Not to be all “it happens to men too!” but the pain of trying to live up to an ideal body image does happen to men too. According to Models.com, the average male model should be between 5’9” and 6’2”, and weigh between 120 and 170 pounds. That leaves a whole lot of men who may feel inadequate about their size.
Good thing #BigGuyTwitter is here to show the world how beautiful large men can be.
The hashtag was started by Twitter user Mike Byrd, who told the Daily Dot his inspiration was to counter the bullying about body type that can happen on social media. “Social media has a bad culture of body shaming and I really want individuals to take pride in who they are and love and accept themselves fully,” he said.
Byrd grew up playing football, so he recognizes that his size has worked in his favor. However, “everyone hasn’t had that same acceptance,” he said. “It doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be celebrated for who they are.”
Byrd tweeted a photo of himself to get things rolling, and other men quickly joined in.
https://twitter.com/HOPEdealer_Mike/status/729836558619017216
Aww we on the air? *Wayans Bros voice* 6’2 315. #BigGuyTwitter 🐻 pic.twitter.com/6Ycjztxqsi
— Belly Rowland (@OJTheKing) May 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/Appstate_72/status/730074147204804608
https://twitter.com/DamnBigC/status/730040654940770309
A few women also jumped in, to show their, uhh, appreciation for the hashtag.
https://twitter.com/Awkward_Duck/status/730053414428803072
All 5’2 of me is looking at this #BigGuyTwitter tag like pic.twitter.com/hLT5b4lkyz
— Mari. (@mariwritesss) May 10, 2016
“Although the movement gives big guys a platform to be proud, I really hope to inspire others to love and appreciate themselves,” says Byrd. “The response has been amazing. I feel everyone looks at it pretty favorably.”
It’s true, I will never complain about beefy, shirtless guys being RT’d into my timeline.
