Lena Dirscherl, who is known online as BoPoLena, is an artist and body acceptance activist, and they can perfectly blend the two together.
Recently, BoPoLena has been working on an illustration series dedicated to the male body. More specifically, the struggles that come with it—both internal and external.
"It seems I've struck a nerve with this message: body positivity is not only for women," BoPoLena said. "No, it's for all genders! Men also suffer [from] diet culture and the pressure to look as 'attractive' as possible. But you all are already beautiful! You are great the way you are! You don't need diets or gyms to be worthy! You are already worthy and loved!"
More info: bopolena.com | Instagram | Patreon
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That's right. There's no one right way to be a woman and there's no one right way to be a man!
Load More Replies...Not even. You can be born with xx chromosomes but still identify as a man and that in my eyes also makes you just that: a real man.
Load More Replies...Not if your fat, sorry, get bloody healthy, l suffer health problems too😒
BoPoLena started drawing and posting body positive messages every week on Instagram in August 2016. "I realized very quickly that most people assume that body issues, eating disorders and the struggle for acceptance are 'women's issues,'" BoPoLena told Bored Panda.
"[But that] is not true at all! However, that might be the reason why the body positive community online is dominated by white able-bodied heterosexual cis women. Which I think is ironic since the whole movement has its origins in the Fat Acceptance Movement which was led by black women and people of color."
YES. Men crying is deemed too feminine, and that seriously needs to stop. Crying is just a natural thing that people do, and it isn't okay to just bottle up your emotions to seem more like a man. If anything, people should be more feminine if this is what comes of being masculine.
Rather than saying feminine, it would be better to say that crying has been related to 'weakness'. Even in today's world, a man is supposed to be strong who takes care of his family. (Metropolitan cities != The Entire World) He's the emotional pillar of the group, so he cannot show weakness.
Load More Replies...Society says a man cannot crying because their feelings do not matter. "Real" men are expected to suffer in silence until they kill themselves.
It is preferable that men can cry. I hate the idea of being with a man that never cries.
I hate crying - doesn't matter who or what you are (that's why I don't have kids). I find it weak in everyone, especially myself. Grew up with "I'll give you something to cry about." Blame my mother.
We are not attractive, so our existence is supposed to remain a secret.
Yes you ARE attractive! My plus-sized boyfriend is the love of my life.
Load More Replies...Sorry again its not healthy to be fat, dibeates, high blood pressure etc,
BoPoLena isn't the only soldier on the front. In recent years, male celebrities, including Chris Pratt, Ed Sheeran, and Robert Pattinson have been increasingly vocal when it comes to insecurities about their looks.
And it's been long overdue. Research by psychiatrists at UCLA shows that overall, people nowadays feel worse about the way they look than they did in the 1970s.
The problem concerns not just college guys hitting the gym to try to get a date: around 90 percent of boys in middle and high school exercise at least occasionally with the specific goal of bulking up. It's about time we start speaking about it more.
And neither are the pictures you see on Instagram. Lighting and angles matter, and also, people (like me) tend to suck in their stomachs.
I HATE muscle-y men; it really does nothing for me. My SO is skinny.
Most of the time you do, unhealthy is not good, it leads to bad health problems
People have heard enough of the overweight thing. If you do it to yourself then I get it but if your not a doctor and you are born that way I personally don't want to starve my self to have the boy \ girl lood
Dude, you're part of the problem. A lot of us struggle to stay motivated to work out constantly to maintain that kind of body. a lot of us just don't have the genetics to lose that much weight and be healthy.
Load More Replies...They don't, Ryan. There's a lot smoke and mirrors going on. Lots of filters etc.
Load More Replies...Completely :) We need to encourage men to not be ashamed of bolding. It is a natural process and one that its nobody's fault.
Bolding is okay, but some people prefer Italic or Underlined :P
Load More Replies...This one bothers me a lot. I've had a widows peak since my early 20s...talk about a hit to my self-esteem.
It must have been hard. But you are great with it :)
Load More Replies...I wish I'd lose all my hair. Instead, I have this growing bald patch at the crown!
Many of my friends decided to shave their heads than trying to hide their baldness. Some look cool, some don't, but that's life, not every style suits everyone.
As you can see, BoPoLena features a very diverse set of characters in their work. "In each of my series, I focus on a different group that hasn't been represented very well in the BoPo community yet. I did an illustration series on men, on non-binary folx, on intersex people and my next series will be on trans people of all genders."
The artist also plans to tackle disabilities and chronic illnesses in the future but they still need to do more research on these topics. "I'm always in close contact with people of the groups that I try to represent in my art in order to amplify their voices."
BoPoLena says it's their goal to spread body positivity for all people, in all bodies, so that everyone can feel represented in the movement, and if you ask me, they're doing one heck of a job.
I'm sure they're talking about something else, but I have found intermittent fasting to be a useful weight maintenance tool.
they're talking about eating disorders, as in when i person will literally sometimes starve themselves just to be skinny. while i understand where you're coming from, i'm not sure if your comment really has anything to do with the post.
Load More Replies...My SO recently had a problem which could so easily have become anorexia. It was scary, but we for through it. I'm so proud of him!
Correct. They didn't say bad eating habits though. They said easting disorders.
Load More Replies...But also don’t encourage your self with all that hate and sh1t.
Load More Replies...Really? I'm 5'6 / 171cm tall, so why does everybody hate / reject / despise me because of that?
because society and it's standards of beauty etc is absolutely toxic and people lack the ability to mind their own business. My fiance is a women well over 6'ft and she is often belittled (ironic pun not intended) for it, especially when I (5ft'4) are together, people often make remarks when they think you don't realize or hear it. Society sucks, but there are good eggs out there. I think height doesn't matter whatsoever. :)
Load More Replies...This is horseturd. If you're below certain height, you're basically invisible to 99% of women
My husband is 5'6" and not conventionally "pretty". He's my height and treats me like a queen. I love him for how he treats me, his appearance and height mean nothing to me. I've dated taller men and shorter men. I find being able to look him in the eyes without craning my neck in either direction very intimate.
The most real "man" I've ever know was 5'8" 160# marine veteran, rock solid man, good father, brother, etc. Married this very cute girl who's almost 6'. Very good friend of mine, I asked him why he went for the tall girl. "Want my boys to be tall", is all he said.
I am not tall, there is no height, weight , skin color or any other metric to be a man. Just be a person and worry less about that person that judges you based on height.
A moderate amount of femininity is attractive, to be honest. But tastes vary by individuals anyway, so just try to be comfortable with who you are. If you keep your aesthetics and mannerisms for others, there's always going to be someone who doesn't like you, so not worthy bothering for that.
Feminine guys are such a vibe,, anyone who disagrees be ready to catch these hands
I have always been more attracted to men considered short. As a short woman it just makes more sense.
Sadly a lot of men online call you a liar if you say that
Load More Replies...I only would like to be taller when i go (or went) to concerts. I'm 1.68cm or 5'5
Small men, syndrome, l get told that about smaller men, its seems something they hate
I wanna be taller then everyone so that would be a good match for me
But that's other people defining your worth. It can be tough to overcome the feelings of shame when you don't live up to the unrealistic standards set by society, but it is possible. Therapy can help you get on that path if you're having trouble finding it. Also, fyi, shorter people tend to live longer than taller people, on average, so, at least we have that!
Load More Replies...I don't understand why crying is considered feminine, boys can cry too
Y E S. Yes! My good friend and I once had a sleepover, he’s normally very happy and funny and something very bad was happening at his home - it was enough to make me cry just hearing about it but he refused to shed one tear and when I finally convinced him that, it was okay to show your grief, boy did he cry. We cried all night long. Let the damn boys cry!
It's honestly more attractive when y'all cry rather than suck it up :d
That's just genetics, not whatever standard of "manliness" applies to having a beard.
What is with the current beard obsession? All I see is rugburn waiting to happen. I just don't get it.
Thank you for this one and for including everyone in your definition of a man
I prefer a bit of body. More to snuggle. I realize it is a personal preference.
Exactly! My dad is sorta plus size and I love him to bits. It's not the appearance that matters. It's the kindness.
Also most women don't really want a big penis, or at leas the ones I asked about this. We need forplay not a big c**k.
I cannot overstate the importance of fingering and oral sex. I also really don't like the word foreplay, because that makes it sound like an unimportant preliminary, when in fact that's the phase where most women orgasm (if they orgasm during sex). A too big penis (highly subjective, since tastes and vaginas are individual) can definitely hurt, especially when "foreplay" was short. If the bigger the merrier, giving birth would not be so damn painful.
It's not about size, It's about what you do with what you have. We're not lookig for big penises.
F**k "acceptable" who cares! Where what the f**k you want!
Load More Replies...Can you stop please. It doesn't help people. Im sorry. But some people can't so anything about it. And are you? If not I'm sorry but please 😶
Load More Replies...The 6 pack is generally the result of dehydration. Better to aim for strength than looks. (Please don't take this as body shaming. A strong core is important for all kinds of health reasons.)
Well we all don't want to be overweight???,, Think of health related problems 🤔
True. For all genders, your body type does not depend on whether or not you're healthy. We will love you for whoever you are <3
There are plenty of people, who have a high BMI, but are medically healthy. Fat doesn't automatically mean, unhealthy.
Load More Replies...Most of time you do, over weight is not healthy, it leads to dibeates, high blood pressure, l still fighting with medication
Can you please so this for women its amazing for men thought you are so sweet
Loved? Maybe not; your dog will love you no matter what you look like. Find a romantic partner? If you're having trouble, this might be a good strategy if you can execute it.
I sincerely hope that you learn this is not true and can learn to love and/or be loved. Love is not the same for everyone but anyone is capable of being loved.
Load More Replies...Yeah, I have been wanting to work out to get "buff" because it would look good. 😋
I know this is specifically referring to intersex people, as explicitly stated within the picture. However, I'd really like to point out how someone's voice - whether it's talking or singing - can really be an amazing charming point that can do wonders to a woman/man's psyche. When talking about attraction, the topics tend to put so much focus on the visual parts of the body, and the voice is often overlooked, but it can be such a strong point sometimes.
And Chun-Li , but we can be our own Ryu and Chun li right ?
Load More Replies...It's saying that they are equal, not one over the other.
Load More Replies...Isn't it amazing how men have a lot of the same insecurities as women? I wish we would pay more attention to both sexes ' presumptions about themselves, other men, and women. I know it will happen, I hope it will happen soon.
I'm really wrestling with this one lately - trying to eat better. Gotta remember it's about being fully nourished rather than controlling facets of my appearance.
Yes. Stretch marks are natural, and I like to think of them as battle scars that show your journey through life. And so is acne and acne scars. Everyone in their life is going to have acne, and some of us have it for longer than others. These are just things that the human body does, and they should always be normalized.
Now in my 50s I have come to terms with never being able to grow a full beard. Flip side of that is I tend to look a bit younger than my more hirsute peers.
You've been tricked by society. You can feel beautiful, and you deserve to.
Load More Replies...Wrong. Unfortunately, attractivity, success, popularity, happiness and love are just a matter of looks.
But sometimes it's important to take advice from friends & family if they notice you're not quite yourself. Maybe you're overworking & your loved ones can see how stressed you are. Maybe they were trying to say, "I think it would be better for you if you'd relax this weekend instead of working on that project that's been stressing you out." Don't completely disregard what others have to say, especially those close to you.
I think we, women have a great role in making this a reality too. Don't laugh (let alone ridicule) when you see a man cry. For example in movies they often make it into a joke, like as if that were to be the funny thing, man crying, hahaha. No need to support that by laughing along...
For real. And it's good for everyone involved! My husband is having major back issues and all the anxiety that comes with it (can't do normal physical things, possible surgery, the list goes in) and he asked me the other night to just hold him in bed. We've never done that before. He cried. It felt so freaking good for both of us that the next night, I ask if we could do it again. What helps him helps us both, it should be that way when you love someone. Let them cry.
Load More Replies...Yes! So many people think a guy having a eating disorder is ‘gay’.
Not sure about this one. There isn't a thing as 'not being muscular enough for a man'. But being underweight is a health problem. Anorexia in men is often ignored.
I completely agree. About 10-15% of anorexics are male, & they're never talked about or represented when eating disorders are discussed. When people think of eating disorders, they think of teenage girls. Pair this with the fact that men are often extremely reluctant to get help thanks to toxic masculinity, & the number is probably larger due to men who never got diagnosed. If your weight is negatively impacting your physical or mental health, there's a problem & you need to talk to a professional. Screw the toxic masculinity for saying you can't be vulnerable & screw feel-good articles that say you're perfect at every possible size. If you need help, get help.
Load More Replies...I don’t know about anorexia but what I do know is that being underweight like him is a problem and maybe a eating disorder
Yes. Being underweight is a health problem even if it just happens naturally. Same as overweight.
Load More Replies...I'm so damn glad to see something so affirming and toxicity-battling as this for males: there is a fair amount for women, but very little for men! I'm bookmarking this for my son
So, please, just treat the men around you correctly, and with understanding of them not only as individuals but also as men, whether grown or otherwise but according to their age and status, and spare everyone the posturing. THAT is what is wrong with the world today. It's like eveyone is on reality TV. We saw it coming. Then we forgot that we saw it.
Load More Replies...I really, REALLY needed this today. So much so that after 10 years of lurking, this is actually my first ever BP post.
It is wonderful to see this kind of positive messages for men and boys! Toxic and sexist ideas about masculinity really harm a lot of men. We need to teach this things in school to all kids.
I love how in every pro women roghts post there are twenty misoginistic trolls whining about "we never have nice posts about men". But then when bp makes posts about men they are never here. It is almost as if they dont care about men and only use that as an excuse to attack women... hmm..
Load More Replies...I think the important take-away is that these "standards" are a myth created by the Beauty/Cosmetics industry to sell all of us products we don't need to fix problems that aren't real. This is now becoming just as true for men as it is for women. I guess the Beauty/Cosmetic industry tapped out the female market and then turned on the men. We don't need that nonsense!
(sorry if this is a bit long...)yes, I think everyone needs to see this since we put so much on body types that sometimes we need to stop and look back at what we have done. women harm themselves, sometimes starve themselves, throw themselves at boys just to be approved. men will hide their feelings, go to the gym often, try to get so many girls just to be approved when on the inside not everyone is like that. some women are stubborn, strong, flat while some men are sensitive, skinny, and have eating disorders that don't mean u arent valid!
I don’t think they addressed this issue but all boys and mans ducks don’t have to be perfect size doesn’t matter no matter what just love yourself
The purpose was to be reassuring and positive.
Load More Replies...I'm so damn glad to see something so affirming and toxicity-battling as this for males: there is a fair amount for women, but very little for men! I'm bookmarking this for my son
So, please, just treat the men around you correctly, and with understanding of them not only as individuals but also as men, whether grown or otherwise but according to their age and status, and spare everyone the posturing. THAT is what is wrong with the world today. It's like eveyone is on reality TV. We saw it coming. Then we forgot that we saw it.
Load More Replies...I really, REALLY needed this today. So much so that after 10 years of lurking, this is actually my first ever BP post.
It is wonderful to see this kind of positive messages for men and boys! Toxic and sexist ideas about masculinity really harm a lot of men. We need to teach this things in school to all kids.
I love how in every pro women roghts post there are twenty misoginistic trolls whining about "we never have nice posts about men". But then when bp makes posts about men they are never here. It is almost as if they dont care about men and only use that as an excuse to attack women... hmm..
Load More Replies...I think the important take-away is that these "standards" are a myth created by the Beauty/Cosmetics industry to sell all of us products we don't need to fix problems that aren't real. This is now becoming just as true for men as it is for women. I guess the Beauty/Cosmetic industry tapped out the female market and then turned on the men. We don't need that nonsense!
(sorry if this is a bit long...)yes, I think everyone needs to see this since we put so much on body types that sometimes we need to stop and look back at what we have done. women harm themselves, sometimes starve themselves, throw themselves at boys just to be approved. men will hide their feelings, go to the gym often, try to get so many girls just to be approved when on the inside not everyone is like that. some women are stubborn, strong, flat while some men are sensitive, skinny, and have eating disorders that don't mean u arent valid!
I don’t think they addressed this issue but all boys and mans ducks don’t have to be perfect size doesn’t matter no matter what just love yourself
The purpose was to be reassuring and positive.
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