym Hierarchy
This idea treats one specific type of physique, associated with European classical art, as the universal standard, while casting other bodies as inferior or dangerous.
What is the myth of the idealized white male body?
Having traits that are traditionally associated with femininity and being seen as less masculine/manly because of them is an example of this term
Emasculation
How might psuedoscience be used in branding of fitness and health products
Answers vary!