Calvin Klein underwear models, definitely eye candy. But what effect do underwear ads have on our own body image? Spencer Althouse and BuzzFeed set up a project with seven everyday guys, some Calvins, and a studio photographer. The participants’ comments on the experience (along with the photos!) are in this August 2015 post.
Read it here: BuzzFeed, “We recreated famous Calvin Klein underwear ads and this is what happened”
- What was BuzzFeed’s stated purpose for this project? Why did they want to recreate iconic underwear ads? The models’ comments, of course, are selected from what were probably much longer interviews. What did the editors likely leave out? How well did the selected comments support the project’s purpose? Explain your reasoning.
- The segment for each of the models includes an excerpt from their comments (called a pull-quote). In each case, the pull-quote highlights an important statement, something that is highly meaningful and can stand alone. Read each model’s comments and evaluate the selection of the pull-quote. Are the pull-quotes well chosen? Why? Would you have made any different selections? Explain your reasoning.
- The men who participated in this BuzzFeed project are ordinary, everyday guys, not professional models. Still, they reported enjoying the project and the insights it offered them about their own bodies. Would you be willing to participate in such a project with a group of your friends (either with or without publication later)? Why or why not? Think about it, try to imagine what it would be like to take part in such a project, and then explain your thoughts and feelings.
- In this article, BuzzFeed doesn’t refer to any additional sources, but they could have. Read (or re-read) Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet’s essay in Chapter 20 of your text. Imagine that BuzzFeed wanted to cite that essay for this Calvin Klein underwear project, and select two brief passages that could complement the project. (You may want to think in terms of pull-quotes.)
- Underwear ads that include sumptuous photos of perfect-bodied models are so much a part of our social landscape in the United States that we don’t generally challenge their existence, and we rarely question their effect on our sense of self. What influence do these kinds of underwear ads have on your own body image? Is it positive? Negative? Neither? Would you eliminate these ads from public billboards? From television? From magazines? Write an essay responding to these questions, using the BuzzFeed article as your They Say.
They Say I Blog 
This article discusses peoples different body types and how society makes us view ourselves. in this article the men from Buzzfeed recreate the photos taken of the Calvin Cline models showing off the underwear. they go on to explain a little about themselves and what/why they don’t like about their body type and how society makes those who aren’t picture perfect feel self conscious about themselves. they also discuss that it would be a lot better if they represented more ethnicities, color, and different body types in their adds so that it can better relate to everyone.
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In this article it is talking about mens insecurities compared to how the models look. I can relate to that because me being the same way about my body wishing it was different. They should have models of all shapes and sizes so not everyone will compare themselves to the “perfect model”. The article is trying to let everyone know that it is okay to not have the perfect body or image to be comfortable with yourself. Everyone should step out of their comfort zone every now and then, it may help them in the long run.
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I believe that underwear ads like Calvin Klein underwear ads have a negative impact on the reader’s/receiver’s mind. These ads idealize men with tall, muscular body types as the epitome of beauty and persuade people into believing that the only way to look beautiful is by having a body like those models. Therefore, people aim to have taller, muscular, and perfect-looking bodies which might be impossible to attaining because not all people are tall or have a body structure that supports extensive muscle building. Moreover, people compare their bodies to these models which creates upset and stress in their life. As a result, self-doubt and insecurity increases in people. The article “Me in my Calvins: BuzzFeed on body image and underwear ads” prompts the reader to think about the effect that these underwear ads have on people’s self-perception and body expectations. This article is analyzing and questioning another article “We Re-Created Famous Calvin Klein Underwear Ads And This Is What Happened” on Buzzfeed. The article on Buzzfeed asks random people to wear Calvins and model like real Calvin Klein models. Their main purpose is to understand what an average person thinks and document their experiences and realizations. Logan, one of the participants for Buzzfeed expressed, “A great way to feel insecure is to compare your body to that of an underwear model” (Althouse et. al). He shared that he felt very insecure while modeling, and this experience made him very self-conscious about his body because he was being compared to an underwear model, who had the perfect, ideal body. He was afraid that he would look bad in these pictures because his body was not heavily built or evenly tanned. Logan, also, mentioned, “The funny thing is, when I look at these ads, I don’t even notice the underwear. It’s just more like, damn. How do you get that ripped?” (Althouse et. al). This thought proves that his main focus is on the model’s body and not the product that is being advertised by that model. Moreover, all the other participants agreed to thinking the same thing and being more concerned with the model’s perfect physique rather than the underwear. In addition, they all wanted to have a body like the model’s and therefore bought the underwear believing that it might make them look that good. This shows the extent to which people want themselves to look like the idealized versions of beauty. And, because this might not an achievable goal, it creates a negative impact in people’s mind about themselves. Thus, it is a negative influence.
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In this article, it talks about Calvin Klein models. It says that even men feel the same way that women do about body image. They are supposed to look tough and masculine and have a masculine body. This is normally represented in Calvin Klein Ads. Sometimes these ads give men unrealistic expectations of what our bodies “should” look like. In the ads, it isn’t even about the underwear, most men are just looking at the person wearing the underwear and they just want to be as “ripped” as them. Clavin Klein represents 2 things: what you want to look like and who you want to be dating. None of these phots that they are using to market with are realistic, they are heavily edited and photoshopped. As a girl I feel the same way about advertisements.
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