Cultural Standards of Attractiveness: A Thirty-Year Look at Changes in Male Images in Magazines

This study examined images of male bodies in the popular magazines GQ, Rolling Stone, and Sports Illustrated, from 1967 to 1997. A sample of images was analyzed using an eight-point scale measuring levels of body fat and muscularity. Findings suggest that the male bodies featured in these magazines became more lean, muscular, and V-shaped (featuring a broad chest tapering to a narrow waist) over the years. Leanness and V-shape increased dramatically from the 1960s and 1970s to the 1980s, declining slightly in the 1990s. Muscularity increased progressively over the years, reaching its highest level in the 1990s.