Reaction to James Packer’s shirtless pics presents big problem with body positivity

Snaps of James Packer partying on his superyacht with Robert De Niro have set the internet alight this week, but there’s a huge problem with them.

COMMENT

Currently, shirtless photos of James Packer are being ridiculed online.

Plenty of people on social media are making cruel and unkind comments about Packer’s body, and it’s a double standard that desperately needs to change.

I don’t think there’s any denying women usually experience more commentary and criticism on their bodies than men.

Who can forget the New York Post’s 2021 headline about Adele’s weight loss that read: “Adele’s Oprah concert proves she didn’t lose her voice with those pounds”?

And you’d only have to open any Aussie tabloid magazine to witness the fanfare surrounding Chrissie Swan’s recent health kick.

James Packer’s boat has a nightclub, sleeps 22, bars, movie theatre…Jesus…just saw a photo of him on the boat with De Niro…I’m guessing the thing is so big James hasn’t even found where the gym is yet….

— ... (@peter_berner) July 5, 2022

But I also feel that the commentary surrounding men’s bodies hasn’t evolved.

While at least we strive for better commentary surrounding women’s bodies, we don’t seem to be making the same progress regarding how we talk about men’s bodies.

The body positivity movement seems primarily geared towards women, but men deserve the same kind of celebration for their non-thin bodies.

Let’s face it; it’s still seen as “funny” to call a man fat or comment on his weight. There are sitcoms basically dedicated to that punchline.

Pictures of James Packer on his yacht are being unfairly ridiculed. Picture: BACKGRID Australia

According to Jim, anyone? There’s a sense that men should take it on the chin and be a part of the joke.

Look at Jonah Hill or Seth Rogen’s careers. Before losing weight, their bodies were always the punchline, and that kind of rhetoric is incredibly damaging.

Hill famously went on The Ellen Show and said: “I became famous in my late teens and then spent most of my young adult life listening to people say that I was fat and gross and unattractive. It’s completely unacceptable that men that aren’t thin cop such insensitive body-shaming.”

Since those comments, Hill has spoken out against the culture surrounding shaming men’s bodies, and he has a very strong point.

Obviously, there have been endless opinions on how Kim Kardashian’s body often makes women feel inadequate, but Chris Pratt’s body probably has the same kind of impact on men, it’s just that we aren’t having those conversations yet: at least not on a mass scale.

Jonah Hill schooling Daily Mail on body positivity✨ pic.twitter.com/ail7a0cNTD

— Repzilla (@zillarage) February 28, 2021

You see, how we treat men’s bodies that don’t have abs has consequences.

A study by The University of Sydney found that 45 per cent of men are unhappy with their bodies, which is a significant shift from only 15 per cent admitting that 15 years ago.

Basically, men aren’t feeling themselves, at least not like they used to, and I’d argue it’s because bigger men in the public eye are constantly mocked.

I mean, I don’t think it is a coincidence that Robert Kardashian has practically been in hiding since he gained weight.

The reaction to the photos of James Packer sends a powerful and disappointing message. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

I understand that Packer is rich and powerful, and the shirtless photos were taken on his multimillion-dollar yacht where he was spending the day with Robert De Niro, so it is tempting to find any perceived fault of his and ridicule it.

But it’s sending a very loud and powerful message to men that if they have a similar build or body to Packer, it is unattractive and a joke.

We desperately need to change this messaging.

Fat-shaming James Packer should get the same amount of anger online when Rebel Wilson is fat-shamed.

We need a world where bodies in all shapes, sizes and genders are celebrated, even bodies of billionaires.

Originally published as Reaction to James Packer’s shirtless pics presents big problem with body positivity