Whiten the skin, eat off the belly, change the shape of the eyes: What standards of male beauty exist in different parts of the world.
Beauty requires sacrifice, and not only from women. Men in some countries go to great lengths to be handsome – they do plastic surgery, eat off a huge belly, try to look feminine. And all to meet local beauty standards. To Europeans, this may sometimes seem like a funny, sometimes strange ritual. But today, in different parts of the world, their canons of beauty operate.
Men’s beauty contests Wodaabe
Men of the African Wodaabe tribe place great bets on their irresistibility. Self-respecting tribesmen carry pocket mirrors with them everywhere. Every year, an unusual beauty contest is held for seven days in Wodaabe. Only men compete among themselves. But for women of the tribe, this is an opportunity to choose a suitable husband for themselves.
Big open eyes, snow-white teeth, a narrow nose, an elongated face, and a slender toned body are considered beauty standards for Wodaabe men.
It takes several hours to prepare each participant for the competition. Men paint their lips black to make their teeth look as white as possible.
The face is painted with bright minerals from river estuaries and pomace of colored plants. They try to make the nose visually thinner; white ocher is applied to it in a stripe. But the key to festive makeup is mascara. Men also paint their eyes in everyday life but pronounced and wide-open eyes with rotating pupils are the key to success and female recognition during the competition.
The rival bellies of the Bodi tribe
As a rule, men from African tribes look like lean athletes with pronounced muscles. But there are also paradoxical situations. While European men burn extra pounds in sports clubs, representatives of the African Bodi tribe are busy growing the most prominent belly compared to their fellow tribesmen.
Such macho is considered here the personification of health and prosperity. Based on a unique approach to male attractiveness, a holiday has taken root in the body, which is a competition of fat men.
Everyone who wants to participate undergoes special training: he consumes excessively fat milk and cow’s blood, tries to move a little.
On the day of the celebration, the plump Bodi men decorate themselves with feathers, shells, necklaces and go out to the tribesmen to judge. The title of the complete male of the tribe guarantees the winner the highest preferences in the future.
Feminine landmarks and men’s cosmetic bag in Japan
Japanese girls prefer guys who tend to look pretty feminine. In the Japanese environment, the image of bishonen is popular – an ideally handsome, by local standards, young man. This is a character with feminine features and a fragile physique.
In general, the asexual style is encouraged among the Japanese. Men are considered attractive, whose gender is difficult to identify at once. The guys actively use decorative cosmetics, hair styling, and dyeing products, wear elegant accessories, and sometimes women’s clothing.
Few people will be surprised by the Japanese in high-heeled shoes. At the same time, there is no connection between appearance and sexual orientation. It’s all about the unique concept of beauty in Japanese culture. Moreover, this approach to male beauty can be traced to the long history of these people. Minamoto no Yoshitsune is described in history as a highly handsome, effeminate man, an honored warrior, and a lady’s man.
South Korean aspirations for European eyes
Visits to plastic surgeons are extremely popular with South Koreans. The standards of male beauty here do not correspond to natural ones. Women appreciate expressive eyes with a European cut in men.
Eyes atypical for a Korean are considered the key to success in a career. In the CVs under consideration, employers often give preference to candidates with a European appearance.
For this reason, plastic surgery on the eyelids is put on the conveyor in South Korea. The cost of such a procedure is affordable for most of the population, so there are more and more people who want to get a pass to a successful life.
Lucrative whitening cosmetics market in India
In India, dark skin is associated with poverty and hard physical labor. Fair-skinned men, accordingly, personify wealth, high birth, and even fame. The thing is that thousands of years ago, light-skinned Aryans came to Hindustan, who did not want to mix with dark-skinned locals.
To protect their high position, castes were introduced, which divided the Aryan society into warriors, brahmins, artisans, and merchants. Non-Aryans were excluded from the Indian caste system. Still, it was not possible to keep the blood pure. The appearance of modern Bengalis is far from the standards of the beauty of their ancestors. However, fair skin continues to be elevated to a cult.
For this reason, members of the higher castes avoid the sun most of the time, spending time indoors. Cosmetics that whiten the skin are trendy among men. These are special soaps, sunscreens, and even special shaving foam.
Scar ornaments and red-haired Dinka heads
At the age of 13, the boys of the Sudanese Dinka tribe become men. A painful forehead scarring procedure is timed to coincide with this event. In addition to demonstrating belonging to the tribe, such a pattern on the body is intended to attract the attention of the female half to men.
The process is excruciating and dangerous, often accompanied by profuse bleeding. But a man with scars is considered special and is in demand among women. In addition, men prefer reddish hair color, regularly washing their heads with cow urine for this purpose.
