Beauty and the Boy: The Impact of Negative Body Image on Our Boys (WELLNESS)
Even as our acceptance of less rigid gender roles grows in other areas, the pressure on boys to be "toned and muscular" represents a return to a traditional notion of masculinity and what it means to be a man. The message: It's fine if boys want to go around wearing sparkly nail polish as kids, as long as they grow up to be big and strong and macho.