Selection from text:"Thus, to his gradual transformation from sickly youth to strongman Sandow added a second, virtually instantaneous metamorphosis: from man of the crowd to marvel of muscle. This simultaneously placed Sandow in a class by himself and appealed to fantasies of self-transformation in boys and men, much as Clark Kent was to inspire later generations to dream of stripping off their street clothes and eyeglasses in a telephone booth and turning into Superman" (Kasson, 2001: 38).
My Response: Where do we draw the line between fit and overly muscular? If a man does not fit these standards, are they less of a man? John Kasson explains how Sandow dramatically altered the standards for the "perfect man". Both men shown above obviously have muscle definition. However, the one on the right has obviously done something to alter his natural state. I posted a picture of two male rowers above, doing something athletically challenging. Is a man perfect if he simply looks strong? Or does it go deeper...is a man more perfect if he actually uses that strength to accomplish a goal?
Sources:
Kasson, John F. 2001. Who is the Perfect Man? Eugene Sandow and a New Standard for America. In Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man: The White Male Body and the Challenge of Modernity in America. Pp. 21-76. New York: Hill and Wang.
http://www.abercrombie.com/anf/index.html (Accessed August, 2007)
http://www.row2k.com/ (Accessed July, 2007)
http://images.google.com/imghp?tab=wi (Accessed August, 2007)
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