The Construction of the Ideal Male Body Masculinity in the Mister International Pageant

Abstract

As Michael Foucault had said that the human body is not really free; the concept of the body as well as the concept of the human sexuality in fact are ruled by and obey the great power behind them. A great narrative about the body and also the sexuality that has been agreed by societies, consciously or unconsciously has successfully dictated societies’ point of view in placing their body and sexuality. The concept of a male body that has been characterized by its perfunctory appearance, in the sense of not necessary to primp, actually is a great narrative that is considered as a true necessity. This topic is unique and interesting to study because Mister International pageant as the representation of world’s male masculinity offers the different great narrative masculinity concept that has been shackling the traditional masculinity concept of Indonesian society. This study will analyze the signs of masculinity shown in Mister International pageant as the ideal men’s quest in the world. The result of this study indicates that the ideal male masculinity constructed in Mister International pageant if viewed from the concept of traditional sexuality is a combination between the concept of femininity and the concept of masculinity that then brought out to a new terminology about the concept of masculinity called as metrosexual. The concept of masculinity constructed by this ideal men’s quest in the world, if examined by Herbert Marcuse’s point of view, actually is a concept uniformity of the world's ideal male body in one dimension. Furthermore, the great narrative behind this uniformed ideal male construction is a world’s major capitalists’ project to expand their market share, especially male cosmetics and clothes products.Keywords: Construction, Masculinity, Ideal Male Body, One-Dimensional Man.

Komunikasi interpersonal pada konsep diri mahasiswa laki-laki metroseksual di kota Medan

“…Laki-laki metroseksual perkotaan, narsis, dan hedonistik, memiliki kecenderungan untuk mengkonsumsi segala sesuatu untuk merawat diri dan meningkatkan penampilan (Habib, Ratnaningsih, & Nisa, 2020). John menegaskan bahwa laki-laki metroseksual akan melakukan, membeli, dan menghargai apa pun yang mereka inginkan (Ony, Gunady & Johan, 2020).…”

Digital marketing communication of skincare products to develop men's consumptive behaviour

“…The human body is not autonomous; both the concept of the body and human sexuality is governed by a powerful force (Butler, 1988). Through a large narrative about the body and sexuality that has been constructed by cultures, whether intentionally or unconsciously, civilisations have powerfully shaped the point of view of individuals in terms of their body and sexuality (Habib et al, 2020). Mating is a combination of femininity and masculinity when viewed through the lens of traditional sexuality, resulting in a new name for masculinity: metrosexuality (Zarwell et al, 2019).…”

Portrayals the Ideal Men’s Body through the Body’s Nutritional Products

“…The incredible power behind it controls both the definition of the body and the definition of human sexuality. A grand narrative of the body and sexuality decided by societies, whether consciously or unconsciously, essentially dictated the point of view of individuals in terms of their body and their sexuality (Habib et al, 2020;Butler, 1988). For example, the men's body is seen to have the same privileges as the women's body in the disciplinary activities of the capitalist industry (Falomir-Pichastor et al, 2019;Octaviana & Susilo, 2021).…”

“…The concept of masculinity, based on the search for ideal men in this world, if analysed from the point of view of Herbert Marcuse, is a definition of uniformity in the ideal human body of the universe in one dimension (Daniel Susilo et al, 2021). In addition, the incredible story behind the development of the ideal men in uniform is the project of the world's significant capitalists to broaden their markets, particularly for cosmetics and men's clothing (Habib et al, 2020). The implicit masculine conception of oneself is not connected to external expectations.…”