Meet the Spornosexuals

There is a new breed of men on the block. They work out religiously, have a lean, chiseled body and are ultra-groomed, tanned and selfie-obsessed. Besides, they aren’t afraid to go semi-naked for the cams. The trend that started in Bollywood by India’s sex symbol John Abraham is now followed by the likes of Tiger Shroff, Sushant Singh Rajput and Varun Dhawan. Tollywood isn’t far behind as well. Prabhas’ wet, rippling body, carrying the Shivalingam in Baahubali, and his sculpted body in Baahubali 2, steals the thunder on screen.

These are Spornosexuals — a term coined in 2014 by author and journalist Mark Simpson, combining the words porn and sports. It is a smart indicator of their six-pack abs, bulging biceps and tanned, smooth skin. They treat their bodies as temples, looking every bit the fitness gods!

John Abraham

The metrosexual era was all about looking good, wearing good clothes and accessories, defying clichés of masculine and feminine dressing. Now it’s all about flaunting those toned up muscles/abs because if you have them, why not flaunt them! The truth is, on a fit body, no matter what you wear, it’ll look good. And many men are willing to go the extra mile to get a carved body.

Being a Sporno sexual is the latest trend, says Tollywood actor Anirudh Sameer. “Both men and women aspire to be fit and toned. After all, no one likes to be called skinny/fat or out of shape,” he says.

So, is this ‘perfectly sculpted physique’ to impress their followers on social media? Why not, says Anirudh, after all, it takes pains to attain the perfect body. He says, “As times have changed, taking a selfie and posting on social media has set yet another trend. For instance, we see a lot of girls posting their perfect pout, similarly, we see a lot of men clicking bare bod pics and posting them on social media, and why not, after all, there’s a lot of hard work and tonnes of money going into getting that well-toned, ripped or chiselled body. It isn’t so easy.”

Model Sarfaraz Khan too doesn’t see anything wrong in these ultra-groomed men spending a fortune on that ‘perfect’ look and not on being fit. “I believe that comfort comes above everything. Admiring the chiselled body that you have achieved from your own hard work doesn't seem wrong to me. If a man is comfortable being shirtless or wearing whatever he likes, it's up to him and not for others to judge or comment,” points out Khan.

Today’s generation wants to be known for their bodies, not wardrobe. “I think it’s too strong a word to be categorised under, but if it means I fall under a group which likes to look like the early men, then I am okay — men who used their bodies to run, to lift, to climb, and not just eat and sleep,” feels actor Harshavardhan.

Celebrities have been a huge inspiration for many. Acquiring well-toned bodies like their favourite actors or idols has become an obsession in today's world. “Having a fabulous body with good looks is always a plus point. As long as it does not become an unhealthy self-obsession, it's all fine and fun,” adds Anirudh.

Harshavardhan too agrees. “The day I feel my physique and pictures are hurting the majority in some uninspiring way, I will stop uploading them. I always count and compare the blessings to the hate. But till then, you will see my physical improvements on my social media. It’s not all but definitely an important and visual part of my life,” he says.

It’s all about money, honey
“In most cases, it is about some rich elite trying to attract women on social media. One should also look at the larger trend in which capitalism tries to sell certain things — like male grooming products. Just like in 1991, post globalisation and liberalisation, international beauty products for women were quick to load our shelves, now about 20 years later, the large multinational brands feel the urban male can spend too, so why not sell to them? The young urban are quick to fall prey as they try to look the way women want them to be. The origin of the word — sports and porn — itself is very interesting, it tries to feed into a very different kind of format. The larger trend is in terms of change in masculinity and the way it is defined and articulated in contemporary society,” explains  Prof Aparna Rayaprol, Head of Dept of sociology, University of Hyderabad.