Just like you can’t go to a Melissa Etheridge concert without seeing an abundance of pit hair, these days you can’t go to an indie rock concert without seeing… emaciated men? This season, anorexic is the new black for the skinny jeans and eyeliner-for-men set. In a profession where rock stars have typically looked drug-emaciated a la Steven Tyler and David Bowie, this new trend hasn’t garnered a lot of attention. The difference now however is that rather than all the bony rib cages being a result of popping oxycontin like tic tacs, thinness is sought after as a goal in its own right. Blame American Apparel or Pete Wentz, but men in this particular hipster subculture are now being held up to the impossibly skinny standard – and realizing firsthand how difficult it is to reach and how painful it is to always come up short.
Recently Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon admitted that he struggles with anorexia. In an interview with Q magazine he says, “I always thought I wasn’t good enough. I’d do anything to keep my hands and mouth busy without eating.” Adds Priya Elan of The Guardian, “He lived on black coffee and would go running in hot weather wearing a heavy tracksuit to sweat off as many pounds as possible in order to stay skinny. It isn’t a huge surprise that the singer of one of indie rock’s biggest bands was anorexic. What is surprising is that he’s admitted it.”
Followill might be the most honest of the group but he certainly isn’t the only indie boy in this band. Other indie stars known for their bony frames and body issues include Kurt Cobain, Pete Wentz, Kaiser Chief’s Ricky Wilson and Amos Lee. Seeing as I love all of their music (yeah, I just admitted to digging Fall Out Boy. I’m 12, I know.), it would be a shame to see any of them go the Karen Carpenter route – barring Cobain as he’s already playing his coffeehouse gig in the sky.
Kurt Cobain, still dead, now schills shoes for the living
Pete Wentz, belching the alphabet
Ricky Wilson gives new meaning to Hey, Mr. Tamborine Man
Amos Lee looks over his shoulder in an alley. Which I would be too if I were sitting on such a nice leather “free” chair.Slowly but surely it’s been percolating to the surface of our media-addled public consciousness that men struggle with body issues too, whether it be looking good in bike shorts at the gym or measuring up to David Beckham’s, ahem, standard (is that what the kids are calling it these days?). I have even seen it filtering down to suburbia as evidenced by my literal tug of war with a pair of teenaged boys over a thrift-store pair of women’s Chip and Pepper skinny cut jeans. (I won.) It may not be as prevalent or as pernicious as among women but give ’em twenty years to catch up; we had a head start.
The whole emo-boy trend seems so trendy. Like one day everyone’s going to wake up and ditch the eyeliner and skinny jeans for … I don’t know, whatever is next.
I agree, I think the emaciated look a scary trend, but I think it hits hard in a particular age and demographic. Whereas the majority of men really aren’t dealing with the same widespread issues women everywhere (at every age and stage of life) are.
But like you said, 20 years and we’ll see right? I don’t really see it getting better, but I have a hard time seeing it ever being as prevelant as it is with women.
(and wtg on those Chip and Pepper jeans! 🙂
Ricky Wilson?? I think I missed that one. Although he does look a lot smaller in that picture. Is this a recent development?
I DO think that for a lot of these celebs (and this goes for some of the girls too) it’s tied up with drug use. I think a lot of the people you mentioned it seems more than likely connected. Drug use and eating disorders are NOT mutually exclusive, so I’m not saying they’re not dealing with EDs too, but for somebody (like Ricky) who was always a teeny bit on the chubby side… and then they hit the big time and the drugs come along… wow, the weight comes off. The two addictions often go hand in hand.
Massive, massive props to Caleb for opening up about his experiences with anorexia. WHY oh why don’t the female stars do it too? They could really make a difference.
TA x
Ricky Wilson is addicted to running.
I actually think it’s more common than most people realize, and definitely not restricted to the hipster crowd. I think it’s just not talked about much since it’s a perceived weakness (e.g. violence against men, etc.) that would bring shame for reasons other than the specific ED issue. The macho male pride/whatever you want to call it, in itself, is an issue most women will never have to face.
I don’t know that men need twenty years to catch up. I think our society needs twenty years to catch up to the idea that men struggle with these issues, too.
It actually kinda pierced my heart to see how skinny Caleb had gotten. I saw them in concert (and met them! WooHoo, and really nice guys) in 2005 and he looked fine and healthy. Then, a year later, when the U2 tour started, he was uber skinny. I’m glad he’s gone public with it, and that he seems to have gotten it under control. I just wish this trend would go away quickly.
Now, if my husband decided to be an indie rocker, he would put the other boys to shame. 6’4″ and rail thin, he could rock the skinny jeans. It’d be pretty gross, but guys in skinny jeans isn’t exactly the best look, IMO.
I hate this trend.
But mainly because I like baggy jeans that are not tight on me.
And now even the “Baggy” jeans from Gap, while comfortable, seem to look tight on me.
Forget the skinny look. I’d rather look like the guys from the CrossFit Games!
For some reason, it took me a while to figure out that this time, ED meant eating disorder……..
I don’t see too many guys with anorexia, but it’s probably because of the places I tend to be. I think younger people just live in the moment with whatever is going on in their present without concerns as to what it will do to them, much sooner than they can imagine!
Life is not always such an easy road to navigate for any of us. The regenerative powers of the human body continue to amaze me, but there are limits…
Seeing this more and more. With these “Emo” band role models know, men also have that media role model pressure to starve themselves that women have had for years.
The SoG
Call me crazy, but I don’t think Pete Wentz has ever looked impossibly thin. He’s a short guy and just seems small in general. His arms look healthy (and colorful!)! But this hits a personal note with me because I’ve seen my Dad go from 270 pounds to 165 in the past two years, and it’s really hurting our family. His doctor doesn’t even know what to do. He eats, he just eats very little. If you pray…please pray for my Daddy.
Eow! I like my men rugged, manly and sturdy! This emaciated look is somehow wimpish and limp-wristed… I could never respect a guy like that.
I love the word emo, it always reminds me of South Park. Awesome post, did you notice Ben Gibbard..the Death Cab for Cutie lead singer…he has lost so much weight I don’t even recognize him. I think he looked much cooler with extra weight on him.
Color me clueless, I had NO IDEA. I really thought that a lot of young guys are just naturally skinny-and that a rockband lifestyle might involve lousy nutrition and lots of drugs etc. I actually thought many of them wanted to be bigger (and more buffed) and it never occurred to me that they actually felt pressure to be thin.
Thanks Charlotte, I learn something new every day over here!
It’s sad and awful. Maybe because there’s more media coverage of it, they’ll get help and it will stop being a trend?
…sighs. I wish.
pete wentz freaks me out. HES IN HIS 30S! Time to grow up, my friend, and stop wearing the guy-liner.
My boyfriend is beanpole thin, and he looks a lot like what is being described, but i can completely attest that, much to my dismay, he lives on fast food and sorely wants to gain weight.
yeah, I know, poor thing.
Kelly Turner
http://www.everygymsnightmare.com
Pete Wentz is in his 30’s?!?!?!?!?! I just saw him on TV and I seriously thought he was 22. Actually, when I first saw him and his bandmate (from the side, wearing hats, couldn’t recognize them), I thought they were 18.
OK, so I’m not very hip. As evidenced by the fact that I just used the word “hip.”
It seems that the super-skinny dude look has always been popular in the punk, goth, and alternative worlds. But now, as you say, it’s hitting the mainstream. It’s kind of the male equivalent of heroine-chic: You, too, can look like a drug-addled superstar! Can’t afford heroine? No worries! Just stop eating!
Good job! Now you and your girlfriend can wear the same pair of skinny jeans! Until, of course, you trade it in for a hospital gown.
(And props to Caleb for speaking out!)
That top pic, the guy looks way too thin. But I dunno…I was looking at the other pics, and they don’t seem that bad. I mean, sure they’re thin, but they don’t look unhealthily thin, they look like they’ve got some muscles, and they just look like they work out and are on the smaller side. It wouldn’t occur to me looking at those pics that they would have any sort of ED. I guess it’s in comparison to the bony see-through waifs we see in women’s photos. But it’s true ED in men has never really been focused on at all. Like the previous poster, I just always assumed that they would want to be larger and were just born small.
I’m kind of sad that this trend is affecting boys too, but I can’t help but think that maybe it’ll give them pause before critiquing womens’ bodies.
That said, I do think that it’s more prevalent than men want to admit (because it’s a female problem, like pms).
I’ve read about this among celebrity men like DJ AM and others. It’s quite say, and I don’t think they look good at all. I like my men to have a little muscle. We just won’t mention the fact that I currently weigh more my husband.
Anyway, I hope this trend doesn’t continue. So unhealthy, but look how far women have taken it. I hope the men don’t follow our lead.
I’m with Crabby–didn’t know it was as prevalent. I feel so far removed from eating disorder land I spose I just don’t get it. I hope I don’t have to “get it” when my girls get older. That said, I hope they don’t bring anorexic boyfriends home with them either:-)
yes how interesting. if I were to study this properly, which I would never waste my time on, then I would expect to find that this is simply a fad and not driven by media induced feeding, or lack there of, frenzies, and definitely not by biology.
I should also mention James – yes to look like a cross-fitter – ah… that is an aspiration.
and the line: “guy-liner” hell yeah, that is hilarious!
i digree, and apologize. I do think men get eating disorders – in most cases they over eat (think beer and wings) to cover up other inadequacies, and many men struggle with feeling like they need to maintain the six pack, david becks look (see old post of Char’s with Becksy’s 8 pack). at any rate, rather than focusing on the emo/trend/fad skinny boys, focusing on other issues men have like adonis complex type things, might glean more useful biological information that could help inform research and treatment on all male eating disorders.
now, i do apologize, i have a cold beer and 2 dozen wings that are just begging to be scarfed… mmm
I’m sure it’s certianly a huge problem, something I’ve been noticing more.
I first noticed being “en vouge’ when a former cross country runner boy I know, quite the team because he was able to get a modeling contract in NY (he was and is RAIL thin, bones and all, like a lot of boy XC runners). Most of my guy friends are really skinny, more so than is typically attractive on boys, but they are runners.
On another note a it’s kind of sad that it seems ED’s are becoming more ‘equal opportunity’ I wish to equalize the suffering, women could just be relieved of the burden as opposed to bring more boys into it,
Ewww. Hipsters. Skinny jeans. I’d say these people have a fashion disorder. Perhaps you shouldn’t be surprised that they have eating disorders – after all, they think skinny jeans look good on guys.
Assuming that men can’t get eating disorders is assuming that there’s something fundamentally different between the sexes. I don’t think there is. There might be less external pressure to be skinny for guys, but remember where the real problem is with an eating disordered person – it’s pressure from within, to conform with some mental image you have of yourself.
Pete Wentz is 29. (June 5, 1979)
My daughter’s boyfriend (they’re 14) has a BMI of 15-point-something and tells her he doesn’t eat pizza because he’s afraid he’ll get fat. If he’s a someone’s house and they have it, he’ll eat a piece to be polite, but if we want him to eat we have to avoid foods he’s afraid of, like pizza. Seriously. Beautiful kid, but how does a 14 year old boy get like that? His mom’s totally normal (Dad’s an enigma), he has kid sisters he’s a good big brother to, he doesn’t tell my BMI of 22 daughter that she’s heavy (even though she feels that way because he’s so skinny), great grades, marching band, no drugs, no apparent history of trauma, no eyeliner (jeez). He also hides his face behind his hair; tells my daughter he doesn’t like his face, although I have seen it on occasion, and he has lovely eyes.
So, yeah, “men” definitely suffer crazy-making body image issues, too, and it starts young and insidiously.
A little late posting here, but Pete and Kurt Cobain were both really into drugs. You don’t get hungry on coke. I’m sure some of the other rockers are doing a lot of it too.
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There is a website devoted to eating disorders in men. It offers help and support and the community features a blog, forum and live chat for users to share their experiences etc.
Its here:
http://www.mengeteds.com