That which we call contemporary masculinity seems to still rely heavily on a withdrawn kind of stoicism, despite our vocalizations against “toxic masculinity.” We, as a greater society, still do not seem ready to accept maleness as something delicate or exposed. The nude male body is not largely distributed in western media for this reason; soft, naked subjecthood is “for women.” And in the cases where the male nude is in fact presented, many regard it as vulgar, hairy, ugly, and worst of all, homosexual in its portrayal. All in all, something to avert your eyes from.
But why must we feel so disgusted at male nakedness? Are bodies not all made from the very same flesh and hair? In this body of work I endevour to satirize any reserved reactions that viewers may feel towards male nudity, in addition to discussing my own intimate relationship with male nakedness as a transsexual man. This project interlaces itself with both lighthearted humor and the infinite, genuine nuances of the ways we assign meaning to different kinds of bodies.